Italy is a country of great passion and romance, coupled with unparalleled style and sophistication, making it the perfect destination for a wedding. However, if you can’t have the Italian wedding that you’ve always dreamed of, you don’t have to forfeit the elegance completely.
There are plenty of ways to weave Italy into your wedding style even if you’re staying in the UK. Here are a few ideas to give you some inspiration.
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The Natural Touch
Italy evokes images of olive groves and lemon trees, with lush green vines as far as the eye can see. Create an Italian atmosphere at your wedding by adopting the same decor and weaving natural elements into your theme.
Forego a traditional table-runner and decorate natural wooden tables with vine leaves, green garlands and other foliage. This, complemented by simple white flowers and candles can add an instant Italian touch.
Choose a venue that has lots of green trees, bushes and foliage to create a convincing backdrop. All you need to give it an Italian twist is some landscaping decor such as urns with lemon topiaries and boxwood.
The final addition to all of this greenery is alfresco dining (should the season permit) with tables and trees lit up with dainty fairy lights.
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Embrace Italian Cuisine
If you find a good caterer, you should be able to request Italian food for your wedding. The emphasis is on collective dining, with all the guests seated down one long table rather than split off into separate tables as is more traditional in the UK.
The food should be made to share, with serving dishes and bowls for guests to help themselves. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemons should be included in the flavours on offer, and ideally a charcuterie board and olives. Your caterers should have plenty of ideas how to incorporate high-class Italian food into your big day.
Rustic Elegance
Italian weddings aren’t about bling, artificial colours or chintz; instead you’ll find natural, warm tones that are distinctly rustic. This doesn’t mean you need to resort to shabby chic; there are plenty of ways to embrace a natural Italian style while remaining elegant.
Cutlery should typically be antique style, gold-coloured if possible. Cake stands, plates and other serving accessories should follow the same theme.
Embrace neutral colours and natural materials such as wood, stone and metals, and you’ll have an unmistakable air of the Italian.
Authentic Favours
Favours are the little gifts that the wedding party leaves for their guests, and the Italian theme gives you lots of options to consider.
The favours should be handmade – or at least look as if they are! Mass-produced favours will destroy your carefully cultivated air of authenticity.
Ideas you might want to consider include miniature bottles of limoncello with a hand-tied name tag, mini bottles of olive oil, fresh herbs or balsamic vinegar. In Italy, it’s traditional to give the guests an uneven number of sugared almonds each, so you could add this as an extra.
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What More Can You Think Of?
There are plenty of other ways you can create an Italian vibe on your wedding day, perhaps by following some of the Italian customs? These ideas should get you started but a wedding planner could help give you even more great suggestions about how to enjoy your Italian wedding in the UK.
