For the majority of Future Brides, looking for the flawless bridal dress is the most dreamed moment of the whole wedding planning. As is usual, countless brides-to-be dream about their bridal dress for a very long time!

If you’ve planned to get married during the next season and you’re literally dying to try your dress on, browsing magazines and websites looking for your own style, I’m gonna give you my top-tips to jump into your search really ready for!

Research, research, research

Ball gown, a-line or mermaid?! First and foremost, you should have thought about what kind of dress you want, browse magazines and websites, set your Pinterest board up in order to collect your ideas and show it once in the showroom. The more details, the better!

Schedule different appointments

Once you have a clear idea of what you want, it’s time to schedule appointments! In case, you have specific designers or stylist in mind, find out which showrooms have their bridal collections. The day you first try on a bridal dress, it has to be a stressless one…Doubtless, the best day to try your potential bridal dress is Saturday. Go for it!

Less is more

Just like in the movies, the Bride tends to bring her team of maids or family members. Wait! Less is more when it comes to the most important choice of your life. I suggest to invite your dearest just to your last fitting and surprise them revealing your choice!

Don’t’ forget your Venue

Where and when are you getting married? Your Venue is the key thing and it will be helpful in your search. If you will be having an open-air ceremony on the beach or in a garden, you should avoid ball gowns with long trains…they would be ruined after your first steps. If you’re exchanging your vows in an elegant Cathedral, you should avoid short or backless dresses.

Try on everything

Even if you already have your style set, make sure you give other styles a go at your first appointment. You may be surprised by what you find!

Wear a light makeup

You’re going to try on expensive wedding dresses in ivory, white, champagne… Wear a minimal makeup in order to have a natural and candid look…just as you will be on that special day!

Say your YES out loud

Don’t be surprised if you find your dress at the first stroke! Trying on hundreds of dresses will not make your choice easier, usually it just complicates things. Hence, if you find the bridal dress you love the most, go with it and say your YES out loud!

Have fun

The choice of your bridal dress will be one of the best moment of your life. You’ll surely be the center of attention because you’re…the bride-to-be. Have fun!

For this and for many other important moments… I’ll stand by you for your #destinationlove

Let 2021 be the happy one!
Alessandra

Did you know that there are so many ancient Wedding traditions? Just like that! From the bouquet toss to wearing an accessory belonged to your grandmother, borrowed or blue…Wedding customs remain popular even today and most Brides-to-be choose one to follow. I’ll reveal you surprising italian rituals that every Bride-to-be should know to give her #destinationlove a bit of italian touch. Ready to discover them?

Sing your LOVE!

This tradition is known as ‘La Serenata’ and usually takes place during the eve of the Wedding Day, the Groom in order to surprise the Bride-to-be goes under her window and with the complicity of friends and relatives waits for the Bride entertaining themselves until she appears. A band of musicians begins to play some of the most famous love songs of the Italian tradition serenading his fiancée. The Bride-to-be surprised by the sound of music, looks out the window and finds her Groom holding a bouquet of flowers inviting her to join him. Once the Bride reaches her Groom…the party begins!

Superstitions, superstitions, superstitions

Bridal dresses have superstitions of all sorts, the Bride is supposed to wear nothing gold on her Wedding Day apart from the wedding ring, it is considered bad luck! Actually, the Bride has to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and something she has received as a gift. Another funny superstition regards the mirror! It is said that the Bride-to-be shouldn’t look into the mirror with her bridal dress on. If she really wants to take one last look-see before reaching her Groom, she has to first remove a shoe, an earring or a glove.

Shower of rice

After the ceremony, as the newlyweds are leaving the Church, rice is showered on them by their guests to symbolise fertility. Only after this ritual, all guests get closer to the couple and personally congratulate them on their union. In some regions in Italy, the Bride and the Groom have to tie a ribbon in front of the Church, the ribbon represents the Bride and Groom ‘tying the knot’.

Dress your guests

Another important tradition about the Bridal dress concerns the dress code of the guests, it’s considered rude wearing white color for their clothing. The Bride should be the only one to wear it!

The Bouquet toss

According to tradition, the Groom is expected to gift to his future wife the bridal bouquet. Generally, the Bride choose the floral arrangement and the theme she wants, the Groom just must have it delivered to her on the Wedding Day. At the end of the ceremony, the Bride tosses her bridal bouquet to her dearest single friends and bridesmaids… the lucky one who will catch it will get married in a year!

Garters & Ties

In some italian regions, especially in the southern part of Italy, Brides traditionally wear a garter. The garter dates back to the 14th century when it was thought that wearing the wisp of lace would bring the Bride good luck. In Italy, the garter is taken off by her Groom during the ceremony and thrown to the wedding guests, just like the bridal bouquet. Instead, when it comes to the Groom… another bizarre tradition is about the cut of the tie. The best man cuts the Groom’s tie into little pieces and the pieces are then put onto a serving dish and sold to the guests.

Wedding favors

At the end of the wedding celebrations, just before guests leave, the Bride and the Groom give tiny gifts to their guests to thank them for their presence. This sort of present, called bomboniere, is a wedding tradition which dates back to the Romans who used them to celebrate unions and births. They’re made of white sugared-coated almonds and ribbons… the number of confetti is a key thing: it should be an odd number, five or seven as a symbol of good-luck.

The theory goes that the Bride who follows these unique traditions will live happily ever after with her half and something joyful will happen to her loved ones.

I’m waiting for you to live together an unforgettable Italian #destinationlove

Alessandra

People always talk about weddings, weddings, weddings…. What about your engagement party? Your fiancé popped the question and you said a massive ‘Yes, I will!!!’ Your wedding will be held next year, you haven’t chosen the date yet… but it’s already time to celebrate!

Once your engagement news comes out, everyone will want to congratulate you and an engagement party will sound perfect! I’m pretty sure a few questions about the planning of your engagement party are probably swirling around your brain. Read on to find out everything you need to know about planning the flawless engagement party…

When having your engagement party?

Generally, the engagement party falls within a few months of the proposal, that moment in your life you’re just-engaged and you start thinking about the Wedding planning. In case you’re going to have your engagement party on Amalfi Coast, the beginning of September or the Spring season are without a shadow of doubt the best periods.

Who throws the party?

Traditionally, Bride’s parents are expected to host the first official celebration, but you don’t necessarily have to follow the rules. Nowadays, anyone can throw the engagement party and you can throw your own party… your parents, friends and relatives may join the party just as guests. It’s really up to you!

Where should it take place?

Regarding the location of your engagement party, you may decide to have your party in your own city or hold it in the country you may choose for your destination wedding. It is also true that many couples celebrate with different engagement parties because their friends and family are spread all over the World, so you could celebrate in two different places! You just need to think about the vibe you want to create: a more elegant and original setting or a casual and informal one? For example, our Coast boasts a huge variety of hotel terraces or private beaches where you can hold your unforgettable party.

Need to send invitations?

You or whoever is going to throw the party should send official engagement party invitations. Go for plain and informal paper invitations or even opt for digital invites. And don’t worry if you haven’t chosen your wedding color palette or even your wedding date, the engagement party invitations don’t have to match with the rest of your stationery.

Who should be invited?

Following the rules, everyone who will be invited to your engagement party must be invited to your Wedding too. By the way, engagement party guest list expectations have changed! Engagement parties can definitely include people who aren’t invited to the wedding, so feel free to invite all the people you want to share the big news with or whoever you want to have at your side. For a destination engagement party, I suggest you invite just a few people!

What about decorations?

Don’t rush into choosing your wedding colors or theme so that your engagement party can match with details, themes and decors: candlelight, balloons, confetti and floral arrangements are always the best choice!

In short, an engagement party is a great way to share the exciting news and get family and friends together to celebrate… Why not celebrate it on Amalfi Coast?

I’m waiting for you!

Alessandra

The global pandemic forced you and your Groom-to-be to move your Wedding Day to 2021 or beyond, but what if you still want to have a great Wedding celebration? There are so many different special ways to say your ‘Yes,I dos’ now… But how do you get started? Find out more here!

Rethink your Stationery

By the time the pandemic hit, most couples of betrothed sent out the greater part of their Wedding stationery or save-the-date cards at least. And if you’re planning to have a micro-Wedding celebration, you should rethink the paper items you already have without ordering new invitations. Then, add to your invitations a ‘change of plans’ card to send out to your closest family and friends and that’s it!

Choose Wisely

Most likely, you & your Groom want to invite everyone you know to celebrate your special day… But the premise of a micro-Wedding is to celebrate your love just with your closest relatives and dearest friends. Hence, choose wisely your loved ones!

Adjust your Wedding Design

Even if you may want to go with the very same color-palette and flower arrangements you initially chose, I suggest you opt for something different for your micro-Wedding. There are so many blooms and color schemes, don’t get stuck just on the first one!

Find the Right Wedding Venue

Social distancing is paramount, even at a micro-Wedding, so it’s important to consider an open-air setting that will allow guests to have their own space. Our Coast hosts so many secret gardens, private beaches and terraces to choose as a setting of your micro-Wedding where you can easily have a small intimate group in a larger space!

Go for a Single-serve Menu

In order to keep everyone safe, you should go for a single-serve Menu… Mini-bottles of sparkling water, fresh drinks or wine for each guest and pre-plated appetizers with a mix of everything or small portions of fresh culinary specialties for food. Your guests will appreciate it!

Pay attention to the Details

Details are what make your celebration unique to the two of you, so don’t underestimate them for your micro-Wedding… Without a huge number of guests, including personal touches will be more doable! Things like personal vows, calligraphy place cards, serving a favorite dish for dinner or interactive ceremony elements that get your guests involved can make your day unforgettable!

Consider a Destination Wedding

If it’s something you’ve always dreamed of, start looking into how to make it happen… A micro-Wedding might be the best occasion to celebrate your Destination Wedding!

Beautiful venues and my professional work are at your disposal to plan the most romantic micro-Wedding for you on our gorgeous Amalfi Coast!

Alessandra