Weddings in Italy  - Testimonials -  Ireland & Rest of The World

Dear everyone at Slow Dreams,

Sorry about the delay with this. Firstly, thank you all very very very much for all your help in making our wedding even more amazing than I could have ever imagined.  We loved every single minute of it and couldn’t stop smiling the whole day and for the week after!!

I always wanted to get married abroad and after looking at your website I knew Maratea is where I wanted to get married and set my heart on it immediately. It wasn’t hard convincing Niall to get married there either.   Every aspect of the planning process the year up to the wedding was carried out expertly and efficiently. I got to make the fun decisions and let Slow Dreams do all the hard work.

Maratea is so beautiful, it's such an unspoilt, perfect hideaway. The Hotel Santavenere is the most magnificent hotel I have ever stayed in. Lucia and Rosa were absolutely brilliant, they brought us to see the hotel the day previous to the wedding and described how the day would go, they talked us through what to do and advised us on aspects of the day. On the day, they made sure everything ran smoothly and did some vital translating for us when needed. They were always there when we needed them, they are not only brilliant planners but very nice people too. 

The ceremony location outside, overlooking the sea was just spectacular. The guests were all amazed at how beautiful it was.  The ceremony itself was so romantic and I couldn’t stop myself from crying, very emotional.

Everything was planned so perfectly and I have to say I didn’t have to worry about anything the whole day. I was the most relaxed bride ever. My bridesmaids and I spent the afternoon by the pool and sipping champagne cocktails in our suite, before the hair and make-up people arrived.  The suite was lovely, with the most romantic balcony and view. 

The dinner in the evening was fantastic, we sat watching the sun go down as we ate beautiful food and drank wine. The staff were so good, very friendly and the attention to detail was noticeable.  We all danced the night away when the sun went down, including our 18 month old daughter, who had a ball.

I really didn’t want the day to end, it was so much fun. It was such a unique and beautiful wedding, something we will treasure forever. 

We really enjoyed the whole week, the area is so peaceful and laid back, the town of Maratea itself is so pretty. We took a walk around the town before we got married in the town hall that morning and it was such a romantic and intimate way to spend the time before we got officially married.

The Hotel Meraviglie, where we all stayed for the week was also brilliant. The staff were fantastic and really helpful and understanding. They put up with our late nights down at the pool bar and were very accommodating. The hotel itself is really lovely, it’s so quiet and relaxing, it was like having our own private villa for the week.

We would love to come back in a few years and visit the area again.  I would recommend the area and Slow Dreams to anyone. They took the stress and hassle out of planning a wedding and made it fun and exciting. I loved it so much I wish could do it all over again!! Thank you so so much, you were all great and we couldn't have done it without you. I could go on all day about how great it was..........best wishes,

Laura & Niall xxxx

Dear Bill, Janie, Lucia, John and Dino,

 

We would like to thank you all for the most beautiful wedding.  It was

beyond our wildest expectations, sincerely.  We had never even heard

of a place called Maratea, and we will now never forget it.  It will

be forever etched in our memories as "a very special place."

 

Bill and Janie, we were so thankful to have been referred to you.  You

made planning our wedding so easy and stress-free.  All of the places

that you recommend on slow dreams look gorgeous, but we can't imagine

any place more wonderful to stay than the Meraviglie, or a more

perfect venue for a wedding than the Santavenere.  Thank you for

answering all of our questions promptly and making us feel at ease.

 

When we first arrived in Italy, pre-wedding, we met a number of

wonderful people. Without John we would probably still be wandering

around Naples hopelessly trying to find the American Consulate.  He

was a great guide, thoroughly entertaining, and we will always have

wonderful memories of the morning we spent with him.  We would like to

thank both John and his wife for fighting their way through the crowds

to get us the documents we needed.  Having John was absolutely

invaluable and we would recommend his services to any couples who are

using slow dreams.

 

We arranged to take a taxi from Naples to Maratea.  We knew the

journey would be beautiful, but what we didn't know was that we'd have

an amazing guide.  Dino, our driver, went so above and beyond our

expectations.  We had the most wonderful time taking pictures at

scenic stops and learning about the towns we passed through.  We even

stopped at a buffalo mozzarella farm where we sampled yogurt and had a

unique and unexpected experience.  Dino was a wonderfully friendly man

and we will never forget having met him.  Thank you Dino!

 

We met with Lucia the night before our wedding.  We were already

comfortable with the fact that our wedding would be special, but Lucia

put us all the more at ease.  Everything was planned with precision.

Our first ceremony at Town Hall went without a hitch.  Lucia drove us

to the Santavenere to take a look, and it was so wonderful seeing

where we'd be married together... she made the day from beginning to

end work seamlessly and added to the magic of the occasion.  We wanted

to thank Lucia very much for everything that she did for us.  She too

went above and beyond anything that we could ever have expected.

 

For any couples trying to decide on a wedding venue, we would strongly

recommend the Santavenere.  Our experience there was nothing short of

perfect.  From the stunningly beautiful and private setting, to the

intimate ceremony and exquisite dinner, it's hard to find any adequate

superlative to describe the happiest day of our lives.

 

Thank you all, for your very hard work, professionalism, and above all

else, for making our wedding a dream come true.

 

Colm and Julia Flanagan

Hi Janie

We had a brilliant brilliant time.  Everything was just as I imagined it would be and more!  Alessandra was great to work with and she had a very easy-going and calming effect on me & joe.  The whole family sat on the beach on the morning of the wedding and all saying that this is the way to do it…. No problems, no hassle, nothing to worry about except getting dressed and arriving on time.  It was a truly magical experience.  The staff at the hotel were all so good.  The head waiter at L'Approdo ( I didn’t get his name) was just so professional and had everything set up with military precision and everything flowed along because of him.  The food was divine.  I cannot fault one thing about any of the wedding/honeymoon.  The area of Castellabate was beautiful and scenic, with very few tourists so we got a real taste of Italian life.  Thanks so much Janie for working so hard in the background and getting it all booked and sorted.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you get quite a few bookings from Ireland as I have been constantly singing your praises.  I really cant thank you enough!  I will of course send a photo.  I am still on a complete high and already thinking of going back for a visit.  I would do it all again (or rather ask you to sort it out again!) in a heartbeat.

Best Wishes

Yvonne & Joe

Thank you for a wonderful wedding! Not even in our dreams did we ever imagine we'd have such a unique, special and unforgettable wedding! ☺ And as stress free as it can be!

We were so happy and blissful, that when it started to rain we had fun as we hurried into the San Diego ballroom. ☺ We have a mix of romantic pictures with postcard views and funny pictures of all our family and friends under the huge umbrella. ☺

-     You guys prepared and followed up on everything so well, we depended on you with a mind at ease.  We would have loved to meet Bill and Janie in person. Maybe when we renew our vows ;)

-     Thank you for following up on our papers with the embassy.

-     San Diego Hotel has a splendid outdoor area perfect for a wedding ceremony. We were surprised at how nice their indoor ballroom is!   The food at their restaurant is very good! Their rooms are minimal but very clean and with superb views. Please thank them for their hospitality.    Their pool is marvellous! I think we'll visit the area again just to get a chance of swimming in it. (It was a bit chilly end of September  (note from Slow Dreams: -   October has been wonderful). 

-     Maratea is one of the most amazing locations in Italy. Very authentic, tourist free, with breathtaking "national geographic" views!   The restaurants you advised us to eat at have great chefs. We mostly liked the restaurant facing the Maratea municipality. Forgot its name…

-     The transport for all our 21 guests was worry free. The cab company was very professional.

It is one of those days that you wish you could relive. All our friends and family had a great time. ☺

Lucia, thank you so much for everything!

Sincerely,

Walid and Astrid Abdel-Baki

Dear Bill, Janie, Lucia and Rosa,

We don't know where to start in thanking you for our wonderful wedding day, and week of total relaxation in beautiful Maratea. When we first came across your website we were very excited as it contained everything we were looking for our wedding in Italy. It was definitely the best website we had come across as it provided so much information on the whole process.

Firstly, I would like to thank Bill for his quick responses to all my questions and for his suggestions, especially about having our champagne reception at Il Clubbino. It was a really nice touch, and all the guests really enjoyed their drinks while looking out at the beautiful views across the port.

Janie, thank you so much for everything you did for us and for making the process so easy and stress free. Your hard work in making our wedding day so special was much appreciated and didn't go unnoticed. Your knowledge of the area and experience in wedding planning proved invaluable to us.

Having travelled throughout Italy in the past we can honestly say that Maratea is definitely its most beautiful area. You get a real feel for Italy at its best, with lovely quaint villages, fantastic scenery, great food, and friendly people. Remaining untouched by mass tourism, it really is Italy's last hideaway. We couldn't have thought of a more stunning setting for our wedding.

The hotel Meraviglie was more than we could have hoped for, with sloping mountains on one side, and beautiful blue seas on the other. The staff at the hotel are wonderful and go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome. We have fond memories of relaxing by the pool or down by the water at the hotels own private beach.

When Lucia and Rosa took us to see the hotel Santavenere we knew we had made the perfect choice for our wedding reception. It is absolutely fabulous, unfortunately on the day of the wedding itself we got a bit of bad weather and had to move the reception from the beach restaurant to a terrace in  the main hotel, but, this was equally, as beautiful, as we ate our exquisite meal overlooking the lovely Tyrrhenian sea. The staff were very friendly and couldn't have been more attentive.

On meeting Lucia and Rosa I was struck by how professional, friendly and efficient they both were. They immediately put us at ease and we were confident that everything would run smoothly, and it did!

Lucia went above and beyond her call of duty by attending to our every need  she even tried to find a bar that was broadcasting the All Ireland football final on television so that we could watch it on the day the guests arrived!

Thank you so much for giving us the wedding of our dreams. We are delighted that we chose Slow Dreams to organise our wedding as the level of service is second to none. We will definitely be returning to Maratea again in the near future.

Kind regards,

Marie and Adrian.

Dear Bill, Janie & Lucia

Gaining trust, reassurance and confidence was top of our agenda when approaching Slow Dreams to arrange the most important day of our lives.

Bill and Janie, not only did you achieve this, but you demonstrated help and guidance during the 18 months of planning with pure professionalism and flexibility.

The weather was absolutely beautiful from the day we arrived, relaxing around the quaint Villa de Meraviglie with almost 60 guests who travelled from all over the world, enjoying some beautiful Italian pizza, buffalo mozzarella and soaking up the scenic views that you can only imagine in your wildest dreams until you have been here!!

If only words could sum up what happen on 30^th May 2009 in Maratea, we would have to describe it as a “Disney Fairy Tail”

The guests enjoyed every minute of the wedding, tears of happiness and celebration filled the day with comments from our guests: “ This is the most amazing, beautiful  wedding we have ever been to”

A special thank you to Lucia who calmed our nerves down by absorbing all the stress into her own arms and ensuring everyone could fully enjoy this amazing day. The organization, pro-activeness and determination of Lucia to make this day spectacular as it was, we would simply have to sum it up … 1^st class.

Thank you once more again, for this unforgettable dream…

Best Regards

Nick and Ellen

Hi Janie,

What can i say only thank you`s so so so so so so sooooooo much.

When we booked the San Michele we really did not realize the type of hotel we were going to.

Honestly we have never had such service in our lives. From Ornella herself (an absolute gem of a lady) to Andre in the bar (a saint in the making) to the restaurant manager, the waiters, the receptionists & cleaning staff.

Everyone was absolutely fantastic.

Lucia, is such a lovely lady, the first day we met i had sunstroke so was not well at all & then the day of the wedding i was so bloody nervous before the church i was not much of a laugh either (or in her words " a pooper" ).

When booking with yourselves i really did not know what was going to happen as i do not do really any type of booking over the internet never mind my wedding but my God did you & your company come up trumps.

Again, we can not thank Slow dreams enough for making it all happen & so easy.If i am ever asked if i know if a wedding planner i can guarantee your company will be recommended.

It is depressing to think we wont be mailing each other anymore.

Lots & lots & lots of thanks,

Denis & Sinead.

To Lucia, Janie and Bill

We just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for our fantastic wedding.  How many times can you say thank you to someone?  It was all down to the three of you.  We never thought our wedding could be what it was.  Words cannot describe the happiness you brought to us on our wedding day.  You thought of things we wouldn’t have even considered.  We travel so much that we didn’t have time to plan our own wedding – all we knew was that we wanted to get married in Italy.  A friend recommended you and from the moment I emailed your company I knew that we had reached out to a unique organisation.  All of you were so patient with our indecisions and delays.  Nothing was a problem for you.

We had a small wedding but you allowed us to cater for everything (including the last minute changes… Lucia is amazing; we had absolutely nothing to worry about when we got to Pisciotta.  (For anyone reading this, you have no idea how stress free our wedding was, we were on vacation!).  The town of Pisciotta turned out for our wedding.  We have never seen such generosity for the four days we were there; you would have to be there to believe it.

We cannot recommend highly enough Slow Dreams… we procrastinated, delayed and had literally last minute requests.  Lucia, without saying anything looked after all us (especially me). 

Our family and friends are all still raving about the truly amazing time we had – we all want to go back in 10 year for the anniversary (do you do anniversaries?)

Once again thank you for everything (a mere thank you seems feeble)

Emily O'Sullivan

Janie, Lucia and Bill,

Thank you all so very much for everything you did to make our wedding day go so smoothly.  From getting our guests booked in at the hotel to music and flowers and everything in between - it all went off without a hitch and we were so relaxed thanks to you all!  The staff at L'Approdo Hotel were so helpful, friendly and accommodating and the setting was beautiful.  It really was our dream day and we enjoyed every minute of it!!

We simply cannot thank you enough for all that you did.  Having a destination wedding can be cumbersome to organize but with Slow-Dreams expertise and organization it was just so easy!  You were all so friendly, patient with all the questions, and very quick to respond.  You really put us at ease with our decision to get married abroad.  The Maratea region is so beautiful and we can't wait to go back!  And Lucia, thanks for going the extra mile and rescheduling the excursion trip for our guests.  They really enjoyed it and were so appreciative that you did that for them!

We would highly recommend Slow-Dreams for anyone wishing to get married in Italy.  You were all so fabulous to work with and we are so glad we came across your website.  You guys are the best!!

Mille grazie,
Denae & Mark

Dear Janie, Lucia and Bill,

I would like to start by thanking everyone at Slow Dreams for making our wedding day better than we could ever have imagined.  From the first email that was sent back on a cold wet January night every exchange we had from then on was answered so promptly and thoroughly.  From my original endless email questions with Bill initially, then Janie and then Lucia closer to the day; it was as if everyone had so much experience that they could nearly pre-empt what I was going to ask next.  There was never any delay in response or compromise of answer.  No question too big and none too small, and they were many…   I think my decision was made within 2 days that Maratea was the place we wanted to get married and Slow Dreams the company we would use.

We decided on the venue of the Ave Maria church at the port in Maratea and Il Carrubo at The Santavenere for the reception.  All planning was done over email and we took a chance having never visited this area of Italy before.  We were not disappointed. 

We debated over where we would stay and we were so glad we pushed the boat out and stayed at the Santavenere for the week.  We along with our 1 year old daughter pretty much had the hotel to ourselves and the family and staff couldn’t have been more welcoming.  The hotel has an old style charm and the service is great, especially on the day of the wedding.  Our families stayed at the Meraviglie and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Everyone loved the lush gardens with beautiful walks to the sea.  

We met with Lucia and Alida 2 days before the wedding and they took us down to Il Carrubo and we worked out logistics for day.  This is where the pressure was lifted from us and 9 months of planning fell into place.  We also met with Silvia and Luigi and casually discussed what type of photographs we would like.  Meetings likes this can happen months in advance when planning a wedding; arranging tables, favours,  PA and DJ system, meal requirements, order of the day etc but even meeting with everyone for the first time 2 days before the wedding did not compromise anything.

From the first time I saw Il Carrubo I was blown away, the photos to do not do the place justice.  It is intimate, yet spacious with wonderful views of the sea and completely private; the most amazing outside wedding venue. 

On the morning of the wedding everything went seamlessly and this is where Lucia came into her own.  Lucia was wonderful and with Alidas help, nothing was left to chance she kept everything running smoothly making it look effortless.  The flowers were beautiful – exactly the same as the picture I had sent.  The hairdressers (whom we had never met) did a wonderful job, with our pigeon Italian and help with translation.  Silvia and Luigi the photographers were great, so relaxed.  We asked for as laid back and natural as possible and that’s exactly what we got.  The proofs look great so look forward to receiving the album.  We didn’t realise how long they would be there so we were pleasantly surprised to still see them both late into the night taking snaps of the dancing… 

The church service at the Ave Maria church at the port was beautiful.  The mass was in Italian with Lucia translating.  Our priest Don Giuseppe Addolorato went out of his way to make the mass personal to us even though the first time we met him was at the altar.  The singers during the mass were also wonderful.  We chose to have a prosecco toast at Il Clubbino in the port which was great for the photos and added a relaxed atmosphere.

The night before the wedding there was a storm and parts of Italy were badly flooded and as the winds were still very high we couldn’t have the dinner in Il Carrubo (I think everyone was afraid to tell me). At first I was really disappointed but as an Irish person I know you can never depend on the weather.  It meant having the dinner in the dining room at the main hotel.  This really worked out to our advantage as it allowed our guests to see the elegance of the hotel which they wouldn’t have seen had the meal been at Il Carrubo.  The food was beautiful with wonderful service and spectacular views from the dining room. Adding to the romance of the day there was an original lost Leonardo Da Vinci portrait on display in the hotel which some of the guests, as were we, truly impressed with.   During the meal the hotel manager approached us and said the weather had calmed down greatly and asked if we wanted to go to Il Carrubo to have the dancing.  We really got the best of both worlds having been able to eat comfortably in the hotel dining room, make the speeches and then go down to the sea and dance until very early in the morning, without anyone looking over our shoulders pointing to the clock... 

I cannot recommend Slow Dreams enough.  Along with everything they did organising the wedding including following up on paper work, arranging the flowers, music, photographers, dealing with the hotel, local transport, airport transfers, room bookings for family and friends, a nail party, numerous hair bookings the day of the wedding and even picking up candles to use during the mass per an Irish candle lighting tradition – nothing was a problem.  Lucia also helped us arrange book a restaurant for a party our parents threw the night after the wedding.  Some of my guests couldn’t believe that all arrangements for the wedding were made just over email. 

Lucia was attentive but yet discreet the day of the wedding and left us to work away for the rest of the night once the meal was being served.  I really enjoyed planning the wedding and most of that is down to my confidence that everything would work out as it did because of Slow Dreams; nothing is left to chance.  Maratea is a special place with breath-taking sea views, wooded hillsides and steep mountains that run to the sea with cliff top views at every opportunity and an ideal place to have a wedding.   All of the guests were gobsmacked when they first saw Maratea and then the location for wedding, many of whom said it was the best wedding they were ever at.  We can’t wait to go back to visit to relive the memories.  

Ruth and Will

September 2009