When getting to know the British couple, we remember the bride, Georgia, telling us that in no uncertain terms, whatever the groom, Angelo, says, when they first met she DID NOT chase him. While separately, Angelo, had already told us with a cheeky grin that Georgia had chased him, “from the moment Georgia laid eyes on me she wanted to be a Rossi”.

While “who chased who” to this day remains a mystery, nine years later, their closest family and friends gathered right here in the Cinque Terre, to witness Georgia officially becoming a Rossi.

It was full belly laughing from the start of this fun and lively wedding, dad pranks during the wedding rehearsal, photo shoots in the bath (one of our favourite wedding photos ever – see below) and the retelling of their unique wedding proposal:

The original planned proposal was big and romantic in style: in front of a massive gold heart in Times Square, during a holiday to New York. However, the weather was freezing: –16 degrees according to Georgia and even colder still at -19 degrees according to Angelo. So due to the glacial weather, Georgia insisted they return to their hotel room. And what followed in that New York hotel room, was arguably one of the most unexpected and therefore also undeniably romantic proposals we have ever heard. Angelo got down on one knee, while Georgia was brushing her teeth, and proposed. Magic!

As intensive care nurses, it is no surprise that this kind-hearted, witty and beautiful couple put their family and friends front and center of their wedding experience.

For wedding flowers and decor, we took inspiration from the couple’s brilliant sparkle and went bright and bold in a way only our fabulously flawless florist can.

So, in the spirit of the five lands of the Cinque Terre, here are Georgia and Angelo’s top five tips and pics captured by our clever clicker photographer.

Why a destination wedding in Itay?

Angelo’s Nonno is from Liguria, and we have always loved going to Italy. We just knew that is where we wanted to get married.

Why the Cinque Terre in Italy?

The question should be, why not the Cinque Terre? It is the most beautiful, picture perfect place to get married.  We just knew, we wanted to have our special day in Vernazza, there is no  better place to share our day with our closest friends and family.

How was the destination wedding planning process?

Planning a wedding during covid was no easy task, and quite daunting. However, Melina made the planning process so easy.

Best part of your wedding day in the Cinque Terre?

The service written by celebrant, Matteo, and spending the day with our loved ones.

Top Tip for future Cinque Terre Wedding Brides and Grooms?

Put your faith in Melina, and you won’t go far wrong.

For more information on your Cinque Terre Wedding contact us.

The post The making of Mr and Mrs Rossi – real Cinque Terre Wedding special appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

Hayley doesn’t believe in love at first sight. For humans that is. Quite rightly. We figured, there were a possible 450 sightings, between Hayley and Evan over the years, at university, fraternity parties and even actual private dates. But it wasn’t until years later, after they had parted ways and changed cities, that true love hit – a chance meeting in a Karaoke Bar, where Hayley was singing the Spice Girl’s “Wannabe” – zigazig ah!

Aside from 90s pop, this beautiful loved up couple, also share a grand passion for world travel. Together they had visited London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Paris and the Cinque Terre. Out of all these places, in all the world, it was on seeing the Cinque Terre for the very first time that Hayley and Evan experienced “love at first sight.” So we were thrilled that they decided to return to the Cinque Terre with their families, for a wedding surrounded by love and kindness, to become husband and wife.

In the spirit of the five lands of the Cinque Terre, get your goggles ready for a deep dive into Hayley and Evan’s top five tips on planning their destination wedding in Italy and their most beautiful and intimate moments snapped by Pure Wedding Photography.

Why a destination wedding?

Evan and I never imaged a big wedding for ourselves. It seemed that a big church wedding with 100+ people was something that was socially “expected” versus something we really wanted. There were many benefits to having a destination wedding. It is cost effective, it is more intimate, the location is unbeatable, and we both knew that we wanted to share our love of traveling with the people that are the most special to us, our families.

Some may say that a destination wedding does not fall under the category of a “traditional wedding”, I disagree. I believe that this experience was more traditional as it focused on our marriage and the blending of families together. This destination wedding was a trip of a lifetime for both families and the opportunity for our families to connect on a much deeper level.

Why the Cinque Terre in Italy?

In 2016, Evan and I took a day trip from Florence to visit all 5 villages of the Cinque Terre, and it was love at first sight. Each village has its own distinct beauty and charm that left a lasting impression on us both. When we got back to the US, we continued to rave about the location to family and friends. Once we got engaged in 2017, within a couple hours we decided the Cinque Terre would be the place where we would become man and wife.

How was the planning process?

I could not have asked for a better planning experience. I have been a bridesmaid 7 times over the course of the past 10 years and I saw my friends stress and obsess about every detail of their wedding to the point of exhaustion, frustration, and tears. As someone very “A-type” and prone to stress, I knew that I could not plan a wedding that way. We searched online for wedding planners and found Cinque Terre Weddings. After speaking with Melina and Sarah, I knew that I had a great team of ladies working to plan our dream day. I developed a very solid and trusting relationship with these ladies 4,900 miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean, and with a 7 hour time difference. I knew that I could email them at any time and they were very quick to respond to any emails/concerns/etc. It was the highlight of my mornings to wake up and see emails from Sarah on next steps in the planning process.

The wedding packages offered by Cinque Terre Weddings are flawless and come with everything needed for the big day. There is no need to fly over extravagant decor, as the scenery of the village is more than enough to make your day perfect. Cinque Terre Wedding listened to my wishes and hopes and incorporated these details into our wedding. In addition, I want to note that the vendors that Cinque Terre Weddings works with are all professional, talented, and easy to work with. It is obvious that Cinque Terre works exclusively with these partners and that a strong platform has been established.

Best part of your day?

As the bride, I loved being able to enjoy the day of my wedding. Cinque Terre Wedding set up a cute lunch for the ladies and kept the schedule of events while I was able to sit back and enjoy the time with my mother, mother-in-law, and matron of honor. There was no need to worry about the time of appointments, where to be, needing to pay vendors, etc. The day was so much fun and full of laughter.

Once it was time for the wedding, Evan and I were able to take in each and every moment. Having a destination wedding meant that we were relieved of pressure to entertain guests. The families could all sit together and enjoy the special day without “feeling like we had to” do anything. It was the most special day for us and we will carry these memories with us forever.

Top Tip for future Cinque Terre Wedding Brides and Grooms?

For those considering a destination wedding, always know there is a level of uncertainty and there is not room to control every single detail, but Cinque Terre Wedding takes the time to develop a relationship with you and coordinate the most highly anticipated day of your life. The uncertainty will quickly transpire into astonishment the day of your wedding.

For more information on what your Cinque Terre Wedding contact us.

Wedding Planner Sarah Pozzi from Cinque Terre Wedding.

Written by Melina Nicholson.

The post Love at first sight in the Cinque Terre appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

Photo credit: Channel Ten

Travelling all the way from Australia to the Cinque Terre in Italy, James was the brilliant Best Man for the stunning bride and groom, Wylie and David, clever Aussie legal eagles who chose Monterosso to celebrate their destination wedding in Italy.

Photo credit: Julian Kanz

Photo credit: Julian Kanz

Photo credit:  Julian Kanz

Today, financial adviser, James is a Bachelorette Australia favourite, scoring roses from Sophie for winning the “manliness” competition, which involved a range of manly man tests including maintaining the plank position for a very…very… long time, shooting hoops, changing tyres, building a flat pack wardrobe and starting a fire with two sticks. James conquered all – the Wolf of Wall Street meets MacGyver – doesn’t get much more manly than that.

When James originally signed up for the reality show he had no idea that celebrity Sophie, who is best know for her roles in Date Movie, Entourage and the pop band Bardot, would be the Bachelorette. But not one to shy away from extraordinary adventures, James jumped right in.

In fact, it’s his big open hearted charm and can’t help but grin along smile that is winning Sophie’s heart along with the hearts of the nation. Sophie had the musicially challenged James, busking with her in the heart of Sydney’s central business district and on another occassion dressing up as the not so flattering Robin Hood’s Friar Tuck. And James took all in his stride, giving it his all.

Photo Credit: James’ Instagram

Photo Credit: James’ Instagram

It’s no suprise really. When James was David’s Best Man at his destination wedding in the Cinque Terre Italy he donned fancy dress as part of the Bachelor Party, which saw the group of friends visit one pub in each of the five lands of the Cinque Terre dressed as the cast from Mario Brothers – a huge hit with the local people of the villages.

On wishing James all the best luck for the Bachelorette Australia competition from all of us here in the Cinque Terre in Italy, James responded to Cinque Terre Wedding saying,

“Thanks guys. Congrats on throwing the best wedding I’ve ever been to!”

Well, well. If that isn’t a booming endorsement we don’t know what is! Thanks so much James! You know where to come for a destination wedding in Italy if wedding bells start a’ringing!

Photo Credit: James’ Instagram

You can find out more about James as a Cinque Terre Wedding Best Man in the real wedding features of Wylie and David’s wedding that were published in Wedding Chicks and La Bride.

All the best Sophie and James!

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post The Bachelorette Australia stars Cinque Terre Wedding Best Man appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

When rushing around in the big city of Milano, to do list in one hand, new vases for the Cinque Terre Wedding Style Salon in the other, Gucci’s window display in Rinascente, Milano’s major department store, stopped us in our pavement pounding tracks and transported us into another world.

The overall effect is ever so ethereal, playful and colourful! We see a move from the white and pale pastel palette to one that is bursting with colour in an ever so delicate and intricate manner. It makes us want to don a long floral print cotton dress, hike it up at the knees and run through the wild meadow that seems to have been touched by the very own light strokes of Monet. Yep, that’s the ticket.

Speaking of Monet and his brush strokes, let’s talk colours and the Gucci colour inspiration for wedding flower design in 2018. We see light colours like white lead, cadmium yellow, vermilion, madder, viola, chrome green and patrician purple. So many colours doing their own thing but coming together to create an intense explosion of beauty – a setting that would be magical for any destination wedding in Italy.

And as destination wedding planners in Italy, we couldn’t stop there. Our brains were racing as we ran through the inventory of flower types (all faux flowers for the display of course) but in our minds they were real and we were smelling the blooms. There were 11 types in total that had us thinking about bridal and bridesmaids bouquets, boutonnieres and table centerpieces while saying, “I do”, “I do”, “I do”:  Japanese Cherry Blossoms, Muscari, Stock Harmony,  Feather Reed Grass, Arctic Daisies, Wisteria, Iris and lots of long grass are all the prominent flowers in this wanderlust land.

And while it’s a wild setting don’t miss the fact that it is also all very linear, lots of vertical flowers in parallel lines, up and down, tall, narrow and delicate.

While the tall vertical flowers are front and center in the window decoration the Gucci bloom campaign has not forgotten the full bodied beauty blooms. You’ll find the dahlias among the long grass and then there is the floral fabric designs: the tulip dress, the ranunculus dress and the peony dress.

You can probably tell we are in wedding flower design heaven with Gucci’s Bloom campaign – a feast for the wedding planner’s eyes. So we couldn’t resist pulling together 2 inspiration boards of 2018 wedding flowers based on the Gucci trend.

Inspiration Board for Gucci Bloom Campaign

Photo credit: Gucci, Cinque Terre Wedding, Monet

Inspiration Board for 2018 Wedding Flowers inspired by Gucci

Photo credit (clockwise): Style Me Pretty, Erich McVey Photography , Katie Kett Photography,  Levi Stolove Photography,  Ether and Smith Photography,  Style Me Pretty, Melani Lust Photography, Style Me Pretty,   Cat Hepple Photography

As for the smell of the fragrance… we spent so much time window gawking outside the shop we forgot to enter and test the perfume. Ow well, another excuse to head back down and get lost in the Gucci Bloom garden of 2018 wedding flowers tomorrow!

You’ll find many of these 2018 wedding flowers and more in the Cinque Terre Wedding Style Salon for destination weddings in the Cinque Terre. To find out more contact us here.

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post 2018 wedding flowers: 11 ideas found in Gucci Bloom campaign appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

It was Christmas in Edinburgh, celebrating the completion of Lisa’s PhD, when Tom popped the big question. They had plans for a meal at a Michelin starred restaurant followed by a Ben Howard concert. In hindsight they decided it would have been better for Tom to propose before the meal – he didn’t eat a thing. But Tom’s empty stomach was worth it – she said “Yes!”

The blissfully loved up couple went on to dance the night away at the Ben Howard concert, with the encore song being their favourite: Gracious.

Gracious was their first dance song at their Italian destination wedding and gracious the couple were. Perfectly gracious, tender-hearted and beautiful.

This gracious spirit flowed into the style of the wedding with a spritz of bohemian sunshine adding a colourful friendliness and a relaxed warmth to the day.

The couple were surrounded by lifelong family and friends as they tied the knot here in their Italian destination wedding on the Cinque Terre – childhood passengers becoming husband and wife.

Tom and Lisa have been kind enough to share their love story and their wedding experiences along with some of their favourite photos by super photographer Alessandro Ghedina with us below. Enjoy every moment – just as they did.

Why a destination wedding in Italy?

We both love travelling, and Lisa’s a bit of a sun worshipper, so we figured that a wedding abroad would allow us to start the rest of our lives together in a warm and wonderful way – as well as giving us an excuse to have a big family holiday!

Why the Cinque Terre in Italy?

We love Italy – its beautiful terrain, people and food. After deciding to explore the Cinque Terre as a potential destination last winter, we knew instantly that it had everything we wanted for our big day when we visited for a few days in February. Even in the pouring rain, Buranco looked stunning, as did Monterosso itself.

How was the planning process?

The planning process involved minimal stress – Melina did a wonderful job of preventing Lisa turning into Bridezilla. There was help on offer for literally everything, from filling in the big scary paperwork to sourcing pins for flowers and dresses on the day!

Best part of your day?

Other than the ceremony, which was breathtakingly beautiful (the vows were so touching), we’d both say that the best part of our day was when we escaped to stroll around Monterosso together after the ceremony. We were really shy to begin with, blushing at well-wishers and locals who clapped as we went by; however, by the time we were ready to head up and meet our guests back at Buranco we were loving the attention! We felt like celebrities!

Top Tip for future Cinque Terre Wedding Brides and Grooms?

Visit the region before committing to it; if you’re hesitant about it being the right location before visiting, we guarantee you won’t be by the time you leave. Monterosso was, without doubt, the perfect location for our family and friends. The locals were fabulous and made our time away extra special. Definitely take the time to get to know them. We can’t wait to visit again soon and tell them about our latest news as newly-weds.

Photos by Alessandro Ghedina

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Ever so gracious Italian destination wedding – real wedding feature appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

Well, at Cinque Terre Wedding, we know exactly where to start, celebrate and end (yes, all good things must come to an end), so you’ll always have a wedding planner at a handy distance.

One of the first things to consider when you have fallen in love with the Cinque Terre for your destination wedding is the type of ceremony to celebrate.

At Cinque Terre Wedding we celebrate civil, symbolic, roman catholic, protestant and same-sex wedding ceremonies.

The differences between some ceremony types may seem obvious while others not so obvious.

So let us break it down so you can decide what is the best fit for you:

Civil Ceremony: this is a legally binding marriage contract with the state that is valid in Italy and your home country.

Cinque Terre Wedding assists with organising the paperwork for civil ceremonies which involves collating, processing and translating paperwork in your home country then further processing of paperwork here in Italy before you take your paperwork home for final processing.

The processing of paperwork involves appointments to officials and embassies.

The civil ceremony runs for about 15 minutes and involves the reading of the Italian Civil Codes, the couple giving their consent to marry by saying the words “yes” or when in Rome (or the Cinque Terre)…“si” and signing of the bridal registry.

To find a town hall where destination weddings in Italy are held in the Cinque Terre contact us.

Symbolic Ceremony: this is not a legally binding marriage contract. Instead all civil paperwork relating to the legal marriage contract is taken care of in your home country before coming to Italy, with a discrete ceremony or appointment to sign the marriage license. Then the couple celebrate their marriage with their symbolic ceremony in front of friends and family in the Cinque Terre.

This ceremony can be held outdoors in venues with space for holding a ceremony. It is conducted by a professional English speaking celebrant and follows the format of traditional wedding ceremony with music, readings, vows, ring exchange, kiss and a symbolic certificate and goes for around 30 minutes.

The majority of foreign couples marrying in the Cinque Terre choose this option as it cuts out all the costs, time and travel associated with processing the civil paperwork internationally.

To find an outdoor venue where destination weddings in Italy are held in the Cinque Terre contact us.

Roman Catholic: this is a marriage contract between the couple and their god. To be married under the roman catholic faith at least one of the couple should be roman catholic.

In the Cinque Terre roman catholic ceremonies are held inside the church and ceremonies run for about 75 minutes.

In Italy the roman catholic church has an agreement with the State which allows roman catholic wedding ceremonies to include civil proceedings so that the wedding ceremony also has civil validity.

This agreement offers two different options for those marrying in the roman catholic faith:
• ceremony in the church with two marriage contracts, one with your god and one with the State.
• ceremony in the church with one marriage contract with your god. In this case your civil marriage contract is taken care of in your home country before you arrive in Italy.

To find a medieval church where destination weddings in Italy are held in the Cinque Terre contact us.

Protestant: This is a marriage contract between the couple and their god. To be married under the protestant faith at least one of the couple should be protestant.

Protestant wedding ceremonies can be held at any outdoor wedding venue with a ceremony space.

In the Cinque Terre wedding protestant ceremonies are conducted by a local English speaking Pastor in line with the teachings of the protestant church and run for about 45 minutes.

For civil validity to be added to a protestant wedding a separate civil ceremony is required at home before arriving in Italy or on the morning of your protestant wedding in the village town hall in the Cinque Terre.

To find a venue where protestant destination weddings in Italy are held in the Cinque Terre contact us.

Same-Sex: in June 2016 Italy passed its same-sex civil union bill, making it legal for same-sex couples to celebrate their marriage through a civil union wedding. Same-sex civil unions include most of the rights afforded in same-sex marriages but not all.

Civil union weddings are carried out by the councils of the Cinque Terre upon request.

To find a venue where same-sex destination weddings in Italy are held in the Cinque Terre contact us.

Photo above by Roman Ivanov

Photo below by Facibeni Fotografia

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Destination Weddings in Italy – Understanding Ceremony Types appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

We are just a bit proud to announce that for three consecutive years Cinque Terre Wedding has been awarded the Couple’s Choice Award from the trip advisor of the wedding world: Wedding Wire.

The award places Cinque Terre Wedding Planners in the top 5 per cent of wedding professionals in Italy. And if our trumpets are blowing a bit too loud, we’ll have to shout to let you know that we are the only wedding planners in our region in Italy to have received this status for three years running.

The award recognises excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism within the wedding industry so as destination wedding planners based in Italy we’re proud as Italian wedding punch!

And the best thing about these awards? It’s a third party independent review board so the winners are voted by wedding couples and their real wedding experiences.

So what did some of our 2016 couples say about their destination wedding in Italy:

“Cinque Terre Wedding were fast, professional and the venue, food and the decor exceeded my expectations.”

“Our wedding was everything we dreamt of and more.”

“Just do it!”

To read more independent reviews on the Cinque Terre Wedding planner service visit the Cinque Terre Wedding page on Wedding Wire here.

And as we’ve said before, in the five villages of the Cinque Terre it takes a village not only tto raise a child but also to plan a wedding. So we are celebrating this award with all the local suppliers whose inside knowledge and expertise of living, working and loving in the Cinque Terre make every wedding not only possible, but launch them well beyond our couples expectations.

And we thank all our past couples for sharing their experiences of our wedding planners in Italy on Wedding Wire .

OK, best get back to work – big boots to fill left by last year’s efforts so our wedding planners are already busy working with this year’s couples to make their destination wedding in Italy dreams a reality.

Contact us if you’d like us to do the same for you.

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Top Wedding Planners in Italy three years in a row! appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

With so many beautiful beach wedding settings we think it’s pretty damn awesome that Monterosso, the first village of the Cinque Terre, is wearing the beauty crown.

And having Harper’s Bazaar as the judge makes it all the more sweeter. As America’s first fashion magazine, Harper Bazaar has been naming the best of the best in the world for fashion, beauty and popular culture for 150 years.

So it’s basically the grand master Yoda of style for our galaxy. Just a little less green and a little less otherworldly.

So with the force of Harper’s Bazaar’s announcement we were chuffed to discover that out of all the hundreds and thousands of beaches dotted around the world, our beach, right here on our front door, was ranked in the top 16.

And how chuffed were our couples who have celebrated their beach wedding here? We all knew it was a beautiful setting for a destination wedding by the beach but Harper’s Bazaar’s judgement takes beauty to a whole new level.

Some of our Italian destination beach wedding venues that have a view of Monterosso beach include the ancient Vineyard, medieval Hermitage, cliff top Restaurant and Saint Francesco Terrace.

Enjoy some real wedding features of destination weddings held with this beach view as their backdrop here:
Dominque and Rick
Noel and Razia
Paola and Sergio
Steph and Ben

And if you’ve always dreamed of a beach wedding in Italy in front of a beach that just happened to be one of the best in the world contact us to find out more.

Meanwhile enjoy these dreamy shots of Monterosso beach – makes you want to jump straight in and say “I do!”, right?

Photos by Ed Peers and Facibeni Fotografia.

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Beach wedding at the best beach in the world appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

Each year, when the shops, restaurants, walking tracks and beaches close down here in the Cinque Terre that’s our cue to head north to the fashion capital of the world – Milano. Dolce Gabbana, Prada and Armani are given the respectful fashion icon salute and then it’s on to our favourite wedding show ever – The Love Affair.

Showcasing the latest trends in Italian weddings – it’s pure Italian wedding styling indulgence as we buzz from style to style, double cheek kissing each as we go.

Clearly the world is in the grips of a love attack with organic and natural wedding styles right now – and why not, since nature’s beauty never fails to amaze. So for 2017, all the natural wedding styles we love best are out in all their carefree glory. Country-chic, organic simplicity, rustic seaside, opulent nature and garden glamour are just some of the styles we can’t get enough of here at Cinque Terre Wedding.

And when speaking about nature’s beauty, nothing quite beats the Cinque Terre – a perfect backdrop for a destination wedding with these Italian wedding styles. Wild and luscious floral compositions and rustic decorative pieces for table centerpieces that you’ll want to order straight away. And touches of white to keep it chic and sparkles of metallics to raise the style to a level of celebration that will keep you looking (and drooling slightly) throughout.

So gaze at all this delightfully creative Italian wedding styling that’s worthy of gazing at until your destination wedding in Italy.

Special thanks to Italian wedding industry inspirers Il Profumo Dei Fiori, Oui Fleurs and Qualcosa di Dolce.

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Italian Wedding Styling appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

And almost as scrumptious as the bride and groom’s bellissima bambina, Paloma. Paloma celebrated her first birthday party here in the Cinque Terre too, the day before mummy and daddy’s big day.

If you love that beautiful photo of the bride and groom and their baby Paloma, watch out for a Real Wedding Feature on the couple where they share their destination wedding planning and wedding day experiences with us, along with their favourite photos.

Thank you Razia and Noel for your kind words and your kind wedding gift – they light up our day. Absolute treat planning your destination wedding in Italy and we’ll see you again soon for your anniversary!

See the Real Wedding Feature of Razia and Noel’s destination wedding on the Cinque Terre here. While you do that we’ll be enjoying the sweet scents of the best candle we’ve ever sniffed!

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Destination Wedding Gift – smells like love. appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.