“Barbara painstakingly tied ribbons and tags around every lemon to get everything ready before the dinner.”
The couple: Pia & David
Length of engagement: 15 months | Wedding date: 4th September 2015
Wedding location: Villa Muggia, Stresa, Italy | Photographer: Marco Crea
Wedding coordinator: Extraordinary Weddings Italy
Our proposal… David proposed in Yosemite National Park when we went there as part of a driving trip through California in summer 2014. We had gone on a hike to one of the park’s giant Redwood Tree groves where there is one tree with a big arch cut into it that you can walk through. Just as we were walking through it, he called my name. When I turned around, there he was down on one knee!
My dress… Was by Tara Keely. I got it in a little boutique in Wicklow called Anne Gregory Design. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it!
His suit… Was from Louis Copeland who couldn’t have done more to help him find the right suit and make sure the fit was perfect in the run up to the big day.
We chose Extraordinary Weddings as our wedding coordinator because…. Barbara stood out from everyone else we had spoken to previously as part of our hunt for a wedding planner in Italy. She was so warm and friendly the first time we Skyped her, was able to provide us with references to beat the band, and she was so transparent about her prices which were very reasonable for the level of service. We already liked her after the first time we spoke, so the flood of positive endorsements we got from couples she had put us in touch with after that call were the icing on the cake and proved that she was the one to go for!
Our ceremony… Was held in a marquee overlooking the garden in Villa Muggia. It was an intimate civil ceremony that we had personalised with our own words and readings from my brother and David’s godmother. After the ceremony, all of the guests made their way to the front of the marquee where everyone could mingle over a glass of Prosecco sorbet before the aperitivo in the garden. It was perfect!
We chose our venue because… We knew we wanted a venue with a view over Lake Maggiore and a place that was quintessentially Italian so when we saw Villa Muggia we loved it straight away. The vista overlooking the lake was just stunning and the house had such a classic Italian charm about it. The owner and manager of the villa also impressed us so much when we met her and this made us feel at ease straight away so we had no hesitation in booking!
Our wedding theme/colours… I wanted the style of the wedding to be classic, clean and elegant. I liked the idea of having simple, white furniture, table settings etc. and then having the stunning venue, view and flowers as the focal point. The main colour for the wedding was a soft purple (inspired by purple hydrangeas which I love) but I wanted there to be a mix of colours so for the different arrangements this was combined with white, pink, blue and green. For the place settings, I had the idea of putting a lemon on everyone’s plate with their name on it. Barbara painstakingly tied ribbons and tags around every lemon to get everything ready before the dinner. Her dedication to creating the perfect wedding knows no bounds!
My favourite part of the wedding day… It’s so difficult to pick one moment of the day because we loved so many parts of it but I would have to say, walking into Villa Muggia for the first time as husband and wife, and seeing all of the beautiful details having come together, and all of our friends smiling and clapping as we sat down for our meal – that was pretty amazing!
My piece of advice for other brides… My piece of advice for other brides is to do your research and make sure you pick the right planner. Getting married abroad is an amazing experience but throughout the planning, you are so reliant on your planner to advise you, negotiate on your behalf, translate important documents, and generally be on top of everything! Trust, and having a good rapport with your planner is so important and this is something that Barbara prides herself on. She was always there whenever I had a ‘wobble’ during the planning and was my partner in crime throughout everything. My point is, don’t settle for someone that you think will ‘do the job’ when you can have someone amazing like Barbara!
Suppliers
Wedding planner: Barbara, Extraordinary Weddings Italy | Wedding dress: Tara Keely from Anne Gregory Design, Wicklow | Groom’s suit: Louis Copeland | Wedding location: Villa Muggia, Stresa, Italy | Photographer: Marco Crea
