Nicola and Daniele
25/09/2004 – St. Bride’s, Fleet Street, London
Skinners’ Hall, City of London
How and when did you meet?
We met in London at the city firm where we both worked.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
Daniele is Italian and proposed to me in Rome at the Fontana di Trevi. Following Italian tradition he waited until after midnight as it brings bad luck to do it before! He had the ring all ready when he posed the question (in Italian).
Did you have hen and stag celebrations?
I combined my ‘hen’ with my first dress fitting in Milan and invited a friend and my sister. We spent the Saturday shopping and lunching and on the Sunday spent the day at Lake Como, having a long lunch on a terrace overlooking the lake.
Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?
Daniele is very hands on as Italian weddings have an enormous amount of etiquette to follow! We made all decisions together although I dealt with admin such as hotel bookings and created the table plan.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I used the confetti web page to display all our wedding information and the general features for helpful tips.
Do you have a confetti web page?
Yes.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
I visited the store in Tottenham Court Road for sparkly bows to decorate the table plan and bought a bride & groom table card holder for our table.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.
I bought a made to measure gown from Milan. It was an ivory silk taffeta ‘princess’ style strapless dress with layered overskirt, strapless beaded bodice cut assymetrically with a rose corsage on the waist. I had a full chapel length veil with wrist attachments.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had two bridesmaids. The adult was Daniele’s sister. She wore a nude pink silk corset overlaid with black lace and a full length black crepe skirt with fishtail. Our little three year old wore an ivory dress from Harrods.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Daniele had two best men – his older brother and his best friend, both Italian. We had four ushers – two Italians (a friend and the groom’s younger brother) and two englishmen (my brother and my sister’s fiance).
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a religious Church of England ceremony with a Catholic blessing and the prayers conducted in Italian.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
St. Bride’s on Fleet Street in London.
Where did you hold your reception?
Skinners’ Hall, City of London
Did you have any special wedding transport?
We had a seven-seater white 1960’s Daimler.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
75 guests who attended the whole event. We didn’t have any separate evening guests.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
No theme or style other than the obvious Italian wedding traditions.
Did you give your guests favours?
We gave bomboniere. Following a tradition of giving silver, we gave each couple/family a piece of modern De Vecchi silver.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
The bouquets were simple and with pink ‘Illusion’ roses. The table flowers were a mix of hydrangeas and Calla lilies in tall flutes and smaller square vases to add height and interest.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
Our menu consisted of monkfish with rocket and other salad leaves, seafood risotto with salmon and scallops, duck breast with fig tart tartin and a buffet of three different puddings (white/dark chocolate mousse, lemon/almond tart, fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries). We had cheese and biscuits to follow, and the Italian gateaux-style wedding cake was served later.
What did you choose for your wedding cake?
We had a five-tiered gateaux made by a patisserie in Soho. Vanilla sponge was laced with Strega with forest fruits. It was iced in white chocolate decorated with white and dark chocolate roses.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
A jazz band performed during the evening. We hired a Blue Badge guide to escort our Italian guests from St. Paul’s Cathedral to our reception venue, conducting a 45-minute tour of the most interesting sights in the City.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had gift lists set up with two different shops in Italy. In London we had a list set up with the Portland Gallery (which funded our purchase of limited edition artwork) and Langfords in the London Silver Vaults (which funded our purchase of a limited edition piece of De Vecchi silverware).
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We spent out first night at the Malmaison in Charterhouse Square. Our honeymoon was spent in Dubai and the Maldives.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Our wedding ceremony.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Use a different photographer! Ours was Italian and a friend of the grooms so I had no choice.