Pat & Alice - 2017
My name is Pat Turner from San Jose, California and I want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to the team from The Italian Wedding Event. My wife Alice and I had planned a seven-day Mediterranean cruise that originated in Rome and ended in Monte Carlo. Our expectation was that this would be the vacation of a lifetime. Well, that was just the start.
We were celebrating our forty-fifth wedding anniversary this year so I decided to extend our time in Rome by three days prior to the cruise to renew our vows in a formal ceremony. I initially kept this as a surprise for my wife and needless to say, I was extremely nervous about planning everything and designing a ceremony to be proud of. I began an internet search to find a wedding planner in Rome to help with my plans.
I commenced an aggressive email campaign to wedding agencies in Rome. Some never responded back while others showed no interest or had no openings. Then I received a wonderful response from Federica, and after reading the story of what her company offered, I knew she was the one who could pull this off in a grand way. So, the emails between California and Rome began.
She spent an exhaustive amount of time creating a trusting relationship with me as she learned about my wife and I and what my wishes were for our vow renewal. She did not offer a standardized ceremony, but instead, she heard my ideas and began to design an unforgettable event just for us. After all of the basic ideas were in place and the contract signed, she turned me over to Valentina for the definitive refining of the basic design of our ceremony. Valentina was just as easy to work with and was ever-present when I had a question or wanted to make a change.
What impressed me the most was how these ladies knew exactly how to turn my ideas into a beautiful event. Valentina condensed the big picture down into a perfect package that allowed us to have one of the most beautiful and memorable times of our lives. She regularly made awesome recommendations that brought my original ideas to life in an awesome way. She turned us on to the very best photographer and videographer who stayed with us throughout the ceremony, and they also captured on film when we were picked up at the hotel in a vintage Fiat that was our ride for the day.
The Italian Wedding Event team secured a beautiful stone chapel on the property of a palace built in the 1800. The majesty of the granite pillars and the vaulted ceiling with unbelievable artwork were absolutely gorgeous. After our heart-warming ceremony in this beautiful place the photo team toured the city with us to capture us in various historical places around Rome. At the end of the day we dined in a restaurant that afforded us an unobstructed view overlooking the Colosseum. As we dined we viewed a spectacular sunset. What an awesome conclusion to a very beautiful day.
When we arrived at our hotel in Rome we met with Francesca, the third member of the team. She took care of everything leading up to the ceremony and was the officiant for our vow renewal. Francesca was the only one of the team that we actually met that day, but she exuded the compassion and care that the entire Italian Wedding Event team exhibited. She secured a well-known Italian hairdresser to meet with Alice in our hotel room where he designed a beautiful hair style for her. When he had finished, he faced her and gently held her face in his hands and declared Bella Mia which means My Beauty. Alice will always hold that moment dear to her heart. We regret that we did not have time to visit his renowned salon where the unique decor included a baby grand piano. Francesca also incorporated some of our favorite songs into perfect places within the ceremony and she secured a violinist to play background music throughout the ceremony.
Alice and I cannot recommend these ladies enough. They are creative, professional and organized and above all they have a passion for people. Together they created an unforgettable vow renewal in Italy just for us. Thank you, Federica, Valentina and Francesca for all of your outstanding efforts in making my request a beautiful reality. Alice and I will always cherish your friendship.