Following their destination wedding in Monterosso, the most northern medieval village of the Cinque Terre, Wylie and David’s wedding was reported in wedding media greats including Wedding Chicks and La Bride, reaching an audience of 4.7 million worldwide.

And to top it off, Wylie and David’s best man, James Trethewie, recently won hearts in the Australian Bachelorette stating that Cinque Terre Wedding had thrown the best wedding he’d ever been to! Pretty spesh!

So, we are super excited to have the fun spirited couple, Wylie and David, share their love story, top tips, favourite pics and video trailer of their destination wedding in Italy, giving future brides and grooms a great insight into what it’s like to plan a destination wedding in the Cinque Terre.

For clever legal eagles, Wylie and David, it all began during an internship at an Australian legal firm where David admitted that Wylie was his “clerkship crush”. From crush to lifetime companion, David popped the big question at his family’s retreat, Crystal Palace in the Byron Bay Hinterlands, Australia. Surrounded by the world’s biggest and most beautiful crystals, David got down on one knee and asked Wylie to be his “Mrs Thorpe”.

And, so began their adventure into the ever after.

We first met the genetically blessed loved up couple on their way to London. They had plans to take working abroad to a whole new level – work two years in London and then fly home via a destination wedding in Italy on the Cinque Terre. The best long-haul trip we’d ever heard of!

So, we got to work straight away to create a bespoke destination wedding in a vineyard that had rustic chic charm to reflect the couple’s natural beauty and warm nature, and then spritzed it up with a touch of elegance for their cleverness.

In their own words, Wylie and David, share their 5 top tips for planning a destination wedding in Italy on the Cinque Terre plus 5 and a bit of their favourite pics taken by photographer extraordinaire, Julian Kanz,  along with the video trailer of their wedding captured by brilliant videographer, Pure Wedding.

Why a destination wedding? 

We thought that having a destination wedding was the perfect way to celebrate the biggest day in our lives. We wanted a small, intimate wedding surrounded by those closest to us. We had been living in London for 2 years, and thought that getting married on the way home to Australia would be the most amazing way to top off our 2 years of love and adventure!

Why the Cinque Terre for a destination wedding in Italy?

Dave visited the Cinque Terre when he was younger and always had an affinity with the region. When we first arrived in Europe in 2014 we travelled through the Cinque Terre and immediately fell in love with the place, particularly Buranco Vineyard in Monterosso! After meeting Melina and realising that a wedding here was possible, we knew that this was the perfect place to say “I do”!

How was the planning process?

Melina was amazing. In the lead-up to the big day we had regular skype calls to sort out the details, which were easy to tick off and very well organised. We were lucky enough to visit from London once or twice to visualise how everything would look. Everything was handled with ease by Melina – from our strange request for a french-inspired cake to satisfying our ultimate ‘italian wedding fantasy’  and parading through the town to the cheers of the villagers!!

Best part of your day?

The best (and scariest) part of the day was standing up on the terrace above Buranco Vineyard, with the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop, in front of all of our nearest and dearest family and friends who had flown from every corner of the globe and saying “I do”. Also… the amazing food and drink was a major plus! Seeing the look on everyone’s faces when we began our choreographed dance was another highlight!

Top Tip for future Cinque Terre Wedding Brides and Grooms?

Relax. Everything will happen exactly how you plan in your head. Melina and all of the people around her (including her awesome husband Matteo!) are amazing, and can sort out any issues that may pop up. Due to the location, the suppliers are limited for certain things (and can lead to some obvious costs), but Melina can sort anything out, and in the end while things like hair and makeup may be a little more expensive that what you expect “back home” other costs are a lot lower (such as food and drink). Also, practice a little italian before you arrive!

For more information on what your destination wedding in Italy on the Cinque Terre can look like contact us.

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Most Talked About Destination Wedding in Italy on the Cinque Terre appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

Though “simple” may be a slight understatement as Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike, Zdenek, is also one of the world’s top bartenders, so his cocktail was sure to make a lasting impression on the gorgeous southern belle. And that it did.

Since that cocktail Melody and Zdenek have embarked on a grand adventure in life and love together: living in India and Singapore, launching a start up business, Proof & Company Singapore, which sees them traveling the world as some of the most respected names in the bar industry, and holidaying in their Indonesian hideaway on Nikoi Island – the spot of their magical wedding proposal!

And for this successful international couple, who were looking for a relaxed and fun celebration with just their closest friends and family, Vernazza’s old world charm was the perfect destination for their wedding in Italy in front of the Mediterranean Sea.

Why a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding because we live so far from each of our families. Mine in America and his in the Czech Republic and we live in Asia. We all had to meet somewhere in the middle and Europe was the most convenient for everyone.

Why the Cinque Terre in Italy? I grew up on the water and have always wanted to get married on the water. It wasn’t an option, we had to. Our friends had already gotten married at Lake Como so that idea was out. Our friend recommended the Cinque Terre, we looked it up and went for it!

How was the planning process? It was quite easy. I felt like I did almost nothing to plan. Melina did it all for me! The worst part of the process was selecting our guests as we wanted to keep it small and my dress.

Being from the southern states of America we are conditioned to plan weddings to the very last detail and most brides don’t even hire wedding planners. I tried to relax into the process but never did completely. But whatever Melina did to pull off such a magical wedding was nothing short of a miracle. She made our vision come to life in a way that I could have never imagined. Even though I am a control freak, I felt comfortable and confident in the decisions that she made and felt like she knew best. I trusted her judgement, opinions and recommendations and by doing so, she created the most beautiful wedding.

Best part of your day: That’s a good question. I think the best part was after the ceremony was over and our photographer ran to the top of the castle to take group photos and the music was playing. It was a tiny moment in such a huge day that made me really take a step back to realise what we had just done in such an exquisite place. It was just breathtaking.

Top Tip for future Cinque Terre Wedding Brides and Grooms? Let go and let Melina do it. Hooray for Cinque Terre Wedding! We love you guys!

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Leonardo DiCaprio –esque groom marries his beautiful southern belle in Cinque Terre wedding! appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

Australians Sabrina and Jarrad, met eight years ago at the birthday party of a friend who would one day become their Maid-of-Honor.

As a second generation Italian, Sabrina and her fiancé Jarrad, decided to return to her family’s homeland to celebrate their wedding. And how excited we and the locals were when this beautiful couple brought a bit of the Great Gatsby Glamour to the old world of Vernazza.

And not only did they bring glamour they also brought their best friends.

Six Friends and an Italian Wedding!

Sabrina and Jarrad and their friends were travelling together and had travelled together before and so there was a beautiful strong bond between them. Wherever they went during the pre/post wedding activities and the wedding they had a ball. And because it was just their best friends they were able to treat everyone to the best of the Cinque Terre, with their ceremony on a cliff top terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the reception on a private terrace in one of the best restaurants and a private boat trip with top Cinque Terre wine and music from local artists who have performed with Sting and Robbie Williams!

It made for a very intimate, emotional and special day where they laughed from start to finish – and so did we!

Why a destination wedding? We didn’t initially know we wanted a destination wedding however we wanted to make it the most memorable for us and after doing the research, we knew it was exactly what we wanted.

Why the Cinque Terre in Italy? We didn’t have anything in mind till my Maid-of-Honor showed us pictures of the Cinque Terre but more specifically Vernazza. Let me just say “we fell in love”.

How was the planning process? Trying to find a wedding planner was easy, but a planner that would make our wedding a Fairytale was hard. Until we found Cinque Terre wedding. I knew from the first email that Melina was going to make that happen. The process was easier than planning the holiday/honeymoon we had before and after it. She knew exactly what we wanted and went above and beyond to make it a dream.

What was the best part of your Cinque Terre Wedding in Italy? Hard to say as it was all amazing, even the wine tasting we did the day before that Melina organised was incredible. The reception we choose provided the most exquisite food that no one will be able to replicate and not to mention the venue which overlooked the five towns and the beautiful sea. Everyone who was part of the day made it the best.

Top Tip for future Cinque Terre Wedding Brides and Grooms? No need to stress, Cinque Terre wedding will ensure that everything is planned to a T and any changes can be dealt with quickly. I asked the band to sing only traditional Italian music after hearing them on the day, which was not planned. They were delighted at the request.

Photos by Miriam Rossignoli

Written by Melina Nicholson

The post Sabrina and Jarrad’s Cinque Terre Wedding appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.

One of the most frequently asked questions by our couples who are planning a destination wedding is when is the best time for a wedding in Italy, Cinque Terre?

There are two key components to weddings and holidays in the Cinque Terre: the open season and the weather.

Open Season

The Cinque Terre is a seasonal location where you will find the best of the Cinque Terre open between May and September. This is when the beaches, hiking trails, boating, diving, restaurants, shops and vineyards can all be enjoyed by couples and their guests during their holiday here. Most importantly, this is also when all the wedding reception venues in the Cinque Terre are open.

Photo by Cristiano Brizzi

And the off-season means just that for locals who work 24/7, seven days a week, during the open season. So during the off-season many locals take time off holidaying away from the Cinque Terre, and taking a lot of the spirit of the old world village life with them. The Cinque Terre is not the same without the colourful locals playing cards in the piazza, boasting about their daily catch as they dock their boats into the port in the afternoon or screaming out their dishes from kitchens where local chefs continue to cook their family recipes from generations ago.

Most importantly many of these locals will also make up the team who will deliver your wedding: the baker who will create your wedding cake, the fisherman who will drive your boat and with any luck catch your dinner (though it’s bad luck to wish a fisherman good luck here – so we will be sure not to do so when it’s time for your wedding) and of course the chefs who will cook your all important wedding dinner – your first dinner as husband and wife!

The Cinque Terre is also a beautiful place to holiday during the off-season, especially for those looking for somewhere quiet and remote, though with all essential wedding services closed and wedding suppliers away during this period, the off-season is definitely a time to avoid when planning a wedding in the Cinque Terre.

The Weather

All Cinque Terre Wedding venues offer outdoor ceremony and reception areas where couples can enjoy the most breathtaking part of the Cinque Terre – its natural outdoor beauty. If you dream of having a ceremony outdoors in front of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea or in a rustic Italian vineyard surrounded by wild flowers, vines, wishing wells and crumbling walls, good weather is key.

Photo by Alessandro Manno

Photo by Miriam Rossignoli

Or if the destination wedding you have envisaged involves walking through the medieval fishing villages of the Cinque Terre “Mamma Mia” style, catching a traditional gozzo boat and enjoying wine and music out at sea or taking part in the old lover’s tradition of locking your engraved love lock to the Via Dell Amore, good weather is key.

Photo by Cristiano Brizzi

Photo by Alessandro Manno

Photo by Alessandro Manno

Or if you can see you and your family and friends enjoying your reception dinner watching the sun set and dancing under the stars and moon as they sparkle upon the Mediterranean Sea, good weather is key.

Photo by Cristiano Brizzi

Photo by Cristiano Brizzi

Photo by Cristiano Brizzi

While in Italy there is an expression “Sposa bagnata; sposa fortunata”, meaning “Wet bride: lucky bride” (and yes, according to the locals it’s true: a little drop of rain can bring the bride luck) a lot of rain and bad weather instead can mean couples miss out on the most beautiful part of the Cinque Terre on their special day.

From an activities perspective, for couples and their guests, a lot of rain and bad weather can also mean some of the best activities in the Cinque Terre are cancelled including things like the Via Dell Amore, walking trails, beaches, boat trips and diving.

So from our experience over the past ten years working here in the Cinque Terre, the best time of year for a wedding in Italy, Cinque Terre is from May to September. This is when all wedding venues are open, local wedding suppliers are here, the weather is at its best and the chance of a lot of rain is at its lowest.

But don’t just take our word for it, here are some of our favourite weather forecast resources for you to use:

Short Term Weather Forecasts for the Cinque Terre:

Il Meteo

3BMeteo

General Climate Report for the Cinque Terre:

Il Meteo Climate Report

To speak to a Cinque Terre Wedding Planner about the best time for your wedding in the Cinque Terre contact us.

Written by Melina Nicholson.

The post Best time for a wedding in Italy, Cinque Terre appeared first on Cinque Terre Wedding.