The couple write:

Dear Ben,
It's been a month now since our wedding. We are now back here in Vancouver and as usual back to work, but our hearts and minds are still in Tuscany. A place that we have always dreamt of and will never forget. We cannot thank you enough for what your whole team did for us to have the most unforgettable and perfect wedding. Our wedding day has been what we have envisioned. It is our atmost appreciation for making our vision come true.

We had envisioned our day to be simple yet romantic and elegant. In a way, it was our gift for our parents as well as to ourselves and we wanted the day to be unforgattable and memorable for all our family and friends.

The villa was gorgeous, it was really perfect for our families to meet and greet - it was their first time to meet each other. It was the perfect setting for our perfect wedding. Everybody loved it. Paola was great and very helpful the entire week.

The floral arrangement for our ceremony and reception were beautiful the flowers looked amazing. Marisa's arrangement was exquisite. Please extend our thanks to her. I really loved my bouquet. It was gorgeous - roses and orchids my favorite flowers. Also the candles really made the room glow and felt very warm. The food was very delicious, all freshly cooked. And the cake.. everybody loved it so much that everyone was devouring it the next day for breakfast.

The jazz band was excellent, playing throughout the reception. They played the song for our first dance wonderfully. They even let our guys have a wee concert of their own at the end of the night.

Lastly, we would like to say a big thank you to Luce. She was so patient and made sure that everything was running smoothly and that we were happy and enjoying ourselves on the most important day of our lives.We certainly did! We didn't have to worry about a single thing.

Again, to you Ben and your team thank you very much. Our wedding will always be treasured in our hearts.

Myra and Ian

This converted farmhouse is something very special. Perfectly refurbished, the house is situated on the rolling hills which divide the Sienese and Florentine countryside, and is just a few minutes away from San Gimignano, Certaldo, Siena and Florence.

The villa is composed of 12 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, dining-rooms, kitchens, sitting-rooms. All furbished with every comfort and appointed with true style, traditional taste and simplicity. The farm provides their holiday-makers with many services, such as satellite TV, ADSL Internet connection and telephone, and other services such as the alarm security system, air-conditioning, beds and baby changing-tables for children and drying racks.

Right next to the villa is a smaller structure, fitted out with all the main comforts. If the space of the villa is not enough, or if you need more sleeping accomodations, this building with a separate entrance and services, can be booked for your party.

MAIN VILLA:
sleeps 24 + 2 possible extra places SECOND STRUCTURE:
sleeps 8 + 2 possible extra places

This Fattoria - or farmhouse - is home to 150 hectares of wonderful Tuscany, 25 of which are vineyards, and a large portion of olive groves, which make an extraordinary olive oil; rich and intense.

The villa is made of ancient stone, and it is situated in the heart of the estate. The villa can easily accommodate 13 guests with every modern comfort. In front of the villa is a large formal garden with a breathtaking view on the Tuscan countryside. A stone staircase leads to the swimming pool, surrounded by a big grass area and the loggia: the ideal place to eat outside and relax.

The villa itself is made up of:

Ground floor
The entrance hall leads to the green sitting room and to the main hall that is connected to the billiard-room and to the library. On the other side the large dining room, the hunting hall with the big fire-place, the office, the fully equipped kitchen and a big bathroom.

First floor
Three double rooms with private bathroom with shower; two double rooms sharing a bathroom with bath and shower; one double room and one single sharing a bathroom with bath.

The Villa is rented on a weekly base from Saturday to Saturday. Rates include daily cleanings, and one change of linen a week are available on request. Upon request the villa staff can arrange the breakfast service. But the beauty of a location such as this for a wedding event, is creating your own week long home in the heart of Tuscany as a base and a venue for a relaxed, intimate, and private event.

This truly stunning thirteenth century villa has clearly been restored with love and with a strong sense of tradition. The villa lays in one of the most undisturbed parts of Southern Tuscany, close to towns of Siena and Pienza. The mission here has been to create a bespoke, luxury private retreat.

The villa has a selection of rooms - each unique, all inspired by the rich warm colors of the region. All rooms balance exquisite antique furniture, with hidden top end technology.

One stunning feature here is just down the road - the incredible abbey of San Galgano. This is one of the most remarkable religious structures in Tuscany - the small chapel on the hilltop, home to the famous sword in the stone, and the roofless abbey in the valley, a suggestive setting day and night.

For a wedding, the most wonderful way of using this location is to rent the entire property on a weekly basis, or for a weekend. At present there are 9 rooms - soon to be 12, and there is internal and extternal capacity for a wedding party of up to 75. The ideal group here is 20 to 35.

This is New Year's Day according to the ancient calendar of Pisa. The locals usually celebrate at high noon on the steps of the cathedral by singing prayers.

The Pisan calendar starting counting the days a full nine months before December 25th of the year zero. It fell out of use on December 31st, 1749, when the reigning duke Francesco placed all of Tuscany under the current Gregorian calendar. Until then, Florence also had its own calendar, similar to Pisa's, but one year behind.

Italian marriages were arranged by the families of the bride and groom. Often, the brother or another male relative of the groom went to the father or uncle of the young woman to ask for her hand in marriage. In some cases, a matchmaker sent a message (masciata) to the prospective bride's family of the man's intent to marry the bride. Once the two families were in accord, the couple's official engagement was announced.

Let us know what you think of the Italyweddings Newsletter. What would you like to see written here? Please let us know!

mail us your thoughts