Dream Italian Weddings - Issue 3

Melissa Ormiston
EDITOR

WELCOME to
– Dream Italian Weddings! –

I THINK what is special about weddings is not just the ceremony, venue and meeting smiling new people but also the little things that happen that we rarely get to hear about. The eye-watering antics of the stag party, the mother of the bride catching up with her long-lost relatives or the bride's dress having to be altered by a bridesmaid at the last minute as it's not quite staying put. Cat and Dan Wade, the lovely couple on the cover, had a beautiful wedding in Gradara this summer and they had friends and family fly over early to enjoy the area before the big day. The way that Cat describes her wedding makes you feel as if you were there with her; it's a funny and moving story that I am sure will inspire others thinking of getting married abroad.

Also what we often don't get to hear about is just how much work goes into making the day run smoothly and a party for everyone to enjoy. I went to a beautiful wedding recently where the bride and groom had gone to a lot of effort to make sure that all the guests got to know each other. At dinner we all had a handwritten note with a little task that had been prepared for each person: I had to find two guests to play a giant game of Jenga and my friend had to get on the dance-floor and impersonate Michael Jackson. I was horrified at the thought but he could not have been more delighted with his mission and had the wedding guests clapping in a circle around him in a scene reminiscent of a teen movie. The bride and groom looked on smiling but no doubt wondering when they might be able to step in and take their first dance.

In this issue of Dream Italian Weddings & Honeymoons we've got features that will give you lots of ideas on how to make your wedding and honeymoon spectacular. We've also got some fantastic competitions to get you going. Firstly we've teamed up with the exclusive and luxurious travel guides Mr and Mrs Smith on page 24 with a feature highlighting wonderful places to take your honeymoon and we're offering three limited-edition hardback copies of their latest guide. Then to ensure you look glamorous on your honeymoon we've got some stunning leather holdalls to be won from Caracalla Bagaglio worth over £140 each. Finally we've got a special gift pack from Something-Italian on page 49 so that you can reminisce about your big day in style when you get back.

PS We'd love to hear about your big day in Italy, so please drop me a line at editor@italymag.co.uk to tell me about it and don't forget to include all those hair-raising, behind-the-scenes moments!

Buon divertimento