Make that special day even more magical by planning a destination wedding
Here at WIMCO, we know May marks the beginning of the summer wedding season. In recent years, there’s been a rising trend in the wedding industry: destination weddings. After all, if people have to travel, why not have them land in a tropical paradise or a picturesque European countryside? There are lots of creative options out there now for destination weddings, like an intimate evening with dinner and dancing at a private Caribbean villa or sunset vows at a beachfront resort. Whether you exchange your vows on the soft sand of a Caribbean beach while the warm trade-winds whisper softly through your hair or an idyllic medieval Italian village, as the couple in the story below chose, a destination wedding makes that special day all the more memorable.
Jan Gordon had the privilege of attending her niece’s wedding in Poppi, a village set in the rolling hillsides and forested slopes of the Arezzo countryside in Tuscany.
“Up and up the hillside the bus climbed, grinding its gears, until it stopped outside the ramparts of the Castello di Poppi, an imposing 11th century castle overlooking the whole Casentino region of Eastern Tuscany… Wandering through this medieval walled village, under covered walkways and around winding corners, seemed to evoke the 14th century when Dante was a guest of its rulers.
Miranda & Luigi on their wedding day
After meandering the Castello streets a bit we finally came to Badia San Fedele, a 12th century chapel. After days of absorbing ornate Renaissance religious art in Florence, the simplicity of this medieval stone chapel with its rough hewn beams, primitive Madonnas painted in oil on stone slabs in the nave, time-worn uneven granite floors, and central marble alter clothed in wedding brocades and graced with peonies, was nothing short of perfect for our lovely blond American bride and her Italian groom. Guests gathered in the bright afternoon sun on a terrace outside the main church doors and bathed in the gorgeous views across the Tuscan countryside far below.
After three bridesmaids led Lohengrin’s Here Comes the Bride march, a veiled Miranda in lace and trailing formal train was led down this ancient aisle by her smiling brother. A full Catholic Eucharist followed with a robed priest in sandals giving Italian and broken English blessings to the couple. Upon leaving the church, the couple was pelted with rose petals and rice thrown by guests while 12th century bells pealed continuously to announce their marriage. The Poppi townspeople convened in the alleyways and side streets to welcome and cheer the new marriage. The history, the views, the beautiful crowd, the joyful couple, the emotions, the pealing bells—it was as magical as it was authentically Italian.”
At WIMCO, we are dedicated to ensuring your trip with us is perfect. From reserving the villa for the wedding ceremony to reserving villas and hotel rooms for your guests, we strive to make your special day as hassle-free as possible.
