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Charlotte and Perry, a London couple, planned their wedding 1.5 years in advance. This allowed ample time for meticulous planning, including securing a venue—a seaside castle licensed for civil ceremonies—arranging guest accommodations, and carefully selecting vendors. Their early planning ensured a smooth and unrushed process. They envisioned their special day in an enchanting castle by the sea, with accommodations available on-site or nearby. 

Venue selection.

Here’s a glimpse into their venue selection process:

– 1.5 Months In: I initiated 2 steps detailed research, analyzing pricing and conditions, which led to three stunning castle options.
– Second Month: We visited these castles over two days, enjoying the serene low season in Sicily and full availability of the properties.
– Third Month: After falling in love with the chosen castle, we dove into the booking process, ensuring every detail was negotiated in their favor and contracts were signed smoothly.

This experience illustrates how seamless wedding planning can be when you actively collaborate with your planning team.

 

Paperwork process.

British citizens should consider several steps in the legal paperwork process, described perfectly HERE.

Our couple by having a British citisenship and residing in the UK  has provided the following documents in the frame of 6 months before the wedding date (not earlier):

 

• UK CNI (Certificate of no impediment), issued by the British authorities, then apostilled and translated, for bride and groom;
• originals (!) of their certificates of birth, apostilled and translated into Italian language;
• copies of the couple’s passports and of 2 witnesses;
• Statutory declaraton, issued by the British authorities, apostilled and translated into Italian;

 

All the documenation were scanned and sent by email to the town hall 1,5 months in advance and then brought 3 days before wedding and the originals were submitted to the Portopalo di Capopassero town hall during Sworn Declaration 2 days before wedding.

Next day after the ceremony I picked up the bilingual Certificate of Marriage from the town hall and delivered it to Syracuse Prefecture for the apostille, which was issued same day, allowing immediate return to the couple.

 

The colours and the theme.

The wedding decorations were designed with a soft and romantic feel in mind.The overall theme was tender and loving, perfectly reflecting the couple’s personalities and their special day. Dusty pink was the main color, used for the flowers and the tablecloths. It created a gentle and romantic atmosphere. The pink was accented with golden details on the tableware and other decorative elements.  The colour scheme was stunning against the backdrop of the Sicilian sunset. The sky was a beautiful vanilla color, creating a magical and unforgettable scene. The combination of the dusty pink, the golden accents, and the vanilla sunset produced a breathtaking and harmonious effect. The romantic atmosphere was enhanced by the beautiful sunset, and everything came together perfectly to create a magical setting

 

Challenges during coordination.

The wedding day began with 50 km/h winds, posing a potential hazard to guests and property. While the wind was expected to die down in the evening, we prepared for any eventuality. With backup plans in place, we adapted the outdoor wedding dinner schedule, adjusting the setup timeline—from the starry sky decorations to the floral arrangements—to account for the strong winds. We also explored safer floral display options. This was all made possible by the excellent collaboration among our vendors.Thanks to the team’s coordinated efforts, the wedding proceeded exactly as the couple dreamed, despite challenging weather conditions.

 

 

Photography: Tatiana Costantino

Videography: Andrea Materia

 

The couple’s feedback:

 

Ph : Tatiana Costantino

 

 

Goals:

The couple contacted me a year prior to the date. Their major goal was to find a venue with a remarkable place for a symbolic ceremony with an aristocratic, but at the same time rustic vibe, and organize a 3-day wedding around it.

Lynn Kelly is an ex-Miss Universe of Ireland, celebrity, and current model engaged with different modeling agencies, so some strict conditions had to be respected during the planning and the wedding itself:

• Absolute privacy during the stages of planning and for some period of time after it. Suppliers were not allowed to publish any pictures or videos representing the model without her permission.

• Following strict guidelines about the best lighting: the bride wanted the wedding dinner to start with good light in the beginning of September.

• A budget priority for the venue, music, best photo, videography services, and food.

• A fireworks show synchronized with their proposal song: “Nessun Dorma” by Pavarotti.

• A pre-wedding party in a nice restaurant with a view near the venue and an after-wedding party in the villa with a swimming pool, DJ, and saxophonist.

Preparations:

After rigorous preselection of dozens of venues and personal site inspections with the couple of about 10 venues, their choice fell on the Castello Solacium, only 15 minutes’ drive from the center of Syracuse. This location offered very nice options both for the getting ready and party villa and for the pre-wedding party restaurant with an amazing seaside view and private, exclusive terraces in the heart of Syracuse.

A very important selection was concerning the catering, as it should not only have fully English-speaking staff (which is common for only a number of suppliers in Sicily), but also represent the best of Sicilian cuisine together with a strong orientation on destination weddings’ peculiarities.

There were no particular difficulties with photographer and videographer selection as the couple, having excellent taste, immediately chose one of the best masters on the island: Rosita Lipari as photographer and Giulio Cantarella as videographer.

All the suppliers, from the catering to the music staff, were strictly advised not to publish any photo or video material without the couple’s permission, and this was stipulated in the contracts. This portfolio is published under the gentle permission of Lynn 1.5 years after the wedding.

One of the most challenging parts was the timing of the whole event, as the couple wanted to sit down at the tables during the sunlight, which was not common for this period of the year and challenging for the caterer due to the high temperatures and the absolute necessity to keep the food fresh and safe. Despite this, with minor modifications to the wedding menu, which suited both parties, we were able to achieve the target.

 

Results:

Goals:

The couple from the USA, Lauren and Alex,  reached out to me a year before their wedding, which was scheduled for the end of June 2024. They had already booked their venue, the Villa Mon Repos in Taormina, and some vendors had been preselected. In this case, I proposed partial wedding planning services, including the rest of the vendor selection based on their budget, the development of the wedding day timeline, menu planning, transportation arrangements, and day-of coordination.

 

Preparations and results:

As the couple was unable to attend the menu tasting provided by the venue in person, I conducted a detailed site inspection for them. This included a comprehensive overview of every meal offered, accompanied by my personal comments.

The decor design needed to be timeless while adhering to strict budget limits. I achieved this through personal connections with selected florists and by implementing optimized and sustainable planning.

One of the challenges was integrating the imperial tables provided by the venue with round tables, all without the need to rent additional tables. Typically, for 80 guests, extra rentals are necessary to create an aesthetically pleasing seating arrangement with imperial tables. However, I found an effective solution using only the tables available, which satisfied the couple and avoided unnecessary expenses.

The ceremony took place on the platform above the swimming pool, with guests seated on opposite sides. The same arch and platform were later used for the couple’s wedding cake cutting.

The classic wedding reception at the villa was structured in four parts:

1. Welcome drinks for guests before the ceremony.

2. Aperitif and standing buffet following the ceremony.

3. Sit-down dinner after the buffet.

4. Open bar and pool party to conclude the celebration.

Photography: Alberto Coscenza

Videography: Bruno Tedeschi

This was a fabulous elopement of a Chinese couple coming from the USA with a few guests.

From the early stages of planning, I felt it would be a particular elopement: the bride, Wenlan, expressed a very sophisticated taste regarding the decor and every minimal detail of the wedding preparations. It was a real pleasure for me to satisfy all her needs and requirements regarding their Big Day in Sicily.

Taormina and Castello degli Schiavi were chosen as a stage for Wenlan and Enze’s love story.

With only 4 hours of photo shooting, we could include:

 

1. getting ready at the Ashby Hotel Taormina.
2. the couple’s first look in the garden of the Ashby Hotel Taormina.
3. Scroll down by foot in the city centre of Taormina and the municipal gardens. It was early October, so the streets were still crowded. The couple wanted a relaxed shoot with as few people as possible, so we chose the appropriate spots, bringing them away from the city hassle.
4. Moving from Taormina to the ceremony venue by a fashion retro car.
5. Handfasting Taylor-made ceremony at Castello degli Schiavi or so-called Villa Corleone. We adapted the central entrance of the villa and transformed it into a giant arch made of flowing fabric crowned by yellow, white and peach roses and flashy greenery with a retro touch of ancient-style pillars. The ceremony was conducted by me in person in English, with the help of a violin as background.
6. After the ceremony the couple participated in the last photoshoot inside the villa and in the outdoor spaces, that have witnessed the most famous scenes from The Godfather trilogy.
7. as the conclusion of their Big and Perfect day, the retro maggiolino has brought them back to Taormina where a 2-star Michelin restaurant was booked for them and their friends for the extraordinary sensorial and enogastronomic journey into Sicilian cuisine.

 

Photographer and videographer: Tatiana Costantino

This couple from the USA has contacted me to organise their elopement in a particular place full of greenery but with an exclusive feel of the Sicilian aristocracy. In addition, this place should have a plan B option for the ceremony as the period was autumn even at the end of September. The probability of rain is medium during this period of year, but we never know and can’t predict the weather until a few days before a wedding.

 

Thus a cosy castle was selected within 20 min of drive from Taormina, where our couple planned to have a post-ceremony photoshooting. They booked also a gorgeous room inside the castle and a private dinner after the intense wedding day.

 

The wedding theme was created based on Kaitlyn preferences of deep burgundy and peach colors that mixed and matched perfectly with the unity wine ceremony. The hotel`s maitre was very gentle in suggesting the best wine for the ceremony.

 

On the wedding day a slight rain caught up with the couple, it ruined nothing, but only gave a fresh look to the flowers, enhanced a profound emerald color of the tropical garden of the castle and gave a special touch and light to all the 4 hours of wedding photoshooting.

 

 

Phothgraphy: Tatiana Costantino

 

Feedback from the couple (Wedding Wire):

My new husband and I knew we wanted a small wedding when we got engaged but when we began our search we had no idea where it would lead us. One night I started searching for elopement coordinators in Sicily, Italy as we love traveling to new places together. This is when I stumbled upon etnamare wedding. From the start Anastasia was very responsive, organized and always kept us informed. She took care of everything we needed and asked for our desires through the process. I loved how stress free it was for me! The elopement package included everything I had wanted and more. When we arrived to Castello San Marco for our wedding day we were beyond grateful for all of Anastasia’s hard work and seeing everything together was better than we could imagine. Even the unplanned rain shower during the ceremony was explained as good luck in Sicily! We cannot thank Anastasia enough for planning and coordinating our dream Sicilian wedding day

It was one of the most interesting and unusual weddings in planning and realization. The couple and guests were from the UK, but the bride is of Chinese descent, so it was imperative to split the wedding day into 2 parts: traditional Chinese and modern European.

A chic Sicilian castle was chosen as the venue, located on the seashore and with a breathtaking view of Mount Etna. The castle also had rooms where some of the guests were accommodated. There were several areas for the ceremony and banquet, the couple chose the Arabian Garden with a gazebo with a frontal view of the castle for the ceremony and the indoor Orangerie banquet hall for the wedding dinner, since the wedding was in early April, when the evening can be quite cool.

 

According to Chinese tradition, weddings are usually celebrated in the spring, so I designed a light spring decoration of the venue, taking into account the bride’s favorite colors – pastel beige, pink and mauve – which could be easily and quickly moved inside the castle in case of bad weather. But it was not needed, April 11, 2022 was sunny, dry and warm without a single drop of rain.

 

The bride Susie had 2 dresses, the first traditional Chinese Quipao wedding dress with gold embroidered Phoenix on red silk, and a classic lace European wedding dress for the formal ceremony. In the first part of the wedding day, the groomsmen with the groom had to woo the bride by going through a series of obstacles and pranks organized by the bridesmaids’ team. In the Chinese wedding tradition, it is called door games. The bride was “locked” in her room, and her girlfriends stood guard at her door and did not let the groom in until he had passed the whole circle of obstacles. Among the tests were songs, poems, eating sour lemons and red peppers, dried Chinese insects), push-ups and a number of other equally fun activities. By tradition, one could refuse and pay, but no one took advantage of this right, as it was a lot of fun. The bride watched it all live-streamed on her mobile phone. As a result, the groom proved that he was worthy and saw his beloved for the first time.

 

The Chinese door games were followed by a tea ceremony for the closest, a very important ritual in Chinese culture, when a couple offer tea to relatives from both sides, and in return receives heartfelt wishes for happiness and prosperity, as well as envelopes with valuable gifts.

 

The classic wedding ceremony turned out to be very intimate, despite the presence of 70-80 guests, with tears of happiness in their eyes and a lot of ​​smiles.

 

After the ceremony and a light buffet, a surprise was performed to the guests in the form of an aerial acrobatic show, in which the bride also partly participated.

 

 

The wedding day ended with a banquet with exquisite Sicilian dishes, a disco with live sax and a Sicilian ice cream stand.

 

You can read feedback from the couple HERE

 

Photography and videogrpahy: Salvo Biglio Fotografo

Goals.

A couple from the USA, Zach and Kelly, turned to me for help in organizing an authentic wedding, and when I realized what they wanted, I exclaimed “Finally!” Finally, I got a brave enough and temerarious couple for a wedding adventure on the very top of the highest active volcano in Europe! The couple wanted the ceremony as close as possible to the active craters of Etna, and this was only possible with trekking.

The task was not an easy one: to organize a rather complicated and expensive decor in an absolutely wild place without the possibility of delivery and pick up by a car, to take into account the light and the possibility of a strong wind ( mt Etna was chosen by the NASA as a test site for the Mars rover precisely because of the unpredictable weather). I had to develop, together with decorators, such an arch so that it is most stable during gusts of wind and during long transportation. I developed a detailed plan for the wedding day, taking into account 1 hour of hiking and taking into account all possible details and circumstances during this trekking, since the trail was chosen semi-wild without any services along the way.

 

Implementation.

The best suppliers were found who agreed to hike the trail, some part of which was quite a steep hill, and about 7 km long. 25 decorators carried decor and flowers to the place of the ceremony. The bride chose expensive flowers, orchids, hydrangeas, and white roses, which were decorated with contrasting hazel branches in a chic open-top arch. For the stability of the arch during the wind, a special stabilizing structure was developed. The couple was traditionally filmed during preparations at a spa resort on Etna, then dressed for trekking, and drove to the start of the trail in the company of a film crew and me. The trail chosen was called Schiena dell’Asino, at the end of which there is a unique view of the main crater of the volcano and the Valle del Bove, where lava flows down during eruptions. The trail is popular with hikers, as the Etna eruption can be seen up close in relative safety. The wedding for two took place in June on a weekday, so we met very few tourists on the way, the ceremony turned out to be very intimate, as planned.

As for the details, there were many, and some of them are worth a detailed description. The couple wanted this ceremony to be very unusual but also reflect their personal love story. A personalized ring box was designed and painted by our talented artist, it featured white orchids on the top against a black background of volcanic lava, Etna erupting inside the box, and a surprise from the bride to the groom at the very bottom. Since Zach was an absolute admirer of whales, a surprise was prepared especially for him in the form of a painted whale, hidden under rose petals and rings. For the symbolic ceremony, a mix of rituals was chosen by the couple, a sand ceremony and a rose ceremony were held with the participation of the bridesmaids, and the handfasting ceremony was the final chord. For this ceremony, I carefully selected various ribbons brought from Norway, which were also decorated with a decorative volcanic stone and a silver pendant in the shape of Sicily from a well-known Italian designer (you can find the names of suppliers on social networks Instagram and Facebook).

 

Results.

Living on the volcano literally for more than 14 years, I, like all its indigenous inhabitants, am in love with this Mountain and quite reasonably consider it alive. How many times was this the case when the eruption preceded some important social events, or simply Etna greeted her admirers at “that very moment.” And this time, on the way to the ceremony site, Etna “released” a greeting in the shape of a heart!
After such a parting wish, one could not worry that something would go wrong, and it happened: there was practically no wind, Etna quietly “smoked” when necessary, and without overdoing it, the sunset was completely surreal in a matte haze overlooking the Ionian Sea from heights of almost 3000 meters. The atmosphere was so magical that the couple wanted to stay at the top almost until darkness, and I had to reschedule the wedding cake and wedding dinner organized in the same resort for a little later.

The gallery presents shootings of two wedding days:
— pre-wedding day with shooting in the castle of Aci Castello and a ride in a retro car, photographer Tatiana Costantino
– main wedding day: photographer Gianluca Sammartano, videographer Serena Catanzaro

This story is about a wonderful couple N&S, who have chosen Sicily for a symbolic wedding at the end of October 2019.

I immediately realized that this will be a special project. The bride was expecting, so long journeys and complicated logistics were immediately discarded; in the end, even the shooting in Taormina had to be excluded, although it was only 2 steps away from the wedding venue. Villa Corleone was chosen for the ceremony, where the most memorable scenes from the Godfather movie were filmed, but there was no link to the mafia theme itself: the couple really liked the villa because of its atmosphere. In addition, we needed maximum privacy during and after the ceremony, since the plans were a couple’s dance. Also, we needed protection from possible bad weather, considering the middle of autumn. Castello degli Schiavi was ideal in all respects: a private manor where only the owners live, the authenticity of the place and the picturesque arch – the “face” of the whole villa, very high and deep, which would reliably protect the couple during the ceremony in case of rain. The decor of the site was designed in a way that do not violate the authenticity of the place. A light heart-shaped gypsophila cloud 3.5 meters high was most naturally incorporated into the greenery framing of the entrance and, falling, being passed through pink-white accents of peonies and hydrangeas to the final chord of white candles and sea sand into the glass cylinders to match the colour of the villa’s terrace.

Since the ceremony was supposed to be evening, we prayed to the mt Etna to be without clouds, because it is visible from the villa, and what do you think? Etna let us have this gift, generously adding some hot touch right on the wedding day. The view was cosmic! The weather, by the way, was absolutely summer, 30 degrees in the afternoon, and it was October 21st. For the bride’s preparations, another castle was chosen, located just 10 minutes from the Villa Corleone, Castello di San Marco Charming Hotel & Spa, where also a couple’s secret interview was recorded. And finally, after the personalised ceremony with our branded Etna&Sea unity sand ritual, there was a Dance under the sunset sun setting over the erupting mountain. The video and photos accurately reflect the mood of that day, the gentle sun, exquisite scenery, Sicilian colours, and in the centre of everything – the happy family and their emotions. I would like to thank everyone who has participated in the creation of this magic day and, especially, the couple who gave me the gentle permission to publish these photos.

Ph: Tatiana Costantino;

Video: Gianmarco Vetrano;

WP, decor and celebrant: Etnamare weddings and events, Anastasia Leonova in Carastro

Venues: Castello degli Schiavi and Castello di San Marco Charming Hotel & Spa

Goals:

Oleg contacted me six months before the event with a request to come up with some ideas for an original surprise for his bride’s birthday, which also happened on their honeymoon in Sicily in September. It was necessary to organize something memorable, original and in absolute secret from the bride.

 

Preparations:

Discussing all the details about the event was like a journey into the world of gourmet, of the secrets of Mormons and the endless love 🙂 A few months planning, working out the menu, wine’s selection  (the newlywed turned out to be a real gourmet), working out all the most minimal details from the transfer (the bride should not have suspected anything until the very last moment!) to the timing of the day. We’ve also considered the option of an air excursion over Taormina and the volcano, but the impressive trip on a yacht outweighed many arguments. Moreover, the bride always wanted to learn how to navigate a yacht. A detailed itinerary was developed with stops at Taormina’s bays for swimming, a small grotto tour near Taormina, a light lunch onboard and a romantic dinner at the sunset that would end the day. For dinner, Giardini Naxos Bay was chosen for several reasons: firstly, with a clear sky, you can see a stunning sunset from there, and we-ve really counted on it, and secondly, the bay was well closed from strong winds, and this was important to avoid sea rolling and flying plates. The yacht was chosen THIS, its skipper was repeatedly tested for readiness for any adventures) a good mood was guaranteed. As a chef, his cousin was presented. Oh yes, as the Sicilians can cook, no one can cook.

 

Result:

What could be more romantic and touching when a loved one unexpectedly on your birthday gifts you a boat trip and dinner overlooking the sunset volcano? The dream of any girl;)
All our preparations were paid off with interest! The surprise was sustained like expensive wine, the bride’s reaction was indescribable. The weather did not disappoint, the sea was like a smooth mirror, the perky skipper has taught everyone how to navigate a yacht), the inimitable assistant chef Ines surprised as always with culinary delights, the Setteveli cake with pistachios and chocolate was magnificent, and the Etna seemed to be waiting for the right moment to give out the most colourful sunset. And the most precious thing about all this was the following review – the pure emotion. And this is the most important thing for me. The feedback of the couple can be read here.

 

Planning, coordination and photo – Etnamare weddings and events, I personally took all the photographs, it was my gift to the newlyweds.

The yacht – https://etnamare.org/properties/rent-sailing-yacht/