Italian Wedding Traditions
7 Romantic Italian Wedding Traditions
Weddings in Italy are alluring on so many levels thanks to the country’s perfect climate, very warm welcome - not to mention the most sensational food and drink! Undoubtedly, Italy also offers some of the most picturesque landscapes and romantic settings in the world, making the most perfect backdrop for your dream destination wedding.
Getting married in Italy comes with the opportunity to embrace Italian wedding traditions, and today I'm here to encourage you to do exactly that. So, let’s adopt the 'when in Rome' attitude and add some extra Italian magic to your destination wedding celebrations.
The night before…
For your final night as fidanzati, Italian wedding tradition dictates that you should spend the night apart. As a wedding planner in Italy, I encourage my couples to indulge in some relaxed time the night before with an intimate group of family (or friends) and an early night to ensure enough beauty sleep for the big day ahead. The morning of the wedding is always a buzz of excitement and nerves, so enjoy this peaceful time to prepare yourself for one of the most important days of your lives. Butterflies come guaranteed!
La Serenata
This is undoubtedly one of my favourite Italian wedding traditions, and definitely one for the more romantic amongst you!
The night before the wedding, the groom arrives underneath the bride’s window or balcony and serenades her with a romantic song. A trio or quartet of live musicians add to the atmosphere for those grooms who lack the confidence to sing a cappella. It’s a fun and romantic moment which often involves family and friends being in attendance too!
THE SWEETEST THING
Confetti in Italian has a slightly different meaning to what we know to be confetti in English. Rather than being a shower of flower petals or coloured paper scattered over the bride and groom, in Italian the word actually refers to the traditional sugared almonds (so if you ask for confetti in Italy this is what you will get!) Sugared almonds, or confetti, appear on the confettata. This is a delicious dessert table that features at the reception, where sugared almonds of every flavour imaginable are put into decorative glass jars and form one of many sweet treats for guests. And as for the post ceremony shower - Italians traditionally throw rice instead, which symbolises both fertility and prosperity.
Bonboniere
Continuing the sweet theme are bonboniere: Italy's take on wedding favours. Sugared almonds (yes, they are back again) are often clustered in five in small bags as wedding favours and represent health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life. However, other ideas can include miniature bottles of limoncello or delectable artisan sweets or even small lemon scented soaps!
golden moments
There's no doubt that getting married in Italy will be filled with these, but Italian wedding traditions suggest that your accessories shouldn't be made of gold! Gold jewellery is reported to bring bad luck for the bride. Similarly, no one should wear white but the bride herself.
Bacio, bacio!
'You may now kiss the bride' isn't the only moment that a kiss features in Italian wedding traditions. As the festivities get underway and the wine starts to flow, guests may cheer and shout 'Bacio, bacio!' at the newlyweds. This translates as 'kiss, kiss' and the bride and groom must oblige with a kiss, resulting in a large cheer! This tradition is a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to join in the celebrations and laughter.
Eat, drink and be merry
As you might imagine of Italian culture, fine food and wine play a huge role in destination weddings in Italy. The courses should be abundant, delicious and flow slowly - one after the other - long into the evening. This is a time to feast, and in Italy they do it in style! Local wines are paired perfectly with the menu and the cost of the day is always taken care of by the couple and their families. Hosting is important in Italy. Guests should feel welcome to relax and enjoy all that is on offer - without a cost attached.
A marriage of music, flavour and romance, these seven Italian wedding traditions will bring authenticity and emotion to your celebrations. Which would you choose to feature in your wedding in Italy?