Wedding Blog

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams- 

Like any other wedding item flowers are subject to trends. Ivory is off course the colour that strikes to your mind when you think about weddings. But why not adding a splash of colour to your wedding ?  Fashion industry has a big impact on flowers colour trend so check the colour that are fashion in the highstreet add them to your bouquet.
As you might guess 2009 flower trends will be a touch of purple flowers.
Here are a few purple flowers to add a bit of glamour to your bouquet.

 -lysianthus
 -agapanthus
 -sweet peas
 -hydrangea

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams- 

Money matters: Priorities and write a list of what is more important to you. For example if flowers play a huge role in making the day special to create atmosphere then go for it and save on the bridal car. Don’t make the mistake to try and save on every item because you will not be satisfied in the end since you ill have compromised on things that you cared for. Remember to save on things that don’t really matter to you.

Here are the items on which you might like to save -

1. TRANSPORT
2. ACCOMMODATION
3. WEDDING DATE
4. WEDDING CAKE
5. PHOTOGRAPHER
6. FLOWERS

SAVE ON TRANSPORTATION:
Have guests stay where the venue is so that you save on transportation (which is an expensive item on an Italian budget).
Bridal car: instead of hiring a car with driver for the day, hire a nice car (say a convertible or a nice Alfa Romeo – since you are in Italy) for the entire week so that you can maximize its use. You can then ask a friend to drive it on the day.

SAVE ON ACCOMMODATION:
Hire a large villa or a farmhouse where you can also have a wedding. Some villas do not charge an extra fee to have the wedding since they will have the weekly rental. They might charge a minimal fee for cleaning and re-ordering the villa after a party.
If you have guests stay in a hotel and you hire a separate venue for the day, say a castle, you will be charged a venue wedding fee on top of accommodation. You can save a lot plus for you and your guests it will turn into a lovely holiday.

HAVE THE WEDDING MID WEEK as opposed to a Saturday. You can hire a large villa from Saturday to Saturday, have the wedding any day from Sunday to Thursday. You will have more available suppliers and they sometimes charge also less.

SAVE ON THE WEDDING CAKE:
go for the traditional Italian wedding cake (Millefoglie – layers of puff pastry and fresh vanilla cream with either chocolate chips or Fresh strwberries). The cost is sometimes 50% less than a wedding cake in the UK. On top of this Italian confectionary, however excellent they might be, they excel in Italian cakes. Trying to reproduce an English cake, you might end up spending more and not having what you really wanted. For example, icing: no Italian cake has icing which means that they only do icing for non-Italians who request it.

 SAVE ON PHOTOGRAPHER:
advice: unless you have a friend or family who is a professional photographer do not count on friends taking snapshots. Wedding Photos is what you will have to look at in 20 years time to show your children. Make sure you get a pro to do the job. The photographer will make sure that you don’t miss out on all the crucial moments aside from having beautiful photos guarantee.
One way to save on the photography is to have CD of photos and not have prints with a big leather album. You can decide to buy a photo album at a later stage and stick the photos in the album yourself.

HOW TO SAVE ON FLOWERS:
-Use seasonal flowers and local flowers which will be a lot cheaper than imported from Holland or out of season flowers. In the summer months when flowers are at its lowest production, you can always find Gerberas and certain types of Roses.
Remember that in Italy is a lot warmer than in the UK so the flowering time is a lot shorter than in the UK.

-if flowers rank at the top of  your wedding budget and you really like to have the venue and church/town hall very rich with flowers, then make sure that you pick a date whenyour flowers are in season. For example, Peonies are gorgeous flowers but have a very limited season in Tuscany (May) or Hydrangea (June), then it is worth getting married in the period that they are in season.

-If you have really set your heart on a flower and it happens to be out of season or you can only make a wedding on a certain date, then spend a little more on flowers for the bridal party (bridal bouquet, bridesmaids, buttonholes and corsage) which will also appear on all the photos, and then for the church/ceremony and for the reception choose either a similar flower altogether or have a predominance of a seasonal matching flower and just a touch of your favourite one.

-Use local herbs such as rosemary, sage (they both have beautiful flowers in their flowering time); Fresh lavender when in flower. All the above will give a lovely scent to your flower composition and a very reasonably priced!

-maximise the use of flowers: RE-USE flowers on the day: example:
The flower composition from the town hall should be easily transportable (in a wicker basket for example – no water - ) and of size that can be easily put in a carby one of the guests or by the wedding planner. This composition can then be re-used for the canapés table when guests get back to the villa. Then when the canapés are over, this composition can be pulled apart and re-used to decorate the cake or placed on the open bar table in the evening.

-spend on your bouquet and save on reception flowers. For table centrepieces have some large floating flowers with many candles/t-lights.

Peonies are beautiful and May flowers

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams-

1. A reputable wedding planner will not take over your day – instead she will work with you to decide what you want them to do what (if anything) you want to do yourself. Make sure that from the first conversation you have with the wedding planner, she is the one who listens to what YOU really want.
2. Find a person who gets on with you. You will spend a good part of a year planning together and who is organising the most important day of your life. It’s therefore essential that good communication is at the fore front and that  you really trust their judgement.
3. Make sure that the planner is on your same wavelength because she will have to interpret your ideas the way you want them.
4. The best way to find a wedding planner is by word of mouth but if you want to get married abroad and don’t know anyone who did make an internet search. Of course make sure that they can give you references/contacts of previous wedding and when you meet that she can provide photographs and portfolios of previous weddings.

Using a planner will surely guarantee saving your time and stress but may actually be able to save you money because of her knowledge, expertise and negotiating powers with suppliers.

Of course the main thing to remember is the wedding plan will save you time giving you more time to spend together in a relaxing manner and also calm and peace of mind to enjoy this unique day.

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams-

1.         It’s better to spend money on one thing and have an incredible band than spend the same and have two average things

2.         Live as opposed to pre-recorded music (such as an iPod) makes a terrific difference to the party

3.         Downloading music to an iPod is the cheapest option but make sure not to over use it. For the most emotional (the ceremony) or energetic moments (evening dancing) of the wedding day make sure that you have live music to make this moments unforgettable. You can use the iPod during canapés or as background music during the sit down dinner.

4.         The quantity of entertainment should reflect the wedding party size.

5.         The type of entertainment you choose will set the tone and determine the style of your wedding.

6.         It’s a great plus to have musically talented friends or family perform during the wedding day. It will make the day unique and special.

Live music for an unforgettable day

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

1. Avoid anyone who will steal the scene
2. Choose a good friend that has shared your life in the last few years. A childhood friend might have lost touch with who you have become lately.
3. Choose a bridesmaid who can support you on the wedding and deal with any problem that might come up.
4. Choose bridesmaids that will get on with each other
5. Bridesmaids are there to help you so delegate!

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams-

1. The dress should be comfortable (you will need to spend 12 hours in it)
2. Think at shapes that flatter you. The dress should accentuate the positive and camouflage the negatives.
3. Order the dress at least 6 months before the wedding.
4. Remember to wear your wedding-day lingerie and shoes when being fitted.

- Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

1. Know where your money is coming from
2. Decide how much money you and your boyfriend can contribute
3. Make a list of your priorities (make sure you both agree on them when you talk to parents)
4. Divide up the money and decide where it will go (as a general rule catering and venue will amount to 50% of the budget)
5. Expect to go a little over budget. Everyone does! Allow for emergencies or unexpected items.

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

1. Watch your budget closely
2. If you need help – don’t be shy just ask
3. Learn from the mistakes and successes of previous friends and family (other brides are the best and most honest source of wedding information)
4. Make sure your wedding reflects yourself
5. Be relaxed if something goes wrong – chances are no-one will notice. Guests are not there to judge but to enjoy/share this occasion with you.

Top Tips for SPEECHES

-Weddings in Style by Tuscan Dreams -

1. Don’t leave things to the last minute unless you have a special gift for speeches (Don’t improvise unless you feel really confident)
2. Don’t underestimate your audience
3. Don’t forget that the speech is about the Bride and Groom – NOT about you
4. If you tell a joke ask yourself: is it actually funny (to this audience)?
5. The 5 don’ts:
-don’t look down when talking
-don’t whisper
-don’t shout
-don’t swear
-don’t improvise (unless you are really confident)

Photo by Corbin Gurkin

-Weddings in style by Tuscan Dreams

Going abroad to get married is nothing new these days, but more and more couples who do choose to hold their wedding overseas are going green.

Environmental concepts are now becoming incorporated into the usual celebrations. But if the idea of cutting back on traditional food and flowers alarms you, Italian wedding planner Erica Bellini says you can have an eco wedding without compromising on the style of your nuptials.

Erica, founder of Tuscan Dreams, says the location of your day is key. She says: “When it comes to finding somewhere for you and your guests to stay why not hold your eco wedding in a typical Tuscan farmhouse. You still have the advantage of having excellent quality accommodation and a pool but you can save a lot more money by staying in a farmhouse as opposed to a villa.”

You don’t need to be eco minded to have a green wedding. It’s a good excuse to cut down on waste, fuss and cost and have an original wedding. Take advantage of what beautiful Tuscany has to offer, especially its tasty local produce perfect for your reception. If your visitors use local amenities and support the local community it can strengthen the economy

Fresh, organic food can easily be sourced by Erica, who has extensive knowledge of the area and its local specialities after spending the last 10 years organising weddings in Italy. She says: “If your wedding is being held in or near a small town, for example, there should be plenty of local suppliers to support. By buying local, organic food you sacrifice absolutely nothing in taste and can show off the regions best produce.”

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As well as food, flowers are another vital part of your wedding. Erica says: “Be eco friendly when choosing your wedding flowers. Small plants or herbs are a great alternative, such as lavender and ivy plants, as opposed to cut flowers. They can also be given to guests as a lasting memento.”

“For flower decorations use local producers of terracotta and ceramics, which are typically Tuscan, as an alternative container for the flowers. Herbs such as rosemary and sage will give you a lovely scent to your flower composition and are very reasonably priced.”

Other important aspects of your wedding that have an eco alternative are:

•             Stationary such as invites made with fair-trade or recycled paper/card products.
•             Confetti which can be locally produced flower petals or bird friendly seeds. Real rice should be avoided as its bad for birds!

Another way of supporting the local community is to give your guests miniature bottles of extra virgin olive oil or wine produced locally or even within the grounds of the wedding villa itself. Local farms offer other produce from wine and honey to Parma ham and salami, at reasonable prices, adding that extra touch.

With celebrities Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds recently getting married at an ecologically conscious resort in Canada, the trend for green weddings may now be underway in Hollywood.

Fresh Tuscan Lavander, recycled card name place and locally produced organic scented soap