Di Tutto

In times of economic crisis even when planning a wedding, the imperative is to save money! It is no coincidence that for the first time in north Italy the number of civil partnerships has exceeded the religious ceremonies. However, strict savings in the overall spending does not mean you must abandon either elegance or party success, but how can you save money on your wedding without making a poor show? We asked Monica Gobbi D’Alò, wedding planner and expert in the field. “By cutting the number of guests, which usually accounts for the 50-60% of total budget and choosing a midweek day or a month that is different from the most popular ones like June, July and September. You may get significant discounts from venues and catering services when selecting local menus and seasonal menus. Even the Km 0 option may help in reducing costs. You may abound with entrées and desserts and limit main course selections. What guests tend to remember is the general atmosphere, the arrival at the venue and the grand finale. You may also save money by preparing your own music medley, by choosing seasonal and local flowers and making large use of foliage to fill the centerpieces. Finally, instead of the traditional wedding souvenirs go with the “confettata” and make use of the e-options for save-the-date and invitations, which may be less elegant, but greener and cheaper”.

This is crystal clear for the wedding organisation, but what are the latest wedding trends? After a long period in which excessive and costly celebrations were normal, simplicity is now the name of the game. Simplicity together with elegance. Wedding style has evolved and you may find many different options such as the classic chic, the country chic, and the eco-chic. However, what matters is that it should fit with the style and personality of the future couple. It may sound strange, but this year in lieu of the traditional wedding souvenirs, many couples have chosen food and wine products, either a bottle of wine with a personalised label including the wedding date and the couple’s initials, or a personalised box of chocolates, bonbon, candies, or nicely wrapped environment-friendly jams. Wedding colour trends in Italy, England and in the United States increasingly reflect the classic ones such as white and green, with some Tiffany green or mint green as a variance. The focus point of each wedding is the reception, as Gobbi D’Alò says. “The current trend prefers a venue with a garden or in the middle of a park which enables both an inside reception as well as outside alternative solutions such as wedding picnic, wedding brunch or the traditional buffet. In addition, music and floral decorations should coordinate with the wedding theme whilst hitting the five senses: they have to harmonise, they have to convey happiness, warmth with the use of candles and lights, they have to involve with their perfumes, they have to accompany without disturbing the whole celebration. More and more, there is a tendency in choosing km 0 menus, meaning local and seasonal products in line with the recent environment-friendly attitude of an increasing number of couples. Wedding cakes are still widely used, whilst a brand new option is the “casket cake”, which may be perfect for the groom willing to declare his love in front of the guests, who may hide inside a little present for his bride-to-be, or for those who want to thank their friends and relatives with additional little presents such as little flowers, bonbons or biscuits. Finally, the wedding gown, which, Monica Gobbi D’Alò explains, “tends to maximise the bride’s assets whilst reflecting her preferences, but short or long, lace or satin, white in all its nuances remains the dominant colour. A hair up style should always adapt to the face. Whether up or down or loose, they have to be natural”. Finally, the make-up “has to be light so as to maximise the beauty of the face without looking like somebody else”. Have a great wedding!