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Frequently Asked Questions
By
Slow Dreams - Weddings in Italy
License
Q. Do
you have a license?
A. We have a license to operate in Italy.
We
are incorporated in Delaware. We are also
sponsored
by the state of Basilicata and the Mayors of Maratea,
Celle di Bulgheria,
Sapri
and Castellabate.
Basic Questions
Q.
Why should I hire you to coordinate my wedding?
A. 1. The most important thing to us in organizing your
wedding is to make sure that you are comfortable and have a wonderful
experience. We do that by being here in Italy. As such we can
provide the necessary levels of knowledge and the responsiveness. Also by
being American
and British, we can communicate not just in English, but with an
in-depth cultural awareness of the likes
and dislikes of most Americans
and British.
2.
We provide a very
comprehensiveset of services and information, more than
any other wedding organizer in Italy (as evidenced in our website).
3.
We believe in a lot of personal interaction.
4.
Since September 2002 we have searched out the best hotels and vendors. We
only work with hotels/properties/florists/photographers, etc. that have
successfully done many weddings.
5.
We are organized; we use state of the art planning tools and we are in
constant communication with you. We’ll have review meetings with you
when you arrive.
Q.
Can Slow Dreams arrange my wedding in other towns?
A. We will only arrange weddings in the area where we have
developed in-depth knowledge of the locations, hotels, restaurants,
things to do, places to go, officiants, local government officials, etc.
Organizations that operate overseas without this knowledge base severely
risk the success of your event.
Q.
What kind of company are you?
A. We are a planning and management company.
Everything
we’ve done, from being located here as opposed to New York, etc. to
offering you cell phones, is done to make you feel comfortable. We’ve
invested a great deal in making sure you know what to expect when you
arrive.
Contracts
Q.
How will we be assured of the reliability of your services?
A. We will write up a contract when we undertake to assist you
with your wedding plans.
We also only work with hotels and vendors who have done many
weddings.
Q.
Once I signed the contract, may I add other services to my wedding
package?
A. Yes, you can add as many services as you prefer.
Activities
Q.
What are the prices for the “Things to Do/Fun Stuff page”?
A.
Prices vary depending on date and location - so
we
need to talk to the vendors to get specific prices.
Q.
Can I reserve
activites not listed on the "Things to Do" Page?
A.
Yes. This area offers a very rich set of activities. Let us
know what your interests are and we will try to accomodate them.
Q.
What is White Water Sledding?
A. It is the equivalent to snow sledding, but in
white
water
rivers.
Culture
(history/architecture)
Q.
What are Saracen towers?
A. They were
medieval
watch towers to spot the pirates coming in so they
could warn the towns.
Q.
What is Persano?
A. It’s an expanse of wetlands, lake and rivers hosting a large
variety of birds and a species of rare otter. It is an important
stop-over for migratory birds between Europe
and Africa.
Q. What is Gole
del Colore di Felitto?
A. A nature park where the river has carved out steep canyons and
ravines which are called Gole or throats in English. The park is well
known for its three ancient stone bridges.
Q.
What is UNESCO (United Nation’s World Heritage Site)?
A. It’s a protected area
in which the UN has provided funding in order to keep it
preserved for future generations.
Distances
Q.
What are the distances from Naples to Castellabate and Naples to Maratea,
etc?
A. Naples to Castellabate is 110 kilometers (about 1 ½ hrs.) and Naples
to Maratea is 207 kilometers
just over 2 hours).
Event
Management
Q.
How will I know the status of our arrangements?
A. A
member of our staff will be in touch with you periodically with email
correspondence to update you with the status. You are also free to call
any time your Slow Dreams event-manager.
Q. What
is
“My Wedding Organizer”?
A. It’s a software package that helps manage every detail of a
wedding. We will use the tool throughout the planning
and management
process to create
and monitor
a detailed
plan. This plan will be incorporated into the contract.
Q.
What if you become ill and cannot coordinate the wedding?
A. Each event manager has a back-up.
Fees
Q.
What if we change our mind once we are there about the activities
and services
that
you’ve arranged for us and we have already paid for them? Do we get our
money back?
A. Refer to the
cancellation policy:
Q.
What is your postponement policy?
A. As far as services directly provided by Slow Dreams are
concerned postponement is not a problem. However, no 3rd
party vendor has a “postponement policy”. - only a cancellation
policy. However, Slow Dreams will make a good faith effort to work
with each vendor to reschedule the event without
you
incurring additional costs or penalties.
July and August are the busiest periods and as such will be the most
difficult time in which to cater for postponements.
Q.
Do
you charge for the initial
verbal consultation?
A.
No
Q.
Will the Consultation and Planning Fee be reimbursed or subtracted from
the final bill?
A.
Yes
Flowers
Q.
Will we be able to choose flowers?
A. Yes, for your bouquet and other floral choices, we have a
floral page on the website; however, we will be happy for you to fax or
email scans and links to images of flowers that you want. Your choice may
depend on what is in season.
Gift
Registry
Q.
How does it work?
A. The complete list is on the website. The same payment &
cancellation policy applies.
Q.
When do we put it together and how do we let our friends/families know
about it?
A. You need to tell us what you are interested in and we will then
put your specific list together. You should then email the list to your
friends and family. They will then consult with us to make sure there are
no duplications or inappropriate choices.
Insurance:
Q.
What insurance do you add in my package?
A. You should take the initiative to take out full travel
insurance; i.e., health, airline cancellation, etc.
Q. Do
you have Insurance?
A. We are covered by the industry standard, Errors & Omissions
Insurance.
That means for example, if we make the wrong reservation or if we forget
to make a reservation. However; we have spent a whole year creating
management systems & coordinating with hotels/vendors to minimize the risk
of things going wrong.
Legal
Q. Is
a wedding performed in Italy legally recognized in the U.S.?
A. Yes.
Q.
Can I get married with a legally valid civil wedding in an outdoor
setting?
A. Yes, provided that the ceremony is finalized at the Town Hall.
However, some Mayors will insist that the Wedding be only at the Town
Hall.
Some (a very few) priests will also conduct outdoor wedding ceremonies
Photographer
Q. If
I have other requests than what is listed on your website, can I make
changes?
A. Yes, depending on the request and the capability of the
photographer. The prices however, may be different.
Procedural
Q.
How long do we have to be in Italy before the wedding date?
A. In Italy you need to be present long enough to complete and
lodge the paperwork - as little as 2 weekdays is often sufficient.
Q. We
speak Italian pretty well. Do we need an official interpreter?
A. It depends. Some Priests and Civil Registrar’s require an
official interpreter whereas others do not.
Q.
I've been recently divorced. Can I remarry in a Church ceremony?
A. Not in the Catholic
Church. More than a year must have
passed since the date on the final decree absolute. It may be possible in
a Protestant setting, but Protestant Ministers are rare in the South.
Q.
I've been recently divorced. Can I get remarried in a legal, civil
wedding?
A. Yes, as long as three hundred days has passed since the date on
the final decree absolute.
Q.
Are there blood tests or medical requirements to be done in Italy?
A. There are no legal requirements to be done in Italy; however,
we recommend that you check your home state regulations. We suggest blood
tests as a basic prudent step.
Q.
Will we need to bring a marriage license from our home state?
A. No.
Transportation
Q.
How much does it cost for the fishing boat with fireworks? Where is it
located? Where do you get it and where does it go?
A. The cost is €650 and it is used for Villa Sirio in Castellebate.
After the wedding ceremony, the boat would depart from a nearby town
called San Marco di Castellebate and take you right up to Villa Sirio.
Q.
Can we make airline and car rental reservations through you?
A. Yes.
Training
Q.
What type of training do you have?
A. Our Sr. Partner has a travel and airlines degree that she
received in the U.S.
Weddings
Q.
What if I just want to have a blessing, what kind of paperwork do I need?
A. Bring
your
marriage license from the Church translated into
Italian.
Q.
Are there any restrictions on Wedding Dresses?
A. Yes. In Italy, the Catholic Church’s require that the women
have their shoulder’s covered (i.e., shawl) and no cleavage showing.
Weather
Q. If our
ceremony and/or reception is outside and it rains, do you have a back up
plan?
A. We will work with you to create one.
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