From Homemade Confetti to Nonna’s Blessing: Family, Food, and Folklore in Southern Italian Weddings
Alessandra 24/04/2025 0
In Southern Italy, a wedding isn’t just a union of two people—it’s the joyous fusion of families, traditions, and deeply rooted cultural rituals. Particularly in the Amalfi and Cilento regions, weddings are steeped in folklore and family involvement, where every detail, from the food to the final blessing, is an expression of heritage and love
Family Comes First
Family plays a central role in Southern Italian weddings. It’s common for multiple generations to be involved in the planning and execution of the event. Nonna (the grandmother) is often seen as the guardian of tradition, and her blessing carries profound emotional weight. Her role might include helping to prepare symbolic dishes, offering heartfelt advice, or even gifting a treasured family heirloom to the bride.
Homemade Confetti: A Sweet Tradition
Confetti in Italy doesn’t mean colorful paper—it refers to sugar-coated almonds, a symbol of the bittersweet nature of marriage. In the South, it’s not unusual for families to make their own confetti, especially in small towns and villages. The almonds are carefully packaged in delicate tulle and tied with ribbon, often in odd numbers to represent indivisibility and good luck.
The Power of Food and Community
Food is the heart of any Italian celebration, and weddings are no exception. In the Amalfi and Cilento regions, wedding menus reflect local abundance and traditions. Dishes may include handmade pasta, fresh seafood, slow-cooked meats, and family recipes passed down through generations. Often, the women of the family come together days before the wedding to prepare traditional sweets like struffoli, mostaccioli, or cannoli.
It’s also common to have a pre-wedding dinner known as "la serenata," where the groom serenades the bride and both families enjoy a casual meal together. This moment strengthens the familial bond and honors the community aspect of marriage.
Symbolic Gestures and Blessings
Beyond the visible celebrations, Southern Italian weddings are full of symbolic gestures. A bride might wear a red ribbon under her dress to ward off the "malocchio" (evil eye), or carry a small image of a saint for protection. Before the ceremony, it’s traditional for the parents and grandparents to give a blessing, sometimes accompanied by a prayer or a kiss on the forehead—a moment filled with love, hope, and history.
A Celebration of Culture and Continuity
These rituals and traditions are not just charming—they're meaningful. They connect the present to the past, creating a bridge between generations. For couples choosing to marry in Southern Italy, embracing these customs can turn a beautiful wedding into a truly unforgettable cultural experience.
As a wedding planner deeply rooted in the Amalfi and Cilento regions, I help couples weave these heartfelt traditions into their celebrations in a way that feels authentic, respectful, and utterly enchanting.
Ready to bring some Southern Italian magic to your big day? Let’s make it happen.
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Alessandra 01/10/2024
Amalfi Coast Wedding on a rainy day in Total White
For couples who want to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to their destination wedding, the latest trend of total white weddings is the perfect choice. This style of wedding is characterized by an all-white color palette, from the bride’s dress to the decor and even the guests’ attire. The result is a clean and timeless look that exudes luxury and class. This trend is perfect for couples who want to make a statement with their wedding and create a truly unforgettable experience for themselves and their guests.
Planning a total white destination wedding requires careful attention to detail to ensure that every aspect of the day is perfect. To start, choose a location that complements the all-white theme, such as a white-sand beach or a minimalist venue. When selecting decor, opt for white flowers and simple, elegant centerpieces. For the bride’s dress, consider a classic and timeless design in pure white. Lastly, work with your photographer to capture stunning images that showcase the beauty of your all-white wedding. With these tips, you can create a truly magical and unforgettable total white destination wedding like Amy and Jeff one; it was a rainy day but the Amalfi Coast atmosphere made everything magical.
Alessandra 01/10/2024
Nothing says Spring like Wedding Flowers
The new season is around the corner… and talking about wedding celebrations what would be a wedding without flowers? It’s like Spring without blooms. I guess you’re a newbie about flowers and you’re wondering what’s the most important thing to consider when choosing your wedding flowers, you ended up in the right place!
Wedding flowers are one of the key elements of your BIG day. Not only your wedding flowers will set the tone and theme of the day, they will also provide colour and decoration as a symbol of love and growth throughout the entire ceremony.
That’s why, I’ll give you some tips about the choice of the right floral arrangement.
Share your ideas
First and foremost, finding your own inspiration will come in handy when you’ll be describing your vision to your potential florist. There are tons of inspiration around, but collecting everything you especially like will be helpful to set your vibe. I’d suggest blooms such as peonies and roses, they totally suit a classy vibe, while if you’d love to give a romantic touch lush arrangements and big blooms will work.
Pay attention to the season
Yes, your wedding date will play a big role in which kind of flowers you can get. Well, certain blooms could be out of season and become more expensive and harder to find at different times of the year. Furthermore, if you’re getting married during the hot summer months keep in mind you’ll need your flowers to be able to last, such as lavender or roses.
Let your venue influence your floral arrangement
The area where your ceremony and reception take place can help you a lot with choosing the right floral arrangement. If you’re marrying in a park or an open-air venue, you can get your ‘wow’ effect keeping flowers to a minimum and utilising the natural blooms around the venue. Moreover, it’s necessary to keep in mind your table-setting too, round tables or imperial tables, they can influence the shape and style of your floral centerpieces. Hence, your venue will widely influence your decisions.
Don’t forget your colour palette
If you have your colour scheme set, make sure to tell your florist!
Have in mind your dress
Your bridal bouquet is your main wedding accessory and should complement the dress you chose, so you need to think about your wedding flowers also in reference to your dress. Usually, a bride’s dress is to be white and any colour will easily match. I tend to suggest flowers in shades of soft pastels and a lots of lush green foliage.
Recycle Your Blooms
Last but not least, your “Yes, I dos” will probably last more or less one hour, on the contrary your wedding flowers will last longer. Then, you can reuse your floral arrangements such as aisle arrangements or bridesmaid bouquets to adorn other areas of your venue: just like at at the moment of
the cake-cutting.
Let romance blossom on your Wedding Day!
Alessandra
Alessandra 01/10/2024
S&S: the golden years!
a 50th Wedding Anniversary
planned by Wedding Amalfi
A lifetime love-story between a world-famous Italian Ship Commander and his wife!
When a couple reaches such a milestone, it’s customary to renew love promises with a religious ceremony,
just like the time the very first ‘Yes, I do’ was pronounced.
From South Africa, S&S came back to Italy to celebrate one of the most important moments of their life!
Their love story began more than 50 years ago.
Sandra and Salvatore were just two teenagers who lived a few meters away in a neighborhood of Southern Italy;
She was the most beautiful girl Salvatore had ever seen and he was the most lively guy she had ever known.
How not to fall madly in love?
Since their first meeting, they have spent their lives together among sea, projects, dreams, ships and family.
Salvatore step from the Navy to become president of MSC Cruises in South Africa traveling all over the World and
reaching the most important life goals with Sandra by his side. Nowadays, Salvatore is best-known as the Captain of
Shosholoza, the Italian man who challenged the America’s Cup letting people remember the last name Sarno.
On the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary, the boundless love for the sea and their roots
brought them back to their hometown in the Church of Saints Simon and Judas Thaddeus
to celebrate their love again and again.
After an intimate religious ceremony, the couple held a total golden party in Capo d’Orso inviting
their guests to a Michelin-starred dinner in the prestigious restaurant Il Faro di Capo D’Orso.
The most special event for the most special people in the flawless setting of the Amalfi Coast planned with ‘all the love in the World’!
Thanks a million to the Sarno Family for choosing my team and I for the third time as the planners of their events.
Planner | Wedding Amalfi & Invento Sogni
Photo | Alessandro Pone Studio
Floral Design | Fratelli Elefante
Venue | Capo D’Orso & Il Faro di Capo d’Orso
Stationery | The Real Annk
Music | Gruppo Arechi Live Band & Wedding Deejay