More Weddings in Umbria please…

As much as I dearly love Rome and Tuscany, I wish more people would think about our lovely little Umbria for their wedding. We are very much overlooked, a hidden oasis in the wee green heart of Italy.

Yesterday I was in the beautiful area of Umbertide in northern Umbria at the stunning Borgo di Bastia Creti hidden on a hilltop in the Niccone Valley, even my GPS was telling me to turn back!

It was very unseasonal weather for the middle of May but the stormy skies produced stunning light and the countryside is so vibrantly green at this time of year, especially after all the showers we have been having. After getting ready at the villa we travelled into Montone for a civil ceremony in the town hall, the views from here will blow you away. After ice cream in the piazza it was back to the villa for drinks and antipasti.

The lovely Monina and Rosa from italianweddingdream.com once again worked their magic with the table settings and decor, and as always their caterers were on top form and all the food was superb.

For anyone looking for a romantic and secluded beautiful setting for their wedding should really consider Umbria, there are so many wonderful hidden gems just like Borgo di Bastia Creti. Some of my other Umbrian favourite locations include Perugia, Orvieto and Todi. If you would like more information on Weddings in Umbria check out our section on Umbria wedding photography or contact us or drop Monina at italianweddingdream.com an email.

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The wedding day of Kelly & Matt at Campidoglio Wedding Hall in Rome

What a beautiful bright and sunny day in Rome with lot of laughs. I couldn’t have asked for more entertainment! Matt and Kelly with a bunch of their good friends from the States got married at the beautiful Campidoglio Wedding Hall in Rome.

They made their grand entrance together giggling and smiling throughout and exchanged vows and rings with the help of lovely Daniela. Afterwards we did some fine posing around the Campidoglio area and the Forum before hopping into a van for a short excursion of the sights. They both put up a good fight with some Roman soldiers we encountered at the Pantheon! Kelly was whisked of her feet by a group of male tourists at the Trevi fountain and after being ‘collared’ by the local Carabinieri she was released into the arms of her smiling husband. By this time everyone was loving the attention and getting into their posing, we finished up at the Colosseum as the sun was setting, more kissing, more posing … more tourist attention, and still smiling!

Thank you everyone for giving me a very enjoyable day, for your patience and especially for just having a really good laugh.

I wish you both the best and will have the rest of the photos to you very soon. x

Also a big thank you to Daniela De Luca at Dolce Vita Weddings for keeping us on track and the transport around Rome.

-SH.

History of Campidoglio Wedding Hall Rome

The sumptuous Campidoglio Wedding Hall, also known as the “Red Hall”, is located on the top of the Capitoline hill in the heart of Rome next to piazza Venezia. This hill was once the site of a temple for the Capitoline Triad, started by Rome’s fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus. Michelangelo designed the fabulous piazza and restyled the surrounding palazzos dated from 1536. He reversed the classical orientation of the Capitoline, in a symbolic gesture turning Rome’s civic center to face away from the Roman Forum and instead in the direction of Papal Rome: St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo devised a beautiful monumental wide ramped stair (the Cordonata) ascending the hill to reach the high piazza, so that the Campidoglio resolutely turned its back on the Roman Forum that it had once commanded.
[from Italy Italian Weddings]

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Small weddings in Rome

I do a lot of small weddings in Rome with just the bride and groom, a few friends or small families.
People still like to do this in a church and I have found the Irish college Rome to be very accommodating for this type of ceremony. They have their own church at the college which is both modern and small. It feels comfortable with just a few people, also the grounds are very pretty for photos after.

They also have another beautiful church a walk away from the college, The Baptistery chapel at St.John Lateran, San Giovanni. It is one of the oldest christian buildings in Rome and so full of character. The baptistery is open to the public and tours but the chapel is kept totally private for a wedding. They are very strict about this and will close the door during the ceremony.

San Silvestro in Capite also works well despite being much larger they can use the top section of the church which is the baptistery area. It makes it more intimate.

Other churches I recommend are St Isidore’s college Rome which is also small but can hold up to 100 people. They provide catholic marriages for Irish couples. This church is stunning and works really well for small groups.

St. Patrick’s in Rome is another providing Irish weddings. All of the above mentioned have web sites and provide details and information for your wedding. And remember all are also very strict about covering up your shoulders during the service!

San Silvestro in Capite Rome

The Baptistery chapel at St.John Lateran, San Giovanni.

San Silvestro in Capite

Irish college Rome

Irish college Rome

The Baptistery chapel at St.John Lateran, San Giovanni.

The Baptistery chapel at St.John Lateran, San Giovanni.

The Baptistery chapel at St.John Lateran, San Giovanni.

San Silvestro in Capite

San Silvestro in Capite

San Silvestro in Capite

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Cinderella’s, and your shoes…

Wedding shoes are so important obviously to carry off the dress, and what girl does not like a special pair of shoes. It’s time for the Choo’s, Louboutin’s and Blahnik’s, and in my opinion they are getting higher and higher, I adore them!

I love photographing them but just one word of advice, learn to walk in them before the big day. If you are getting married in Rome and want to go to some sites for photos it is a good idea to bring a comfortable pair for walking around in the heat.

There is nothing worse than watching girls in agony stumbling around for pictures, I once had a bride put on her runners, kind of old too, and we scooted about for photos before it got too dark. I suppose we were in a bit of a hurry so we needed to move fast! The cobblestones in Rome can be sore on the feet. It’s always a good idea to bring something flat, and with the heat, very often your feet can swell a bit! So if they are already a bit tight … ouch!
  
I think it’s a good idea to break them in a bit and especially for the bridesmaids, don’t put on a brand new pair of shoes in the middle of a Roman summer.

A pair of flat light pumps have come in very handy in the past for brides and are easy to pick up before you leave home. By the way, it is usually much cheaper to get these things at home and easier for you to match them with your dress, and wrap.

One last note, and this is completely my opinion, it doesn’t look good for a bride towering over the groom, I feel it makes it a wee bit awkward for photos too.

And finally, don’t forget your plasters!

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It’s a Nice Day for a Rome Wedding

Melanie & Russell’s wedding day, Park hotel Villa Grazioli Grottaferrata and church of St. Anna at the Vatican, Rome.

Another bitterly cold day but bright and sunny. I left the snow on the mountains in Acquasparta and headed for Grottaferrata just outside Rome. Villa Grazioli stands in all its glory, on top of a hill overlooking Rome, it is both old and modern and a fantastic backdrop for a wedding.

Melanie and her sister Michelle got ready together with Janita doing both hair and make up. Lots of shiny dark tumbledown locks here, layers, frills and very high Jimmy Choo shoes!

Melanie also celebrated her birthday which made it an extra special day. The girls looked gorgeous and the bride did a great job of her wrap, which she made herself to cover her shoulders for the church.

I managed to corner the boys before we jumped on the bus to the Vatican. Russell, his son Reece and the best man Chris looked very handsome in black tie. Daughter Isabella looked like a little princess in her warm wrap, also Grace, little Daisy and Jake looked fab.

We made it to the church of St. Anna at the Vatican in good time, I couldn’t help eyeing up the Swiss guards when waiting on the bride to arrive! I think it’s the tights! The crowd was small and the church was perfect nice and cosy and intimate.

After the ceremony we made a quick dash to St. Peter’s square for a few pictures, there was some event happening so many police and cars around. We made it to the Colosseum just as it was getting dark and it made a great back drop. I was delighted we got both sites in before it got too dark.

Traffic was a bit slow coming back out of Rome probably because of rush hour, however we landed safe and sound back at Villa Grazioli to a fantastic display of antipasti and Prosecco. We finally made it up to the Pannini gallery for a few shots before dinner.

Thank you Melanie and Russell for being so kind and patient, I wish you both the very best and hope you enjoy the following photos, more to follow … very soon.x

PS. Thank you Daniela from Italy Italian Weddings for all your help and guidance, much appreciated.

-SH

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Greek wedding in Rome – Polyxeni & Georgios

Stunning, Simply Stunning, I have no other words to describe this beautiful couple.

My stress levels were a bit high as it was teaming rain when I got on the train to Rome. Luckily the rain stopped and the sun came out for us. Georgios was Absolutely Fabulous, such a beauty, and great fun too. No stress here, just pure excitement and joy.

Elegant hair and perfect make up by Louise Faulkner not to mention a few lessons in Irish slang for our new Greek friends! We all had a great laugh.

We walked to the church of San Teodoro from Hotel Kobe both in a beautiful place. I had no idea what to expect as this was my first time in a Greek church.

The best man Paul led Georgios to her grinning groom. It was just the five of us so it was very intimate. A really lovely experience. After the ceremony we walked from the church and made our way along the streets of Rome to the Forum and Campidoglio. We just went with the flow and found endless photo spots, we are so spoiled for choice here in Rome. It was bitterly cold but not a whimper was heard from either of them, both just blissfully happy which makes my job pretty easy.

Thank you all for a brilliant day and the invite for a celebratory drink, I was very touched. Enjoy your honeymoon and a few of my favorite photos.

-SH

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Italian wedding planning tips #2 – Keep ‘em Covered!

For all of you lovely brides planning on getting married in any Catholic church in Rome, especially San Silvestro in Capite or the Irish College you will need to cover your shoulders.

This rule also applies to your guests, it is easy to pick up a light shawl to drape around you. I do my very best to mention this to every bride especially after an incident last summer, where the priest was adamant that he was not going to let the bridesmaids into the church in strap less dresses!

It is very disrespectful not to abide by this rule but remember it is only during the mass, obviously it makes sense if you match something up with your dress. One specific church in Rome has their own collection of shawls, but I wouldn’t recommend them, not very pretty. At one wedding last year we very nearly had to use one for a stunning bride that spent a long time getting ready, thankfully they were able to buy a more fashionable scarf at short notice! So please don’t think you can get away with it, you wont.

For anyone getting married in any of the Vatican churches there are very strict rules on correct attire, NO short skirts, absolutely NO minis, and obviously your shoulders must be covered. Hats are acceptable for both men and women but removed by the men once inside a church.

Now your dressed, lightly, but covered lets talk about the shoes! In my next Italian wedding planning tips #3 – Cinderellas, and your shoes…

-SH

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After a very successful wedding season in 2012 my new years resolution is to keep you all updated with my own little ideas and advice and I am calling this series of blog posts Siobhan’s Italian wedding planning tips. Remember, these are from my own personal experiences which by sharing, I hope will give you some useful information, some ideas, or you might just enjoy reading them.

The Heat

We all love a bit of sunshine especially those of you travelling from Ireland or the UK. There is nothing nicer than ditching the fleece for a t-shirt, however you really need to prepare and seriously think about what you will be wearing. I have seen so many very unhappy men sweating in waistcoats, ties and double-breasted jackets, its torture! This also applies to the bride, remember wedding dresses invariably are quite heavy and if you have a few layers of petticoats then be ready to get sweaty!

It gets very hot here in Italy, from May through September but the hottest months are without a doubt July and August, when you can expect the average temperature in the mid to high 30′s (Celsius). I have seen a bride kicking her dress continuously as if trying to get out of it during the vows.

Despite the fact she looked stunning the dress itself was heavy fabric with lots of layers underneath. It was difficult for her to smile. It gets very humid and sticky with no wind so it is really worth thinking about. It’s acceptable, and advisable for the guys to wear light suits, cotton or linen twined with a nice light shirt.

I have found that choosing a dark colour can be another cause of overheating! Think about your bridesmaids and don’t let them overheat, try to steer clear of navy or black in the middle of August!
  
As much as it is acceptable to wear light, loose clothing, it is also very important here in Italy to cover your shoulders while in the church, and in my next Italian wedding planning tips #2 – Rules on Shoulders, I will be giving you some helpful pointers.

-SH.

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Honeymoon photo shoot Rome, Maddline and Jimmy married in California before coming to Rome for their honeymoon, Barcelona was their next stop. We had a really nice day, went straight to the area of Campidoglio in Rome and from here walked to the Colosseum; We walked a lot!

Luckily the bride wore very pretty flat red shoes with matching lipstick which matched the grooms tie! I thought I knew this area pretty well but I keep finding new areas and fantastic backdrops every time, Rome never ceases to amaze and thrill, I love it. It was a real bonus doing it on foot as we could just stop and start at our own pace. But I may have made them walk too much, sorry!!!

Despite the cold you were both so happy and I think the pictures speak for themselves. Wishing you a great future together and thanks again for a very enjoyable day.

SH.

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New Year wedding photography in Rome

Kelly and Mark married in the beautiful Church of Saint Susanna at the Baths of Diocletian located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome. Despite the chilly January morning everyone was incredibly calm and happy. The girls sipped prosecco while getting ready, and Janita did a fantastic job of the brides hair.

Kelly covered up her shoulders with a very cute cashmere cardigan and sported “something blue” with her beautiful blue satin shoes. The bride braved the Roman traffic and walked the short distance to the church with her mother and bridesmaid.

The groom had a bit of bother with his bow tie, so was taken around the corner to a shop where they straightened him out! The overall look and mood was very elegant and calm and the crowd was small, close friends and family and a pleasure to work with.

After the ceremony Tony drove us to St. Peters for photos. We finished at the Hotel Columbus close to the Vatican where they had their wedding breakfast.

Thank you both for a great day and allowing me to share a few of your wedding photographs.

SH.

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