Wedding Blog

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

Jodie and Mike List, both from New Zealand but living in London, met over a game of football with friends on Clapham Common five years ago.
Once engaged the thought of going home for the wedding and planning everything from the UK seemed seriously stressful so instead, on the advice of a friend, they asked Erica Bellini, wedding organiser for Tuscan Dreams, to create the perfect week away for themselves and their friends in Italy.

Jodie says: “The main objective was to have a relaxing enjoyable week with everyone, including our parents, family and our friends. We haven’t had the opportunity to spend that amount of time with everyone for years so it was fantastic.

“My bridesmaids insisted on bringing over a suitcase full of pink fur items form New Zealand but apart from that the whole experience was so much better than we ever imagined possible!”

The couple held a beautiful reception and four course dinner for 50 people at the Villa Gambassi in Tuscany following their wedding in the grounds with an Italian priest. Babysitters were on hand for those who needed one for the evening disco and the cost included a personal hairdresser; beautician, fabulous flowers, heaps of outdoor candles and a photographer.

Erica Bellini, who has organised more than 50 weddings, says: “Jodie and Mike were a dream to work with, very relaxed and great fun. We arranged a wine tasting evening with canapés the night before the wedding and made sure everything went smoothly on the day, which of course it did”.

Villa Gambassi is situated in a small ancient hamlet in Tuscany. The luxury villa with a private pool is steeped in history and surrounded by idyllic countryside with several acres of oak forests. The property has been completely renovated and it is the ideal setting to organize small to medium size weddings. Villa Gambassi can only be booked through www.tuscan-dreams.com.

Jodie and Mike came back to the villa with their gorgeous baby girl last year and met again with Erica.

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

Adele and Matt Selby from Cheshire had been school friends for years  but when they left they lost contact.
Meeting again years later they discovered they had both recently broken up with their partners and started dating. Despite promising to take it slowly to ‘protect their friendship’ they soon moved in together.
Matt gave Adele a Christmas present of a holiday to Puerto Pollenca and having secretly asked her family for permission to propose he packed the ring amongst his toiletries. Adele decided he had packed too much and made him take them out; luckily Matt saved the ring and hid it again!

Once on holiday Matt packed a picnic and a rucksack and suggested a walk on the beach where he went down on one knee, amidst champagne, Rose petals and the sand and proposed to Adele.
Having decided to marry in Italy they worked with Erica Bellini from Tuscan Dreams to create the most romantic wedding in Siena, and held their reception at San Galgano in the shadows of a roofless abbey.
The stunning scenery, fabulous food, wine and flowers combined with the gorgeous bride and bridesmaids with their parasols created the perfect day for everyone.

-Real-life weddings by Tuscan Dreams-

Name: Julie Man Diccon Driver
Place and date of wedding ceremony AND reception: Castello di Marcialla, Tuscany, Italy. Sat 24th July 10 booked through Tuscan Dreams www.tuscan-dreams.com

1.How did you feel when you first met your husband?
Dumbstruck by his handsome good looks and boyish charm (yes he ‘helped’ me write this).

2.When and where was your first date?
We’d been friends for a while because we worked together. We first started going out after a night at a club in London called SoulSonic.

3.What’s your best memory or funniest story of your time dating?
There’s been many funny times, too many to choose a particular event.

4.Tell us about the proposal – how did it happen?
I was taken to New York for a surprise Christmas trip. He popped the question in a restaurant in Greenwich Village.

5.Were you surprised?
YES! We’d been together for 11 years and we’d always said that we were happy together. We weren’t that fussed about getting married.
6.Did he go the traditional route and ask your father’s permission? No. Although I think he mentioned it to my mum.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE OUTFIT!

1.Where did you find your wedding dress?
I purchased my wedding dress in a shop in Bromley called Marianne Jessica.
2.Tell us the – boutique, material, designer, price, any style details…
I initially thought I’d find something on ebay.  But this idea didn’t last long! In the end I brought the dress in a lovely little boutique style shop near where I live. As I was looking through the rails I knew I’d found the dress for me the second I clapped eyes on it. This completely blew my original ebay budget, but what’s a girl to do?
As I was getting married abroad in Tuscany it had to be quite light weight, with not too much material so it was easy to transport and cool enough to wear in the heat.  It was a beautiful ivory strapless dress with a small train made from satin like material with organza over the top. It had delicate lace and beading on the edging of dress.  And the bodice was rouched and finished off with a row of pretty flowers over one shoulder, trailing down the back of dress.  It was from the collection from Augusta Jones called Kelly.

3.How did you feel when you put it on?
I’d already fallen in love with it just from seeing it. When I tried it on it just confirmed what I thought. I loved it.
4. What accessories did you wear on the day?
The dress was quite detailed so I didn’t want too many other accessories. I opted for simple studded pearl earrings, a corsage bracelet of flowers (which the wedding shop make up for me from my dress) and a few in my hair to complete the look.

5.Tell us about the – tiara, jewellery, shoes, underwear!
I was lucky to spot a pair of silver leather shoes in TK Maxx from the Paris Hilton collection as all the bridal shoes I’d been looking at looked were cream fabric which I thought were a waste as I wouldn’t get to wear them again.

6.Where did the groom buy/hire his outfit from?
He bought it from Emporio Armani

7.Did he choose it?
Yes. Being a typical man it was the first thing he tried on. At first I thought he was just being lazy. But when I saw him try it on, I had to agree, it did look nice.

8.Describe the colour/material/style
Grey fitted suit
9.How did he look when you first saw him?
He doesn’t usually wear a suit so I thought that he looked really smart.

10.Tell us about your bridesmaids – how many did you have and who were they?
2 bridesmaids.  My two younger sisters.
11.How did you decide who to ask? How did they help you?
Easy really, as I’ve got 2 younger sisters so I asked them.  I would have like to asked two of my other friends, too, but because there was only 30 guests, I needed to keep the numbers down so there would actually be someone there to see us get married.
12.Tell us about their outfits – where did you buy the dresses (boutique/designer/material/price/accessories)?
The wedding was in Tuscany, in summer, so I didn’t want them wearing something too heavy and restricted. I stared looking early in the January sales. We found exactly what we were looking for in Karen Millen and the shoes in Aldo. All with 50% off!
13.How did they fit with the theme?
There wasn’t really a theme but we wanted brides maids dresses and groom/ushers to wear grey suits/ties.

14.Did you have any other attendants?  Did you give your attendants a gift? We paid for a night’s accommodation for everyone so we didn’t spend much on presents. I bought my sisters some Selfridges vouchers. And the Bestman and Ushers got John Lewis vouchers.

GETTING READY

1.Tell us about your make-up..
I opted for shades of brown.  Nothing too fancy. Just an ‘upgrade’ from my day to day make up.
2.What brands did you use?
Clinique quickliner for eyes brown/black eyeliner and Clinique Foxy 404 eyeshadow.
3.Do you have a make-up tip for other brides?
Thought that I was going to be very tearful on the day so I did a test of a few waterproof mascaras and decided on Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Waterproof mascara.Highly recommend it!

4. How about hair – did you and your maids hire a hairstylist? If so who, and what did she do?
I knew roughly what I wanted and use the hairdresser that the wedding planners recommended.
It was lovely for me and my friends all having our hair done at the same time, with a glass of champagne before the ceremony to calm my nerves. Mine was quite simple with lose curls in a bun put up to the opposite side of the train of flowers on my dress. I also had some flowers left over from my dress which I attached to hair pins and then they were put in my hair.

THE CEREMONY

1. Tell us about the ceremony …
The ceremony was a simple affair in the sunny grounds of an Italian castle ( Castello di Marcialla booked through Tuscan Dreams www.tuscan-dreams.com ).
As neither of us are religious so we opted for a celebrant rather than a priest.
2.Did you have readings and/or music?
We had my husband’s mum and our friend Mel do a reading.
3.Who walked you down the aisle?
My mum walked me down the isle

BIG DAY DETAILS

1. How did you create your fabulous big day look? So tell us all about the suppliers you used.
We used Tuscan Dreams wedding planners.  Erica/Nicoletta from Tuscan Dreams made planning our wedding very easy from booking our venue to making sure our day went smoothly. Their details are:- dream@Tuscan-dreams.com www.tuscan-dreams.com
As I didn’t know how I wanted to get married it took us a while to come up with ideas.  It wasn’t until someone at work said that they were getting married in Tuscany that I thought that could work for us seeing as we wanted a small wedding, outside in the sun, with tasty local Italian food.
2. What was your theme?
We wanted to use local flowers so there were lots of sunflowers and herbs for the table decorations and white roses and herbs for the bouquets.
3.Where did you get your stationery?
My husband works for an advertising company so he came up with the idea. For the invites he designed a 70s style postcard to invite our friends to come on a ‘holiday’ with us. The table plan and order service tied in with our sunflowers theme we had on the tables.

4.What transport did you hire/borrow?
No transport was needed as everything was under one roof.
5.What decorations did you buy and how did you decorate the venue?
Tuscan Dreams did a fantastic job of decorating the venue with lanterns, tee lights, ribbons, lights in jars on bird hooks and waxed candle bags.
6.Tell us about your cake – did you buy it, made it, order it? Tell us about the flavours/topping…
We didn’t have a traditional wedding cake we opted for a locally produced cake called Riccotta di Chocolate, which was lovely
7. Were you inspired by any celebrity weddings? If so, who?
If anything, seeing how some celebrities did it made us sure of how we didn’t want it to be.

THE RECEPTION

1.Tell us about the reception – where was your venue?
The reception was in the old castle where we were all staying. ( Castello di Marcialla booked through Tuscan Dreams www.tuscan-dreams.com ).
2.How did you do the table plan – was it a traditional top table?
We wanted all our immediate family on the top table and then we just tried to spread everyone else out so they would be sat with people they knew.
3.How many people did you cater for? Did more arrive later?
We catered for 30 people.
Canapes and Prosecco to start with after the ceremony and a hogroast meal when we sat down.
No one turned up later.
4.Tell us about the speeches – what was memorable? What made you laugh/cry/throw plates?!
We kept the speeches to a minimum. My husband did an amusing ‘Thank-you’ speech and his bestman was very funny. But then my husband is a bit of a wally, so he plenty of material to work with.

EVENING DO

1.What was your entertainment – music/band/DJ?
We had a DJ. But we gave him exactly what we wanted him to play. Wedding DJs can be pretty awful and especially in another country where we thought he might not speak much English. At first he was a bit reluctant to play our music but by the end of the night he’s liked it so much he asked if he could keep the mix we’d given him!
2. Tell us about the first dance – what song did you chose and why? Did you choreograph a routine?
We chose a song by the French band ‘Air’. It was a song my husband used to play to me when we first met. Our dance was more ’school disco’ than ’strictly’. We hadn’t really thought about until about a minute before the song came on.
3. Describe your favours (if you had them)… were they different for male and female guests?
Didn’t have any
4. Tell us your most memorable moment…
The whole weekend was unforgettable. Close friends and family. Great food. Bright Sunshine and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. I can highly recommend getting married in Tuscany. And can highly recommend Tuscan Dreams.

TOP TIPS

1.Based on your own experience, give us some top tips…
For brides - Keep it simple. Don’t panic. Enjoy it. If a little thing goes wrong, don’t let it ruin your day just have another glass of Champagne and go with the flow.
For grooms - Erm…pick someone you love.
For keeping to a budget - Get married abroad. It’s a lot cheaper than you think. The food is better and there’s no corkage!
“If we could do it all again, we’d…” wouldn’t change anything!

2.Tell us about the honeymoon – when/where did you go? what did you do?
As we were getting married in Tuscany we decided to have a few days after the wedding there, bit like a minimoon, which was lovely after all the rushing about. In September we’re off to Kenya for beach and safari. (I’ll be on the beach, my husband will be off looking for elephants!)

- Real-life weddings by Tuscan Dreams -

Name: Hannah and Matt
Age: Matt - 33, Hannah 29
Profession : Matt – Operations Director of a Brick Distribution Company, Hannah – IT Consultant.
Where do you come from? Cheshire

How did you meet?
We have been together for 8 years and there have been lots of fun times and exciting stories that have happened along the way….however the story of how we met is not all that exciting or glamorous but it truly was one of the best days of our lives. We went to high school together but being several years apart we never talked to one another.- and looking back it makes us laugh that we would have passed each other in the hallways hundreds of times not knowing that one day we would be married! In fact I think I even had a crush on one of Matt’s friends!

7 years later our paths crossed once more – this time in the delights of our local Cricket club for a mutual friend’s birthday. We got chatting and very soon we realised that we quite liked one another! So after one or two gin and tonics together and a lot of egging on from our two best friends (bridesmaid and best man) we decided to move on to our local nightclub for a dance! There we were on the dance floor busting some moves to Shakira when we had our first kiss! A very romantic moment!
From that moment we were hooked on each other over the last 8 years we have had so much fun – enjoyed lots of holidays, great times with friends, buying our first house and having two adorable cats (who we treat like children!).

How did he propose?
Having seen so many of our very best friends get engaged and then married there was never a suggestion that we might be next - so when Matt did propose it did come as a shock to a lot of people (including Hannah) as he had never mentioned it to a soul!
It was Christmas day 2008 - Matt loves Christmas and it seemed like the perfect most romantic time of year to propose. Christmas morning came – Matt was acting slightly sheepish! The bucks fizz was opened and we went into our living room to open our presents! Lots of gifts were exchanged – the usual – CDs, perfume, pyjamas!

Thinking that was it for presents and about to start sipping my bucks fizz once more – Matt said I think there is one more present for you right at the back underneath the tree – not having the slightest inkling I found my present, ripped off the paper and to my surprise saw a jewellery box and I started to think ‘could this be what I think it is?’. Slightly nervously I opened the box and saw this beautiful shiny diamond ring looking back at me, Matt took it from me and then said ‘So Hannah I love you so much – will you marry me?” Tears were running down my cheeks uncontrollably having never felt so happy in my life – we were at home in the place we love more than anywhere else, sat underneath our pretty Christmas tree  - I said yes gave Matt the biggest cuddle  he said ‘why are you crying though –you are happy aren’t you?” I then started jumping up and down in excitement and he knew I was happy!
It really was such a happy day and sharing the news with Family and Friends was amazing! People were so happy for us – it was the best Christmas ever and we had constant smile on our face.

- Real-Life Weddings by Tuscan Dreams -

NAME: Sandra and Richard

PROFESSION OF BOTH: Sandra - accountant, Richard - going through a career change and working temporarily in cafe as he’s currently applying to become a paramedic.

AGE: Sandra - 29, Richard - 32

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM: We bought a house in Oct last year and live in Loughton (Essex)

HOW DID YOU MEET: We both use to work for the same medical devices company, I was in accounts and Richard was in the sales team. We met on a work conference at 2am in the bar. It was in the cumberland hotel in London, all the men were in tucks and the girls in evening dresses. I had danced all night and my feet were aching, I managed to find the nearest free seat which happened to be where Richard’s team were sitting. I was sitting next to his friend Steve who said how gorgeous I was and then asked Richard if he agreed, he did (he was drunk!), then Steve ask if I was single, I said yes and then he remarked that Richard was also single and we should get together! After an hour of chatting in the group, a drink was accidently poured over me, which gave me an excuse to move seats and of course I moved to the seat next Richard.

Eventually everyone else went to bed except the two of us. Richard fancied a cup of tea and I said that I had tea making facilities in my room! (what a hussy). So he came to my room, and didn’t have a cup of tea! The rest in history. It was a brilliant night, the hotel was amazing, I have never stayed in somewhere as posh.

HOW DID HE PROPOSE: We were on holiday in America. We were touring around the west coast for 3 weeks, we went to LA, San Francisco, Sonoma, Yosemite, Lone Pine, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Cannon and Zion Cannon.  Unknown to me Richard was planning propose on this holiday and he was waiting for the right moment. One day we went for a hike around Hetch Hetcy, there was hardly anyone else around a Richard kept kissing me along the walk, which I though was a bit strange. After a about mile around there was a small bridge over the reservoir surrounded by mountains he dropped to one knee and proposed, it was lovely. We then went back to our tent where Richard produced a bottle of champagne that he had sneekly bought from when we were wine tasting in Sonoma. We drank our champagne by the river and then went out for a posh meal in the Ahwahnee. Easily my best day.

Sandra and Richard got married on 18th September 2010 at Villa Gambassi where they also stayed and had reception with 60 guests.

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

Name: Sharon and Peter

Ages: Sharon - 48, Peter - 49

Profession: Sharon - Personal Assistant, Peter - firefighter on blue watch, based in Swindon.

Where do you come from : Chippenham, Wiltshire. We both have 2 children each from previous marriages. Peter has 2 sons; Craig and Bradley and I have a daughter and son; Nathasha and Liam.

We thought we would get married in the beautiful country of Italy, with close family and friends, hiring a beautiful villa for immediate family and close friends staying close by in apartments all arranged by a reputable company with a personal touch and hastle-free.

We stayed in the Villa Gambassi for a week, followed by a honeymoon in Sorrento and Rome.

How did you meet: We met at a local night club 12 years ago.

How did he proposed: Pete proposed to me 2 years ago at the top of the Eiffel Tower, which was very romantic.

- Real-Life Weddings by Tuscan Dreams -

NAME: Sam and Lee

PROFESSION: Sam - Marketing Manager in magazine publishing, Lee Managing Director for AOP.

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM: London

HOW DID YOU MEET: Sam and I have been together 11 years, after meeting at the Guardian newspaper where we both worked. Our drinks together after work became more and more frequent, and soon we were a couple. Our first time away together just happened to be a work trip to Rome, that would start another love affair with Italy.

HOW DID HE PROPOSE : Neither of us were particularly inclined towards marriage but, ten years later, neither of us could really remember why! So, on a ski trip to St Anton, Austria, I proposed to Sam in a champagne ice bar halfway up the mountain slopes.

When we first entertained the idea of an Italian wedding, we never thought we would be able to encourage all our beloved friends & family to travel with us. When they all whole heartedly supported the idea, the next piece of the puzzle was finding a location - something that our wonderful wedding planners at Tuscan Dreams were able to help with, and much more besides.

We had the wedding of our dreams with all the people we love around us, and all the details and touches that made it unique to us.

Sam and Lee got married on 6th June 2010 at Certaldo Town Hall and had reception at Villa Gambassi

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

Unlike the USA more weddings in the UK are planned by the bride and her mum than by a wedding organiser. But stress free wedding planning is almost impossible to achieve for the average full time working woman – unless you happen to be an event organiser or can wave a magic wand!

That’s the view of Tuscan wedding organiser Erica Bellini, who has created countless events in Italy and knows just how hard it is to keep on top of the detail let alone agree the main event with everyone involved.

She says: “What many people don’t realise is how much time and effort you need to put into your event to really make it work the way you want. There are such expectations for the day and each bride wants to be unique and special and create her own magic. But most of my brides are busy working and have very little time to manage all the bits and pieces that make up a wedding.

“By the time it comes to choosing the dress and the invitations many brides who choose to arrange the event themselves are completely fed up with the whole thing. It really is a skill in itself that is very time consuming especially if you want to marry abroad.”

Other advantages of working with a wedding organiser include:

· Saving you money – while you may pay a fee for their services wedding planners often secure great deals with venues, photographers and caterers and florists which you could not negotiate yourself and which will ultimately save you money.

· Save your relationship – instead of battling with the mother-in-law you can become detached from the event and so can she!

· Event experience – you will only ever hopefully arrange one wedding – your planner will have vast experience of many special days.

· Knowledge of the area, its customs, local specialities and pitfalls – especially useful if planning to marry abroad.

· Advice on every aspect of the day from your dress, flowers, invitations, cakes, venue, service, to entertainment – gleaned from years of experience and having worked with reliable suppliers many times before.

· Someone on the day specifically to manage the event or manage the odd mishap without the bride having to lift up her skirts and deal with it herself!

Demetria Maratheftis, from the UK but of Greek Cypriot origin chose Erica to organise her dream wedding in Italy to make sure she had the day of her dreams and not just of her family! She says: “I was expecting my day to go well but we really didn’t expect it to go so smoothly. We laughed and giggled from the beginning to the end and I wish we could do it all over again!”

Erica, 36, who lives mainly in Italy and also offers Tuscan accommodation to those guests wishing to extend their stay, has a huge range of venues for weddings, specialist caterers, florists and photographers and is always on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day.

She says: “Having a wedding planner means you can concentrate on enjoying your day and leave event organising to the experts. We know how to make our weddings uniquely gorgeous every time.”

- Real-life wedding by Tuscan Dreams -

NAME: Carla and Ben

PROFESSION: Carla – Aviation Recruitment Specialist, Ben - Car Rental Manager

AGE: Both 30 years

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM: We live together in Bournemouth but originally Carla is from Chepstow, South Wales and Ben is from Dartford, Kent.

HOW DID YOU MEET: We met in 1998 at Bournemouth University. We were close friends throughout our 4 years courses and remained friends once we graduated in 2002. We finally got our act together in August 2004 and confessed our feelings for one another and started our relationahip!

HOW DID HE PROPOSE: Ben proposed in May 2009 on Sandbanks Beach, Dorset.  We had finished work, it was a beautiful sunny evening and we went to the beach for fish and chips!  Ben pulled out a bottle of champagne and a little box with my beautiful ring inside.

Carla and Ben got married in Castelfiorentino Town Hall on 11th September 2010 and had reception at Castello di Marcialla where they and their guests stayed.

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

Any wedding planner worth their salt not only puts their heart and soul into making their clients big day as memorable and spectacular as possible but is also prepared for every eventuality.

Each wedding comes with its moments of madness – The dress splits, the Groom spills red wine down his tie and the heavens open just as the bride steps out of her carriage. Never fear though, for Erica Bellini, wedding planner and creator of Tuscan dreams, is here to help.

She has been planning weddings in Tuscany for over 10 years, so has had plenty of experience of wedding mishaps. Here she gives every bride a few tips to solve any last minute disasters and make proceedings run as smoothly as possible.

Erica has a huge bag of props that becomes heavier by the year and her dream of becoming just like Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner has come true. However, unlike the film, not everything can run according to plan and that is where Erica steps in. “I have an endless amount of equipment which grows after every wedding” she says. “If someone has forgotten or broken something it’s my job to save the day”.

Here are some of the items Erica keeps in her wedding first aid kit in case of a nuptial emergency:

· Nail repair glue – This will always save a bride on the brink of tears, as every girl knows you aren’t finished without a full set of perfect nails.

· A little box with buttons and safety pins – These little beauties can provide a quick fix and hold together an outfit in a matter of seconds.

· Cushion (or pillow for wedding rings) – In case the best man forgets (and they often do!)

· Pretty umbrella – To protect the bride from a sudden downpour.

· Lighters for candles – Candles are a popular theme at weddings and so often there are many to light!

· Bottle of fresh water and a sugar cube – “Once a guest fainted right in the middle of the ceremony because of the Tuscan heat. Sugar and water have never been so useful!” says Erica.

· Stain remover – “At one wedding in the beautiful Tuscan square of Siena, just before the bridal party entered the town hall a pigeon flew overhead. You can imagine what happened next. Thankfully the bride saw it as good luck!”

· Hair spray/grips – Not every bride has a hair dresser on hand, especially if getting married abroad, so this will help if the weather isn’t great.

· Needle, thread and scissors – Probably the most important items you will have in your kit says Erica. “The mother of one bride burnt a hole in the flower girls dress. We sewed on an orchid corsage to cover the burn and the dress looked even prettier”.

As Erica continues to plan and create more and more beautiful weddings every year, she continues to expand her ever growing wedding first aid kit. “My husband says that my next car should be a lorry so I’m able to carry everything with me that I might need for a wedding emergency!” says Erica. If she continues to solve every bride’s worst nightmare it may be a good investment!