Real Wedding: Amanzing day on Lake Como

Tweet

Olga and Kirill chose Lake Como as setting of their wedding day. They wanted to spend a special day with their family coming from Russia and a romantic place, so the beautiful villa 18th century villa direct on the lake was the perfect venue for their wedding.

On the morning, after getting ready in the beautiful Grand Hotel, the bride enjoyed  a nice boat ride on a taxi boat to reach the villa. The wedding ceremony took place under the elegant loggia with three arches which stands on the highest point of the promontory, where you can see both sides of the lake.

After the ceremony a glass of italian prosecco with canapés for the guests under the camphor, accompanied by harp musical background ; meanwhile the newlyweds wandered around the villa terraces for few shots.

The day was perfect for a boat tour on the lake, with stop in Varenna for a photo tour and relax in a nice bar for a ice-cream and a capuccino.

Guests reached the restaurant on the other side of the lake, with the big boat and the newlyweds arrived later with the romantic taxi boat. A wedding toast and and italian buffet aperitif was arranged on the restaurant garden facing the lake, that followed a good dinner under the marquee, with the mandolin music as background.

After dinner the bride and groom reached the dance floor for the first dance and than the guests enjoyed the night dancing and having fun.
At the end a delicious white square  wedding cake  and all on the beach to launch the sky lantern...and end this magic day with a magical scenery that Lake Como offers.

Morlotti Studio Pictures

In Italy we toast with Prosecco !

Tweet

Italians love festivals and the ending of the old year and beginning of the new year, il Capodanno, is a great time to celebrate in Italy. No New Year's Eve celebration without champagne or sparkling wine. On midnight, in Italy we toast with our italian sparkling wine. There are good wines in different regions in Italy. Personally I love Prosecco di Valdobbiadene and Asti Spumante.

The area where the Prosecco D.O.C.G. is produced is in  Veneto, 50 km from Venice, Itin the hills of the 15 communes lying between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. The Sparkling Wine (“Spumante”) is produced in Brut, Extra Dry and Dry versions, depending on the residual sugar contained in the wine: “Brut” is the driest style, “Dry” the sweetest. In the same area is produced also the Superiore di Cartizze. Straw color and tiny bubbles with an aroma of white peaches and freshly picked flowers and a subtle yeastiness

Asti Spumante D.O.C.G. is a Piedmont sparkling wine. It is a white Moscat, produced from moscate grape in the hills of the southern strip of Piemonte. The wine is sweet and usually served with dessert and italian cakes. Another good sparkling wine , produced in the northern Italy, in Lombardy, is Franciacorta.

The wine is made using a combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero grapes. It is dry with hints of vanilla and ripe fruit.

Tra tutti gli auguri, ho ricevuto questo messaggio e mi piacerebbe condividerlo con voi:

I would like to share this greetings sms message with you:

Ogni anno a Natale, mi ritaglio un paio di ore per vedermi uno di quei film natalizi, di quelli che si guardano con i bimbi. E' in quelle poche ore che ritrovo lo spirito giusto per affrontare questi giorni.

Nei film..dove regna amore e pace... dove il finale è sempre lieto e ti fà stringere il cuore.

E' proprio come quando abbiamo un sogno e lo desideriamo così intensamente che qualche volta ci sembra quasi di viverlo. Il mio augurio di quest'anno è che siate voi registri e protagonisti del vostro film di pace e di amore. Tanti Auguri !

Every Christmas, I spend a couple of hours to see  one of those Christmas films, the kind you watch with the kids. It's in those few hours, when  I find the right spirit to face these days.

In the movies .. where there are love and peace ... where the ending is always happy and makes you cry.
It's just like to have a dream and when we want it so hard that sometimes it seems almost to live. My wish this year is that you're the protagonists of your films and film director of peace and love. Merry Christmas!

Have a Wonderful Christmas and Holiday Time

We wish you Peace, Joy and Happiness throughout the holiday season and 2011.

DECORATE YOUR TABLE AND YOUR LIVING ROOM FOR CHRISTMAS

Tweet

Ready to join the Holidays with family and friends? Decorating your living room and the table for the Christmas Eve dinner can be a fun and enjoyable time !

First of all decide the theme and the colour, it can be the classic red, gold, silver or white colour or mixed colours or modern baby blue or lilac and black.

If you have a fireplace , you can decorate the Mantel with Lush swags of mixed greens , garlands, or corful stockings. Place candles all around the room to give the room a soft glow. You can find seasonal candles available in Christmas colors and scents at most craft stores. Buy or create an Holiday Wreath and hang it on the front door. Decorate  your table utilizing brilliant colors and sparkling ornaments.

HOME DECORATION IDEAS

CHRISTMAS MANTEL  DECORATIONS

CHRISTMAS WREATHS

CANDLES DECOR

IDEAS FOR  THE CHRISTMAS TABLE

Sources from Digsdigs; Housesecrets, Flirck, Bhg, Home for Christmas, Coast Living, Country Living and others.

Italian Christmas Sweets

Tweet

From the North to the South, every italian county has its traditional Christmas sweet. The most popular desserts  throughout Italy are Panettone and Pandoro. Panettone is the symbol of Milan and it's a sweet bread with candied orange, citron, lemon zest and  dry raisins.

The other Christmas sweet, Pandoro, comes from Verona: Pandoro is commonly shaped like a frustum with an 8 pointed-star section.

It  is traditionally served dusted with vanilla scented icing sugar made to resemble the snowy peaks during Christmas and also served with a Mascarpone cheese sauce or hot chocolate sauce.

Torrone,  is another star on the italian tables, native from Cremona. It is a  nougat confection made of honey , sugar, and egg white, with toasted  almonds or other nuts, and usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake. From the Dolomites it comes the Zelten, this is a sweet bread stuffed with nuts and candied fruit. Once it was the Christmas cake for excellence in Trentino. It  usually be tasted returning from the midnight mass. Each family still has its specific recipe for the success of the cake.

Panforte is a traditional dessert from Siena and consumed mostly in Christmas. It consists of a rich mixture of honey, spices, candied fruit, and almonds. Panpepato is another delicacy from Central Italy manufactured with bitter chocolate, honey, nuts, raisins and black pepper.

Struffoli are the most Neapolitan sweets. They are small balls of sweet dough, fried and then dipped in honey and decorated with colored sprinkles and candied fruit.

Very common in South of Italy : Purceddhruzzi in Apulia and Pignolata calabrese in Calabria are similar to the Struffoli. These are small sweet dumplings , fried and then sprinkled with the warm honey and decorated with a cascade of colorful sugar tails.

HAVE A SWEET CHRISTMAS !!

Real Wedding: A beautiful day on Lake Maggiore

Tweet

Destination wedding: Italy. Location: Stresa, Lake Maggiore. Venue: private villa. Ceremony: outdoor wedding in the italian gardens. Cocktail: italian aperitif. Reception: under the marquee in the villa garden.Theme colour: copper orange.

Sheralin and Ellis wanted to get married abroad, somewhere hot. Italy is the most romantic country, with good weather and excellent food and the lakes have the most beautiful scenery. They chose a lovely 19th century villa to have the ceremony and reception at.  The ceremony  was set in the gardens of the villa in front of a fountain, with rose petals scattered down the isle and a beautiful floral arch with white roses and greenery.

Sher: " I had seen a picture of the arch in a magazine and sent it  to Varese Wedding , saying “this is the one that I want!” and it was exactly the same! We exchanged vows under the arch with 2 violinists and a harpist playing in the background".

After the ceremony , the guests enjoyed a typical italian cocktail with  canapés and champagne, with the string quartert playing in the background. Round tables with white tablecloths ,roses centerpieces and candles were arranged under the marquee, where the dinner was served. At the end of the dinner the cater arranged  a chocolate fondue with marshmallows, fruit, biscuits and little donuts. The wedding cake was filled with chocolate and covered with cream and decorated with orange roses. A DJ came after the meal and there was dancing for the rest of the evening. The wedding is featured in PERFECT WEDDING MAGAZINE UK .

Winter Wonderland Wedding

Tweet

Get married in winter? Get inspired by the Ice Queen and shine like a star.

Essential : white colour and crystal! Here's some details to wrap it up. The bridal gown should be white and embellished with sparkling embroidery or jewel-applications. A white faux fur cape will keep you warm



Bridal gowns from Acquachiara and Pronovias

Bridal gown from Elvira Gramano

The details are very important. Crystals ,Swarovski and Diamonds on the accessories. Like these beautiful and original bridal shoes from Aruna Seth.

For a perfect ice queen bride, don't miss the snowflakes. Snowflakes are great for winter weddings. They are sparkly, pretty and unique and they look great on the bride. Set from Bliss winter collection.

REAL WEDDING: A Touch of Purple on the Lake

Tweet

Louise , the lucky winner of  Varese Wedding competition on  Perfect Wedding Magazine, choose a romantic castle on Lake Garda for her wedding in Italy.

The wedding color theme was purple-eggplant, from the bridesmaids dress to the bestmen ties, from the purple calla lilies in the bridal bouquet to the napkins ribbons at the reception table.

The bride reached the castle with a cute three-wheel Apecar, the day was sunny and the view from the castle terrace was amazing. After the ceremony,a stroll through the narrow streets of Malcesine and then the reception lunch in a lovely restaurant on the lake beach. View other photos.

Christmas Markets in Italy

Tweet

Are you looking for a special gift for Christmas? Do you like to spend a week-end on the snow and enjoy the Christmas magic atmosphere?

You must visit the Christmas Markets in Italy. The Christmas markets are an excellent opportunity to organize an holiday : from the shopping to the dinner, staying in typical hotels and enjoying typical local food.

The most popular and pictureque are the Christmas markets in Trentino Alto Adige. The towns, that hosts these markets, are very closed to the ski areas, a good opportunity for the ski lovers to enjoy some winter activities during the stay.

Bressanone, Bolzano, Trento, Vipiteno offers a rich program during the Christmas time : Music bands and Christmas Carols, Exibithions, Cultural guided tours , Horse-carriage tours, Children programs and animations and Local food  and wine tasting and restaurants special menus.

During the holiday season, you'll find in San Marino a glittering world of opportunity for recreation, shopping, entertainment: Christmas markets,Christmas Village, the House of Santa Claus, concerts, performances, creative workshops, Nativity,New Year's concert,buskers and entertainment for children. An opportunity to visit this beautiful medieval town.

Like every year, Rome dresses Christmas Decoration and focuses street performers, acrobats, jugglers, artisans and traders in the setting of Piazza Navona.This square market is specialized in Christmas decorations: Here you will find everything to decorate your tree and the crib. Mix traditional elements with modern ones letting you choose between classic decor and more original ones. Many stands, that sell sweets and delicacies for children and all the greedy.

If you're going to spend some days in Naples, you don't have to miss the market in Via San Gregorio Armeno, called also the "The picturesque pastors street in Naples".This is the famous street of the nativity scene makers in Naple, famous worldwide for its numerous shops dedicated to the art of the crib. Here you can find everything for the crib, from houses made of cork or cardboard in different sizes, "mechanical"objects driven by electrical energy such as windmills or waterfalls, to the hand-painted terracotta nativity figurines. The street is very busy in this period, by the way it can be visited throughout the year: most of the shops are always open and they show off their wares.

Advent Calendar Ideas from the Web

Tweet

I love the period before Christmas: lights, colors, songs, Christmas markets, hot chocolate and mulled wine. Looking for creative ideas and suggestions for Christmas, I found these original ideas to create an advent calendar:

Color hanging cones from Pickles

Paper Christmas trees from Ikat Bag

Paper Scraps Birds from One Hour Craft

Small Muslin Bags from Mommy in the Mist

Candy Boxes from That artist woman

Envelopes from Nice Package

Manzanita Tree from Centsational Girl

Vintage Spool from Just Something I Made

Little Boxes from Ohdeeoh

We choose the most original and very cheap:

Toilet Paper Tubes from Maya Made

Romantic Locations in Italy to Propose Marriage

Tweet

Getting engaged is more than just asking a Question, it's the Proposal for a Life! The location generally sets the tone of the marriage and it's very important, also because the right atmosphere can help and makes less stressful to ask the "important questions". Choose a week-end or a short break to spend with your future bride in one of the most romantic places in Italy .

The following locations in Italy are a great way to ask that special someone to spend the rest of their life with you:

WINTER PROPOSAL

If you're planning to propose in Christmas or Holiday Time, the italian mountains can be the best options.

- Propose on the Mont Blanc, declare her your love 3462 meters above sea level!

We can suggest the Mont Blanc package: 2 nights in 4 stars hotel, 2 entrance tickets on the The Thermal Baths of Pré-Saint-Didier, candle-light dinner for 2, 2 sky days pass.

- Trekking under the stars in Gran Paradiso National Park! For the most romantic we suggest a night walk with snowshoes through the woods accompanied by naturalist guides, to discover the magic of snow at night, the stars and the pleasure of a dinner in a typical restaurant.

The package includes: 2 nights in a romantic room in hotel 4 stars, breakfast in room, fresh flowers at the arrival, night trekking excursion + dinner in a typical restaurant + stars gazing and local spirits tasting, 1 hour private use of the hotel spa + 1 Champagne bottle, horse-drawn sleigh tour in the Gran Paradiso National Park and candlelit dinner.

- A Pampering Mountain : 2 nights in apartment with breakfast, welcome gift, trekking tour on snowshoes with tea break along the way, couple spa treating at the Thermal Baths of Arta and romantic dinner for 2 in a mountain hut.

SPRING AND SUMMER IDEAS:

- Say I Love You on the Blue Sky: enjoy an Hot-air Balloon flight and ask your partner's hand in marriage, while you're aboard together. Give the ring to your loved partner, with the Italian Alps as background or flying over the Florence Cathedral. The package includes: 2 nights in 3 stars hotel, round trip transfer to the Balloon launch station, champagne breakfast and photo service during the fly.

- Declare your love in one of the most magican location in Italy: a private terrace overlooking Naples Bay and the Vesuvio volcano. The exclusive and luxery week-end includes:

2 nights stay in a beautiful suite of a 5 stars hotel

Breakfast served in the room

Bottle of Champagne and flowers at your arrival

Romantic dinner at the breathtaking view Terrace with private waiter

Private Boat Tour

- Candlelit dinner on the beach, with only the waves sound as background? In Italy there are beautiful beach venues on the beach, in particular the Sardinia and the Sicily. Magical atmosphere, intimate locations, long sunsets and great food. There are different suggestions, from the private cottage on the beach to the eco-resort in the islands.

Obvious, but always romantic is still Venice, one of the most romantic cities not only in Italy, but all over the world. An old style hotel with view on Canal Grande, a gondola rite, a drink at sunset on a stylish bar terrace and at end a dinner with view on the Laguna.