A Southern Italian Wedding
The preparation is immense and includes many traditions, such as bomboniere, the gifts that are given to the guests as a thank you for attending as well as a reminder of the event. Together with having to choose the carpet colour for the church and planning how to get the English guests to the venue, it was set to be a rollercoaster ride.
Felice and I were to be married at the stunning cathedral of Trani on 17th May, a date many Italians claim is unlucky, but this didn’t deter us and the organisation started and finished within ten months.
When the big day dawned I felt strangely calm. Once ready, I had photographs taken with my parents and in-laws and then the front door of our apartment was opened to allow neighbours and friends in. It was slightly unnerving having people, some of whom I’d never seen before, enter my home just to see what I looked like. However they were happy to come in and say auguri – congratulations, before eating a biscuit or two. I then headed down to the front door of the apartment block where I had to cut a ribbon as per tradition, throw the scissors on the floor and stamp on them.
My father and I arrived at the cathedral in a convertible Mercedes, to a sea of smiling faces including friends and relatives from America and Australia. After the nuptials that Felice and I said in both English and Italian, we exited to a group of school children on an outing, as well as the actual wedding party, ready to throw rice and confetti at us as they clapped and cheered.
Whilst Felice and I had photographs taken around Trani’s captivating Centro Storico, our guests arrived at the reception venue, Lo Smeraldo in Canosa. From the outside it resembles a mini palace with a winding red carpeted staircase leading up to the venue of our light buffet by the swimming pool, before heading down to the main sala, Dea Ebe.
Italians always enjoy themselves immensely. A friend played the saxophone whilst Felice himself put on a dazzling dance performance. The final extravaganza was the arrival of the cake when Felice and I stood on a mini stage that rose up ten feet off the ground.
15 courses and 7 hours later, it was all over. The English guests were amazed at how grand an Italian wedding is and the Italians were pleased to have had the opportunity to be part of a different wedding, sharing it with over 30 stranieri - foreigners. It had been a wonderful day, not least of all because of the mix of accents and personalities present. Italian weddings are certainly big occasions and lots of fun; however I shall be glad to be a guest at the next wedding I attend!
