REAL WEDDING Italian Chic 3124 views

Chiara & Wayne
25 May 2008

They Met Chiara and Wayne worked for the same company, but first met whilst watching a World Cup game at the pub. It was love at first sight, but Wayne waited for a truly romantic moment to pop the question on top of Mont Blanc.

Wedding Venue Chiara comes from Italy and the couple decided that it would be the perfect place to get wed. They chose a waterfront location, the 18th century Villa Rusconi Clerici on Lake Maggiore, as they loved the idea of having their ceremony and reception in one place. Not only this, but they loved the incredible view and the stunning mountains in the distance.

The Theme The couple decided to keep their wedding romantic and elegant, fitting in with the magnificent villa and scenery. The reception was held in a marquee in the garden with a view of the lake, and guests were greeted by an olive tree with hanging escort cards, acting as a seating plan. The tables were decorated with large candelabras surrounded by roses and the couple chose favours of small bottles of olive oil from Chiara’s hometown. They named the tables after famous mountains, a little reference to the mountain-top proposal.

What They Wore The bride looked gorgeous in an off-the-shoulder white dress with a lace bodice and full skirt. She teamed it with Gina shoes so that she could wear them again, along with a veil and roses in her hair. She accessorized with jewellery from Claire Yarwood-White and a cream parasol for when the drizzle came!

The groom wore a grey lounge suit, custom made by Oliver Woo, with a white shirt. He wore a tie of the same material as the bridesmaids’ dresses and a rose buttonhole, to match Chiara’s bouquet.

The bride had three teenage bridesmaids who wore custom made dresses in dusty pinks. The maid of honour wore a more grown-up version and they all had flowers in their hair. The groomsmen wore lounge suits with ties in the same fabric as the bridesmaids’ dresses.

The Cake The couple chose a large, tiered sponge cake, made by their caterers. It was decorated with white chocolate and surrounded by pretty hydrangeas.

The Flowers Chiara carried a romantic bouquet of roses in three different shades of pink, whilst the bridesmaids carried pomanders in two different shades of pink roses. The reception and Chuppah for the ceremony were decorated with pink roses and hydrangeas.

First Dance The happy couple danced to ‘I’ll be there’ by the Jackson 5 for their first dance. The music for the ceremony was provided by a Jewish band and the music continued for the reception with a rock band, giving a concert feel to the celebrations.

A Moment To Remember Chiara’s and Wayne’s most memorable moment from the wedding was their first dance as it was a chance to ‘relax and really enjoy being with each other’.

Honeymoon Chiara and Wayne spent their first night at the Grand Hotel Majestic, next door to the wedding venue, after their reception ended at 2am. The newlyweds then went on a beautiful honeymoon for a week-long safari in South Africa. They followed it up with ten days of relaxation on an island in Mozambique.

Any Advice? Chiara advises, ‘Enjoy yourself! Even if things don’t go as planned, you are usually the only person to notice.’ She also adds that if she could have done things differently then she would have ‘hired a good wedding planner to co-ordinate the day, to alleviate some of the stress.’ Finally she says that she couldn’t have lived without her fiancé at the time as, ‘he was so calming and reassuring’. It’s love!

Chiara & Wayne’s Contact Book:
Venue: Villa Rusconi Clerici
Caterer: Convivium Banqueting
Photographer: Corbin Gurkin Photography
Dress: Losners in St Albans www.losners.co.uk
Groomswear: Oliver Woo
Flowers: Giardino di Anna, Stresa 0323 31369