In which year did you start your wedding planning business and which reasons made you start working in this job?
I started in 2009, after having married myself in Italy as a foreigner. I fell in love at once and so deeply with this country (besides that with my husband, naturally!) that I thought it interesting and stimulating to help other people living a so special day in a so special country. Moreover, wedding organization is sometimes stressing, but certainly funny and creative and it gives you the beautiful human view of happy people starting a new life, which is every time moving and satisfactory.

Do you work alone or in a team?
I work in team with other people: my husband contributes with his best smile and hand-shaking, as a holder of the activity itself; I make the dirty work (budgets, documents, coordination etc); Francesca cares for marketing and Alexandra for our website. Last but not least: my 3 years old daughter Giulia is a wonderful assistant in bringing rings and adding some colour to the ceremony!

In which languages can you take care of your customers?
English, German and Italian

What are the main regions where you are planning weddings?
Rome, Latium, Umbria, Tuscany, Venice, Liguria, but even in the rest of Italy, on request

What are your personal favourites regarding:
a) a location for a destination wedding in your home region?
Beautiful wedding location directly on the beach or beautiful castles in Umbria or great Villas and special Borgos in Tuscany
b) a location for a destination wedding in the rest of the world?
Germany. A beautiful country. So rich of nature, story and beautiful persons! Overall Bayern!!! (I’m a Bavarian girl).
c) a location for a wedding reception in your home region?
One of the best places to have a reception is on the Umbria or Tuscany hills, perfectly responding to the image that foreigners have of Italy, but also perfect for a relaxing reception after the emotions of the ceremony. For example I had very positive experiences with "Borgo il Poggiaccio", on the Siena (Tuscany) hills
d) a location for a wedding reception in in the rest of the world?
I know that many people are very satisfied with Hawaii, arranging a sort of "wedding in Heaven", so I imagine a wonderful recepiton on a Hawaii beach, with sunset on the background
e) a country / region / hotel for a honeymoon?
Italy / Rome / Tivoli or Lake Bracciano hotels, there are a lot

Have you organised weddings for prominent people?
We naturally did, but we can't say it, due to privacy rules - we are professionals! Apart from jokes, we didn't have VIPs, but it is nice and maybe useful to know that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes married in Castello Odescalchi, on the Lake of Bracciano, which is one of the locations that we also use.

Have you organised weddings for couples from outside your country?
Yes, actually our whole work is just intended for foreigners, so we had mostly Americans and Germans, but also Austrians, Swiss, English, Irish and Dutch people

Which strengths of your company would you like to mention?
Certainly the fact that since our work in intended for foreigners, so for people having no experiences of Italy, of its bureaucracy but even its details in style, we can offer a complete package with really little effort from their side. We just understand what is their style and taste, and we prepare everything accordingly, though naturally in agreement with them.
Moreover one of our strengths is creativity: we always try to offer personalized little details (as little car models as place holders on the tables for car lovers, or pasta compositions for pasta lovers etc) or little surprises (romantic dinner on the married couple suite balcony, after the ceremony, without telling them before, or my daughter bringing rings, and wishing them all the best) which add some personal touch and complete the perfection of their day.

Could you tell us a little story about something special that you have experienced during your work as a wedding planner?
Once we organized a wedding for an American couple in a Tuscany villa, and in particular in the wine cellar, which had a particular charming structure with arches, and a wonderful parfume of must and wine (it was October) that, together with the one of the flowers for the wedding arrangements, really created a wonderful atmosphere. On every side of the room there were ancient wooden wine barrels, and just after the couple pronounced their "yes" and were about to kiss, one of the barrel plugs exploded, as if it was a bottle of champagne. It naturally was due to the fermentation of the new wine in the barrel, but it was so perfectly timing that we could joke about the fact that I had orgaized that also, and that it was our toast to the just married couple - and they put one drop of that wine behind their ears, as here in Italy this is supposed to bring good luck. It was really funny and nice.

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Contact:

Marry me di Gianluca Palozzo
Proprietor:
Gianluca Palozzo
Via Amadeo Marconi 120 00052 Cerveteri (RM) Italia
www.marry-me-in-italy.com
info@marry-me-in-italy.com
Phone: +39 348 69 24 632

THAT DAY di Monica Ferraris
Creative Wedding