Karen Birney speaks to Sara Mazzei of Italian wedding planners Infinity Weddings & Events� about the most popular places to get married in Italy this year, how to go about planning a wedding abroad, why hiring a wedding planner saves you time and money and why she loves her job.
So you’ve decided to get married in Italy? Well, firstly let me just say yes, yes I am incredibly envious (and you would have known that if you were beside me while I was researching images for this article) and secondly I want to congratulate you on a decision that has pretty much ensured that you and your guests are going to have an incredible wedding day (or wedding week... you lucky so and sos!)
When it comes to weddings abroad, I always have to give the same advice to any bride who tells me she and he are planning to get hitched outside the country; If you can, please hire a wedding planner! And so, in the same line, I have taken a snippet of my own advice and spoken to a professional wedding planner, Sara Mazzei of Infinity Weddings & Events�, about getting married in Italy!
Why get married in Italy?
Brides who get married at home in Ireland often have ties to a certain county, city or area, be it where they grew up, where their grandparents were from or a place they often visited as a child. With so many reasons to stay home for their wedding, I asked Sara why do brides choose to travel abroad. “From what we see,” says Sarah, “couples see a destination wedding in Italy as being a great opportunity for their family and friends to have an unforgettable experience in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.”
Sara mentions that the well-known adage, the ‘Italian way of life’, is especially appealing to people with a passion for good food, and great style. “The Italian way of life refers to style and fine quality,” she says, “an excellent lifestyle, excellent quality of food, wine and high fashion. That same quality of life and style can be true for weddings. At Infinity Weddings and Events, we dedicate all of our attention and effort to creating this for all of our weddings. From the d�cor to the food and wine selection, everything is of the best quality.” “Of course the weather is another very good reason couples decide to get married in Italy!”
Where to get married in Italy
“Tuscany and Amalfi Coast are always the trendiest regions of Italy,” Sara tells me when I ask her the most popular places in Italy to get married this year. “Tuscany is well known for the beautiful countryside, elegant villas and rustic farmhouses and Amalfi Coast is popular for the spectacular coastline and sea views.”
When it comes to weddings in Italy, Rome is often the first place that springs to mind as the ideal city for a chic, elegant wedding, and Sarah says it’s still one of the most popular choices for Irish couples getting married in Italy. “However,” she adds, “in the last years other regions are becoming more and more popular for Irish couples. In particular the Italian Riviera -the coastal area with Portofino, Portovenere and Cinque Terre, and Apulia -the beautiful region in south-east Italy with stunning sand beaches and incredible venues.”
The Paperwork
One thing that makes couples a little anxious about planning a wedding abroad is the paperwork -do you need permission from your church? Will the marriage be legal back home? What if you drown in a sea of documents before the big day comes around? Apparently, you should chill out. “Documents for civil and religious ceremonies are not complicated for Irish nationalities,” Sara reassures. “Moreover, Infinity Weddings and Events� is one of the most experienced agencies for religious and civil ceremony paperwork and we assist our couples throughout the entire procedure!”
Why would you hire a wedding planner?
Sara’s calm, confident and cheerful response brings me back to that advice I give to brides about professional wedding planners. An interesting thing that often happens for brides who hire a wedding planner for their wedding abroad is that they save money overall. This is due to a variety of reasons, like a reduced number of times travelling to the country of choice, or due to the supplier knowing the who’s who of the wedding industry in that country, and where they can get the best deals. It might also mean less cash spent on Rescue Remedy the few weeks before the wedding!
“We are part of the wedding from the beginning into the very end in order to assist the couple and their guests.” Sara says.
Sara and the team at Infinity Weddings & Events� are able to assist in venue research and finding the right location, they take care of general planning, coordination, music, flowers, photography, catering, hairdresser and anything else couples require to create their perfect day. “We can offer our experience in planning and coordination and our great contacts with best suppliers,” says Sara, “but in the end, it’s up to the bride and groom who and what they want. It’s is their big day after all!”
The couple are given daily updates about the planning process. “We can select the best suppliers and we offer our experience and passion but it is such an important day for the bride, the groom and their families that we absolutely want the couple to be the protagonist. So we send emails and arrange times for calls too, so that we can discuss the choices in detail.”
Couples are encouraged to arrange a day or two in Italy a couple of months before the wedding so that they can finalise details and meet a few of their primary suppliers. “We have our own showroom where we meet with our couples," says Sara. "There they can find both inspirational and informative brochures, pictures and videos to make the decision process as easy as possible.”
After we look at some of the real weddings Infinity Weddings & Events� has shared with us on WeddingsOnline, the beautiful Ambri and Guiliano's Tuscany wedding, Tyrone couple Ciara and Ciar�n's glorious wedding in San Miniato, I can guess why Sara loves her job so much. Who couldn't?! "We have seen so many happy brides and grooms," she says, "everyone of them stays with us and makes us want to do the same all over again for someone else. It's our passion!"
Infinity-weddingsandevents.com/ | Contact Infinity Weddings & Events
Related Content
Like this?
Comments
Have something to say about this article? Leave a comment!