More kind words about us...

When it came to planning, Stefania was knowledgeable, attentive to details and extremely responsive. She always had a solution for our sometimes-outlandish requests and handled any roadblocks we came across with extreme professionalism and grace. For example, we were originally bringing a florist over to Italy from New York to handle all of the event design/florals. A few weeks before the wedding, our florist fell through. Within a few days, Stefania had a backup plan in place and our florals ended up being some of the most beautiful arrangements we have ever seen! We continue to get compliments about them to this day. I’ve always been told that planning a wedding isn’t easy, but Stefania ensured we were at ease throughout the entire process.

When we arrived in Italy for our wedding weekend, we knew we were in good hands with Stefania which allowed us to relax and enjoy the time with our family and friends instead of worrying about the details. Even when it poured on our wedding day, Stefania calmly walked us through all of our options and ensured a seamless event for us and all of our guests!

We can’t thank her and the DIW team for all their hard work in making our big day a true success!

Thank you for making our dreams come true!

Ana and Justin

Raffaela was particularly good at being realistic with us - if something was a possibility she would let us know and if not, she would tell us straight away so we didn't waste time and energy thinking about it - I valued this highly! Similarly, I really appreciated being able to speak to Rosanna directly when Raffaela was away, regarding Delizia to get her genuine opinion, straight talking is very important!

The team on the day were also excellent - Antonella and Raffaela in particular did a fantastic job making sure everything was running smoothly and I really felt that they both genuinely cared about the success of our event. Guido thanked Raffaela in his speech and that was truly meant. We also loved your contributions to our guest book and through the photo booth, we are so glad you enjoyed it too!!

Villa Corsini
We absolutely adored Villa Corsini and I genuinely can't think of a more beautiful setting for our wedding ceremony, reception, dinner and party - it was absolutely first class and I know that our guests were wowed. We also found the owners and their staff really friendly when we visited and appreciated being able to deliver our champagne a few days before the event. 

Florals
I do not have enough good words for Fiore all'occhiello. They are absolute artists and made my floral dreams come true! They went above and beyond on the day, and in realising our vision (lots of flowers everywhere!) beforehand and I just can't thank them enough - true genius, everything was beyond perfect!

Catering
On the day, La Delizia were absolutely fabulous. I cannot tell you how many wonderful compliments we had about all the food and drink. Everything was delicious, elegant and authentically Italian. Rosanna was absolutely right that there was absolutely nothing to lose in choosing them as our caterer!

Particular highlights included the smoking Aperol spritzes and deluxe bar in general (we were so impressed by what was on offer), the mozzarella bar and cold cuts station, the seated meal and especially the primi and the millefoglie - a true highlight of the day for us. The gelato cart was also such a huge hit with our guests (just as Raffaela had said it would be!)

We also had such fun when we visited their studio, a real treat and we were really pleased that the food on the day was just as good as what we had tasted in much smaller portions many months before. The catering staff were also incredibly professional and the maitre'd was second to none - we will thank them personally when we receive our thank your cards as their hard work made our day.

Alma
What can we say, we LOVED Alma and Alberto in particular! We trusted him and he did not disappoint us. He was very helpful and we really appreciated him skypeing with Guido after we had met with him at the villa, not to mention the suggestions he made (all of which were fabulous) and his flexibility on pricing for the piano shell and the saxophonist - special touches that helped make the day even better. We really cannot recommend Alma enough. Again, we had so many compliments about the music and the band in particular, everything Alberto did was just wonderful!

Hair & Make Up
I just wanted to say that Adrienne is very very talented. As you know, my hair trial did not exactly go according to plan and so the style I ended up with was done from scratch based on a recommendation from one of Adrienne's team. It was beautiful and I loved it as well as the hair (and make up) for my bridesmaids. 5* and worth every penny!

Photo & Video
We really enjoyed working with the photographers and videographers on the day - they put us both at ease and we genuinely forgot they were there after the formal shots were done which is exactly what we wanted. We can't wait to see the final versions of the photos and video - we know how talented Andrea and Denis are and that we will love their work.

Our wedding day was fabulous- I can’t believe you managed to organise everything just as I wanted. It was so romantic. We had a wonderful, relaxing day and were looked after from start to finish. Junko was great- there when you needed her and took all the pressure off us- we were able to sit back and enjoy the day- thank you so much x

Everybody had a fabulous day-  the food was excellent; the ravioli received lots of compliments, and the wedding cake was out of this world. 

The Photographers, Rossini, were lovely and made us feel at ease throughout the day. They clicked away from the moment they arrived - so excited to see the final photos! 

Hair and makeup was great, listened to what we wanted, there in plenty of time so no big rush getting ready.

The String quartet were great- very talented and played throughout the cocktail hour- created a great atmosphere for everyone x

Thank you again to everyone at Distinctive Italy Weddings for the most amazing day, your patience with all of my questions, requests, last minute changes etc.. you really have been great and we appreciate everything you have done for us. We can’t thank you enough.

Mr and Mrs Cook

I am going to miss the planning! If you ever need an American on staff keep me in mind. ;) Our dream is to move to Italy. 

Thanks again! Sending our best! Sarah & Greg 

From the groom.

I am expressing Sarah’s thoughts as well. Sarah you and your team were absolutely fantastic!  Be so happy to let any prospective clients a full run down to how amazing you and your team are!

Best,

Greg

We were both extremely happy with all the services you/DIW provided; from Andrea to the DJ, as well as your help with general recommendations, to getting the documents translated. 

The location, you already know our feelings about, but as soon as we first went to the Castle, we both knew that was where we wanted to spend our wedding day. When we went back in April, we knew September would be perfect and all our guests would love the venue as much as we do. We’ll most definitely be going back when possible. All the staff at the castle were brilliant and couldn’t have asked for more from them. 

We’d both be happy to be a reference for other couples wanting to get married abroad or use your services, so please let us know if you need any at all.

As we’ve never planned another wedding we can’t say anything about planning one in England on our own, but it was a huge weight off our minds having you there to support us with decision making or queries we had. So I guess you could say it was much less stressful with your help ? 

Thanks so much Sarah, it was a pleasure having you there with us on the day.

Many Thanks,

Ailsa & Neil 

Paola, our wedding coordinator, was fantastic! She was so kind and helpful, we were able to not stress about anything on our wedding. We couldn’t thank her enough either!

I didn't know what to expect from my hair and make-up since I didn’t do a trial run but both were such professionals it was exactly what I was hoping for. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on my hair and makeup! I really did feel beautiful!

The flowers... Wow, wow,wow! When I saw my bouquet I fell in love with it! It was so beautiful I couldn’t stop staring at it! The boutonnière was made to match my bouquet and was perefect. 

We ordered a flower arch and matching rose petals for the aisle. The arch exceeded my expectations and was Gorgeous! The florists did such an amazing job, I was trying to figure out a way to take it all back home with me! Lol

The venue at the Giardini Principessa in Ravello was perfect for the two of us. What a spectacular view! The view from the garden was breathtaking. The town itself is very quaint and romantic I’m so happy with our decision to get married there.

We chose a classical Guitarist to play at the ceremony and requested if he could play a special song for us. He did a perfect job! It gave me goosebumps walking down to meet my future husband while he played our special song for us!

Our photographer rocked! We felt so lucky to have gotten Domenico for our photographer. He made us so comfortable and captured exactly the artistic photos we were looking for. We can’t wait to see the them all!

After the ceremony we had our dinner together at the Belmond Caruso Restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was impeccable. We had the restaurant make us a small wedding cake. It was a white fondant cake with layers of pastry filled with cream and strawberries. Beautiful and delicious! 

We had such a great wedding day and want to say thank you for everything! We left Italy with huge smiles on our faces and are still smiling! 

If there is anyway we can be of assistance to you all (acting as references etc), please dont hesitate to reach out. 

Thank you again!!!! Wish you both nothing but the best!

FROM THE GROOM

Hi Rosanna - thank you so much, it was truly incredible. I would rate DIW a 5 in all categories, you and Raffaela were fantastic, and everything went so smoothly. We thought the food, staff, scenery and florals at the Castle were all spectacular. Alma was really amazing. 

I would be more than happy to be a reference for you. Grazie Mille!

Ciao,

Tim

Everyone we know has said it was the most beautiful wedding they have ever been to, and that’s a phenomenal compliment considering some of these guests are in their 60’s. You have set the bar so high for any wedding we attend that I can only imagine my beautiful wife and I whispering into each other’s ears saying “well it sure doesn’t top our wedding”!  (And I’m sooo fine with that :)).

From the sitar and tabla players setting the stage during our Hindu ceremony, to the jazz band serenading us with the Girl from Ipanema during ravioli appetizers, we continued to float through each night like our feet never touched the surface. Your vendors, such as the photographer and videographer had such personalities that they made us shine in moments of embarrassment or anxiety. They were patient with us and asked us what we wanted, but directed us when we needed structure. We could not have asked for more in Villa Oliviero. It’s quintessential backdrop of Positano and our colorful procession up its steep stairs; we have too many sensational moments to memorialize.

We wanted to make sure that we do whatever you might need of us. Can we offer a review of your services, or something that you could request in return for all your hard work and coordination?  We would be honored to give back in a way that might benefit Distinctive Italy Weddings if it means writing a testimonial or offering up photos of the event.

Please do suggest what works and we will absolutely consider it. We are indebted to you for making our most special day more than we could have ever imagined.

With so much love,

Pooja and Justin

We have received nothing but compliments on every aspect of the day from our guests, the beautiful church and venue, the amazing floral arrangements, the food, the lighting, the cake, the fireworks were a huge hit and the entertainment/ music was the highlight! 

The band were amazing, better than we could have imagined and they were so friendly. They learned and played some songs from my Spotify "favourites" playlist for the aperitif hour which we thought was a really cool thing for them to do. They were an amazing wedding band and we would recommend them highly to anyone. 

A special thanks to Raffaela for encouraging us to go with a saxophone player alongside the DJ. He completely stole the show and kept everyone up dancing all night. I think we might be seeing more sax players at Irish weddings in the future after this.

Galateo were amazing. They are such a professional set up and their attention to even the smallest of details was obvious on the day. The courtyard for dinner looked stunning, the table design/layout and the lighting was so eye catching and beautiful. The food was even more delicious than we had remembered from the tasting and all the staff were so friendly and helpful. All the little extras went down a treat, the gin bar proved to be very popular during the aperitif hour and it was exactly how we wanted it. I unfortunately didn't get to taste anything from the crepe and gelato stands, (too busy dancing) but heard plenty of reports that they were really good. The bar was also really well stocked so there was no chance of our guests going thirsty or hungry at all throughout the night :)

Everyone commented on how beautiful the wedding cake was and they all really enjoyed watching it being made. We would definitely recommend your future clients choose this over a standard tiered wedding cake.

Galateo's service was definitely a 10/10 for us.

The flowers were unbelievably beautiful. The florist was so generous, I wasn't expecting the arrangements to be so large. The church looked so elegant, we really couldn't have imagined it any better. I took my bouquet on honeymoon with me as it was just too beautiful to leave behind. I can't remember the florists name but he was really sweet on the day and even fixed Paudie a new boutonniere before dinner as his had been a little squashed from hugs :)  10/10

Alma Project also did an amazing job with the lighting and music. The dinner reception lighting was gorgeous and like i said earlier, the music was a total highlight. 10/10. 

Did Alma also organise the fireworks? These were so much better than we had ever thought they could be. The show was amazing and I can't stop looking at my friends videos of it.

I think all these things were made so amazing because of the beautiful venue. Castello di Vincigliata has a special place in our hearts now. It was so stunning on the day, luckily the weather held off so we got to enjoy it to full effect.

None of this would have been possible without all of you lovely ladies at Distinctive Italy Weddings, everyone we met or spoke to on this journey was so kind, friendly and helpful.

You took all our thoughts, ideas and dreams for this day and made them an amazing reality. Everything on the day far exceeded any expectations we had. We literally had the best day of our lives.

A special thank you has to go to Raffaela. You gave honest opinions and amazing advice. Your hard work and the stress you were put under to rearrange everything when the time was changed at such short notice was very much appreciated. You also had great patience when we took a little longer than we should have to respond to emails so thanks for that :) The fact that myself and Paudie felt little or no stress throughout the whole planning process is a sign of how amazing you all are at doing this job. 

We would highly rate and recommend Distinctive Italy Weddings to any couple considering planning a wedding in Italy. You're highly professional and you appear to have great working relationships with vendors who are also of the highest standard. You were always available with experienced advice, easy to talk to and above all, everyone we dealt with in DIW was so friendly and kind. We would be more than willing to act as a reference for other couples if you need it.

Thank you both so much for helping to make our dream day a reality.

Lots of love,

Mr & Mrs O'Reilly ;)

xxx

 I would have expected to rent buses to bring our guests to different areas but Montegufoni had so much in it, that no-one got bored and everyone really loved discovering new places in it. Everyone loved their rooms and the pool area made for a great common area. The owner was wonderful, to the point that we thought he was the hotel manager until we asked him; he checked in every day to make sure everything was ok and he and his staff were super attentive and fun (the chef partied with us on the dancefloor first night!). The food was flawless and the wedding cake was many guests' 'favourite dessert ever'. We'll definitely be returning to Montegufoni.

The celebrant

We had so many comments from people to say that it was the most romantic ceremony that they'd ever been to, and that was all down to Andrea. I've never seen my friends cry so much before! We loved the rituals he suggested to us and he managed to keep the ceremony really personal. He brought so much love to the day, that I'm just sorry we didn't get to thank him properly on the day.

Music, lights & flowers

The Ale Fusco band were fantastic and they did a great job opening up the dancefloor on the first night - we loved them. The sax player did a great job and lots of people said their highlight was dancing to song he played as we entered in for dinner. The mixtape were one of my highlights for sure, so I'm glad we took the risk (though I probably wouldn't recommend others do!) and Guty e Simone were great on the Sunday too. The lighting worked really well on the day, especially in the courtyard for dinner. The flowers were beautiful and I was so happy they were able to make an archway for the ceremony in the end.

Photo/videographer/make-up

They were all great on the day (though we started the make-up an hour later than planned) and we're looking forward to seeing the results!

We were really grateful to be in such good hands with you all through the planning process, through to making decorations the day before the wedding, and all through the day itself. You made sure everything ran smoothly and we and our guests simply couldn't have asked for a more beautiful, more fun weekend. We really are still buzzing from the whole thing and I think my Dad is still in shock from all the love and beauty! Thanks for tending to our every task and allowing us to fuss over small details! You helped us smile and laugh all weekend and we genuinely have no regrets at all. 

I hope that helps - let us know if we can clarify anything at all.

My best friend just got engaged so I'm trying to convince her to go back to Italy! I'll let you know if I can persuade her ;)

Caitriona

Everything turned out better than we could of have hoped for and it was like being in a fairytale. Throughout the weekend we were asked how we found this hidden gem and heard people saying it was like something from a magazine. They were blown away by the beauty of the venue.

The food was delicious, the cake was incredible and the saxophonist was truly wonderful!!

We often told you how much the music meant to us and worried about the dj - there was no need as the party was great and our friends and family danced all night. The next day we all sat together laughing about each other's dance moves. My father said that he didn't want the night to end - which is a rare thing!! I do not think there are words to express how truly grateful we are for having you as our wedding planner, choosing distinctive italy weddings was the first step towards our incredible day!! A massive thank you to your team and all who helped on the day including your assistant, who was also complimented by many.

We would not hesitate to recommend you all.

A great big hug and lots of love from Gabriella and Paolo xx

1. Venue: L'Andana was denifitely the best place in the entire world we could possible have our wedding. It was even prettier than the pictures you showed. Those landscapes and hills and olive groves and vineyards... during our morning jogs around the property we would wonder how fortunate we were to have ended up there. Because none of it was in the pictures. The property is absolutely gorgeous, rooms are dreamy, towels, beds, pillows and bathrobes are so fluffy... their spa is amazing and we loved how all of our days were concentrated around the pool. Our families and guests gathered there and we truly felt at home. So thank you for understanding the spirit of where we would like to celebrate our weekend and for being able to convert it into the perfect venue.
2. Service: we are still in complete awe with the L'Andana staff. They were always present, no matter how late we went to sleep and how early we woke up, always super kind and thoughtful, happy and perky. We were treated like royalty and are very thankful for their kindness. And of course your wedding planning services were just as spotless and remarkable - you were tireless and definitely the perfect planner for us. Always so kind and understanding with our crazy schedule and senseles requests, going out of your way so many times to make us happy. We appreciate so much all you've done for us!
3. Food:  oh my god, the food! Everything was perfect and delicious, even for me as a celiac! So thanks once again for making sure even my part of the meals was taken care of, this means a lot to me. But speaking generally, everything was really stuff of the dreams. From breakfast everyday that had all delicious options possible, to the canapés in the cocktail and the pizza which was the most delicious crust everyone has ever had, to the gala dinner that was absolutely amazing (by the way I've never had ravioli - seriously, nobody was ever able to make me gluten free ravioli. this was unbelievable!!). All our guests and family are still complimenting every single detail of the food until today. 
4. Wine: I particularly LOVED their vermentino. Can't get over it. I really didn't expect much of it, so it exceeded all expectations by far! 
5. Band: this was such a HUGE success! It is actually hard to point out one single aspect of the weekend that was the biggest success, but the band was definitely among it. So thank you so much for your efforts on sourcing it! Their playlist was perfect, and I could tell they worked hard to play most of the songs we requested, even if they didn't know them (we saw them reading the lyrics while they sang, that was too cute!!). 
6. Decor: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! it was a dream to see everything as we walked by. all sights were simply perfect. it's too bad that things go by so fast. i wish those days could go by in slow motion so i could enjoy how pretty  and perfect everything was. i can't wait to see the pictures!! 

Yes, do list our emails as references. We will be happy to help.

In sum, everything was absolutely perfect. We can't thank you enough!

Oh and you have my mother's total approval as a wedding planner and mother of the bride. She loved everything and said she wouldn't have done a better job herself!

Once again, grazie mille!

Marcella and Thiago

I wanted to give a speech but I was a little too emotional at the reception so I let Marco do it, but I really wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time and care to plan this very extensive 3 day wedding for us. 

I know it wasn't easy, it required a lot of time, a lot of attention to detail, and you and your team managed to pull it off seamlessly!

We were very happy to work with Distinctive Italy and we would definitely recommend it to future couples in a heartbeat so you can definitely use our e-mails as reference!

I have family and friends who tell me that this is the best wedding they have been to and this makes us so happy and it is something you should be proud of, because all the hard work, the long e-mails, the phone calls, chasing the florists... :) It all paid off and it was magnificent and we really hope that you got to enjoy it alongside us! 

Regarding the vendors (Florist, DJ and Dhol player)

We were very happy with the way Alessandro worked. As a bride, I noticed the extra's he added and it was very much appreciated. He did a great job!

As for the DJ and Dhol player, I have family and friends telling me they have never enjoyed a wedding this much in their entire lives. The dhol player was excellent.. and DJ Lorenzo is a great guy who worked very well with me. People didn't want to stop dancing so mission accomplished!

Catering

La Delizia impressed us in a very special way and we would definitely recommend them to future couples!

…..we are so happy we found DIW, so happy we found YOU and we couldn't be happier to be married and to have you be a part of this special moment....

I must admit a big part of me still misses e-mailing you late at night about the wedding, so I think I really like planning weddings....! Maybe I'll join your team one day who knows! hahah

With that said, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the amazing experience and memories you have given us.

Lots of love,

Bhavna & Marco

Alessandro and his team really make fairytales come alive and I was totally blown away with his floral transformation of each space. It was beyond what I imagine and created with your help and guidance. One of my clearest memories was when Raffaela took me alone into our marquis before we let guests come in. I was filled with so much emotion I couldn't hold the tears back. The entire room was filled with the smell of fresh roses, hydrangeas and orchids. It was truly a dream come true!

Welcome dinner:
This was absolutely the right choice to host our welcome event. I am so glad we cancelled with Loft and moved it here. The food was phenomenal. Everyone loved the risotto and pasta. Open bar service was excellent as well. It was a perfect layout for our families to meet, catch up and get to know one another. The space was also perfect for 80-100 people. They laid out the seating and tables very well. Being able to see outside was also lovely on a rainy evening.

Villa Geno:
We are very happy with our venue choice and the decor and over all service was very good! Everyone catered to our guests and were very friendly and polite. Please extend our thanks for Alice, Giorgio, and Yuri (I think that was the Manager's name that night). We did not get a chance to thank our officiant in person after the wedding ceremony, if you speak to him again please pass along our gratitude!
• Aperitivo & buffet: I only saw photos of the buffet a month later, but let me say they were fantastic! Every single guest told me over and over how amazing the set up was and abundant the food was. They had 3rds if not 4ths! I love the bar set up and seating area! The high bistro tables were a perfect addition too. We did need them, I saw they were all used! In the beginning there was no white wine being served but Matthias and Raffaela sorted it out so quickly it was great!

Florals:
Alessandro and his team created stunning settings and were on point with our vision. I was so pleased and didn't imagine the floral design would be so lush and spectacular. Alessandro and his team were so lovely to work with and meet. It's a huge part of the wedding budget but I do see this value and he blew us away.

How was the day after at Lido di Bellagio?
Lido di Bellagio was a great spot to host the welcome brunch. We just wish we could have picked it up and moved it to Como. lol. It is quite a distance to get to (especially hung over by car!) But it was a great venue. The GM and the staff were very kind and assisted us with whatever we needed.

We feel that Rosanna & Raffaela definitely provided the best suggestions, feedback and knowledge to assist us with making any decisions we weren't 100% decided on. Our wedding day was above and beyond expectation and we were so grateful for everyone's help on the day of. Rita was also perfect for me to have before the ceremony. She was perfect to ensure all the girls were ready to go and kept me calm!
Yes, would absolutely be happy to be a reference! Please use my contact and not Matthias'
I've already had ladies in the USA reach out to me asking me how the service was. I gave great info and feedback!

I hope this feedback is useful!! Thank you again soo much for making one of the most memorable days in our lives the happiest! ❤

Jamie and Matthias

Quality of Service - 5 all around

• Responsiveness - Stefania always got back to me within a day of me emailing her with questions. She always had answers to my questions and was very patient with providing me with multiple options. I found her emails very helpful and clear and looked forward to waking up to an email from her nearly every morning :-). Once we were in Italy she always answered my phone calls right away. Also, Rosanna was very helpful in responding quickly when I was having issues with the Italian consulate in LA. I'm very grateful for the help I received with regard to the documents needed for the civil ceremony. 
• Professionalism - As I said, Stefania was excellent. Always very professional and kind and I could tell she was very patient with all of my requests and questions. The day of the wedding she was very professional and helpful and attended to every detail I asked her to with great care. She helped ensure that everything was perfect at both the civil ceremony and the symbolic ceremony.
• Value - Given the amazing wedding that we had and the fact that everything went smoothly with our paperwork for the civil ceremony, this was a great value. I would pay that again without hesitation. 
• Flexibility - I felt that every suggestion or desire I had was accepted and Stefania did her best to make everything exactly as I wished it to be. She was really wonderful!! 

Casa Degli Spiriti - of course, outstanding! We were absolutely in love with the restaurant. The view was magnificent. Everyone was so impressed with the food. The duck in particular had people swooning. Many of our guests said that the wedding cake was the best cake they've ever had! I for one loved the dessert buffet. Sara was fantastic and I could tell she was happy to accommodate all of our requests. I would recommend the venue to anybody without any hesitation - it was truly fantastic. I'm SO happy that we chose Casa Degli Spiriti.

Yasmin was wonderful! She was so patient and sweet and carefully listened to exactly how I wanted my hair and makeup done. She even bought me the lipstick and lip pencil she used so I could refresh it during the reception. I love how she did my makeup and my mother and sister looked gorgeous as well.

Flowers were amazing! Everyone complimented the flower arch and the bouquets and button holes were exactly as I had pictured.

Harpist - the music was lovely and everyone was gushing about how nice the harp music was in the setting.

Piano, sax and violin -all were very lovely.

Thank you for making the wedding of my dreams a reality!

Lisa

Here are some thoughts and impressions:

Pre-Wedding Party

This went really well – everyone really enjoyed the food and the wines. It was a great way to break the ice and get different groups mingling.

Joost and his team were excellent. He even laid on some mini deserts which were also delicious, especially the crème brulee!

We would definitely come back here for other parties or even as a smaller group, or just the two of us.

Varenna

Such a beautiful place – such spectacular views and idyllic setting, with beautiful architecture and gardens. It has a lovely, relaxing feel to it.

Small enough to allow lots of impromptu meet-ups in the many cafes and bars on the waterfront – it was great fun being there for an extended stay with our wedding guests.

Great range of accommodation for guests – a lot of our guests rented apartments/houses which worked out well for them as they were staying in family/friendship groups.

The Hotel du Lac is fantastic – we loved staying there. It’s so quiet and relaxing with great views. The staff are so friendly as well. We had a great suite/room with a large terrace. My parents and my brother and his family also stayed here, they also throught it was fabulous.

Villa Cipressi

Excellent – from the staff to the food to the back-drop – we cannot fault this venue.

David the manager was very friendly and easy to work with, also very calm and collected.

The food – everyone loved the food, it was delicious – an excellent and plentiful aperitivo buffet, and then the multi-course dinner which was fantastic.

The wine – this was also very high quality, and everyone enjoyed it a lot. We did have some reservations at the menu tasting in April, but I think it was because we had the tasting at midday, and had not eaten anything before-hand. It might be better to start the wine tasting after some of the food?

We loved the ceremony location, in a very nice shaded area right by the lake.

All the staff were lovely – very professional yet friendly – they got the balance just right.

The Wedding

Beautiful - The mayor was very good, he struck the right level of seriousness. We really appreciated the book and the scroll that he presented to us as a memento of the ceremony.

On-Site Co-ordinator - Angela was super – very calm and collected, as well as being friendly. Angela did a great job at translating during the ceremony and injected a sense of light-heartedness to the proceedings which we really appreciated. Everything ran very smoothly. She even popped into a shop on the way to the boat to buy some water for the kids who were getting really thirsty as it was such a warm day.

Suppliers:

Hair – Pamela was great, very patient and excellent at up-dos. She was very accommodating when I changed my mind (this was completely my fault as she gave me plenty of opportunity to say so at the time!). On the day she was very calm, professional and friendly – I was very pleased with my hair.

Makeup – Again, Veronica was great – I loved my wedding makeup, it was exactly what I had asked for, classic and natural yet still polished. She was also really friendly and even put a bit of lip gloss on my little bridesmaids.

Flowers – Beautiful flowers –  I loved my bouquet, which also had a wonderful scent from the freesias. It was a bit of a shame that none of the agapanthus had opened before the wedding, but it didn’t detract from the overall look. The table flowers and other arrangements were also beautiful. However, the flowers were delivered pretty late, as we understand they missed their boat, so this a bit rushed.

Musicians – Wow – excellent – they really enhanced the overall feel and emotion of the wedding.

Photographer – Dani and Stefano were both first-class – very good at knowing where the best spots to take photos were, also very calm and friendly. We have seen a few of the photos which Dani has posted on Facebook, which we love. We are looking very much forward to seeing the rest! Do you know when we can expect to receive these? Dani offered download or memory-stick, and I chose memory stick, so she will need our address - I think she was going to get this from you.

Boat Ride – This was great fun, everyone really enjoyed the boat ride.

Favours – Looked great and were delicious, although the ribbons weren’t silver as requested, but were gold/champagne.

Lavandaria Silver – Thank you for recommending them – they did a great job with my dress, and were very flexible, which I greatly appreciated.

We would rate DIW very highly:

• Quality of Service: 5
• Responsiveness: 5
• Professionalism: 5
• Value: 5
• Flexibility: 5

Very best wishes, Helen and Darren.