What a thrill the moment when you and your loved decide to get married! a real whirlwind of emotions… but where to get married? Here the 5 main reasons why a destination wedding in Sicily is the perfect choice.
When he makes the proposal and you say yes, the emotion and the desire to share your happiness with everyone soon gives way to a thought: how to make that day perfect? How to make this special moment an unforgettable experience for yourself, your families and friends? it is at this point that the idea of a destination wedding begins to take root and Italy seems to perfectly embody the atmosphere you’ve always imagined for your wedding.
Planning a destination wedding is a big undertaking and often deciding on the right location can be the most difficult task to make at the beginning of the wedding planning. There are so many factors to take into consideration; how far is it? how economic is it? how much does it fit with your dream wedding needs? The beautiful locations to say “I Do” are countless, but only one is the place that will definitely make you fall in love, and a destination wedding in Sicily could magically be your perfect choice!
A TREASURE CHEST OF HISTORY, CULTURE AND TRADITION
Have you ever been in Sicily? Have you ever seen all its faces, its shapes, its colors, its perfumes, its flavors? Difficult to explain how much big are his wealth, his history, his tradition, his culture. It is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean. And its coasts have always been its borders as its gates. Land of arrival, land of departure. continuous movement, continuous change, never stasis. This is what made it the biggest melting- pot of cultures, from the South as well as from the North, from the East as well as from the West. Greeks, Romans, Normans, Spaniards, Arabs and many others, have alternated in time, leaving a trace of their passage in Sicilian faces, as in their kitchen, traditions, language and temperament.
Time flows slowly; everyone moves more slowly and with more tranquility. Those in hurry do not come to Sicily. The seasons were marked by the succession of religious festivals and rhythms of the earth. Traditions and customs remained also today and the colorful folklore of this island is definitely one of the best motives to choose a destination wedding in Sicily. It is the perfect place where to spend the days leading to the wedding, to slowly taste its cuisine and the intense flavors of its typical products, to enjoy the clear sea and the impressive nature so as the amazing Baroque architecture.
THE TASTE OF SICILY: TERRITORY, FOOD AND WINE
At every corner, there is a continuous discovery of something different from the previous one. Seas, mountains, lakes, rivers, reserves, valleys, flat lands, vineyards that follow endless fields of wheat, and then carob and olive trees, prickly pears and citrus. The scent of the agrume blossom and jasmine, the flowering of the medlar pervades the gardens and the courtyards in the evening.
And what about the smells that come out of the kitchens of each house? In Sicily, we don’t eat to live, but we live to eat. Food is culture, pleasure, fun, conviviality, sharing, relaxation, an act of love and an act of welcome. In whatever house you enter, the most common phrase is “have you eaten?”. In whatever house you enter, you will eat. And you will not be disappointed the intensity of the typical Sicilian flavors. Flavors are strong, but soft and perturbing, with in many recipes the perfect balance between acid and sweet, the pleasant salty of its preserves and the bitter ends of its herbs. A millenarian agricultural and food culture combined with its favorable climate, intelligence and necessity, have created a wonderful variety of cheeses, oil, wines and symbolic recipes well- known all over the world, such as arancino, cannolo, granita, pasta “alla norma”, pasta with sardines. The most certain thing is that your guests won’t be able to forget the food of your destination wedding in Sicily.
Excellent food is then accompanied by great Sicilian wines that are becoming increasingly important, very appreciated in the world. Both white wines (such as Grillo, Carricante, Cataratto, Insolia, Grecanico) and red wines (such as Nerello mascalese, Nerello cappuccio, Nero d’Avola, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Frappato). This makes Sicily the ideal place for those who love to enjoy the good things in life, and it’s a playground for any wine connoisseur.
PRECIOUS HANDCRAFT: COLORS AND ART of SICILY
Sicily is a swirl of colors that confuse and impress you. Warm and joyful, like the decorations of the “carretto”, the typical wooden cart, like the illuminations of their festivals, like a juicy freshly peeled prickly pear, a tomato in the summer, the pistachio, the oil, the sea, the plowed fields, the lava falling down from Etna… Sicily is an explosion of lights and colors. It is the excess. But the excess that doesn’t bother, like in a caponata, with a thousand ingredients in harmony; like a baroque balcony, full of sculpted, worrying and seductive figures; like a cassata, that is a blaze of flavors; like its traditional ceramics or the heads of Moro, now a symbol in the whole world of its art and genius; like patterns and fabrics copied in fashion, tassels and pompom, lace and embroidery. In each family, the grandmother and the mother with their hands prepared the equipment of every female daughter. Years of work created real masterpieces. Like the wedding dress, often handed down from mother to daughter. The bride in Sicily is absolutely in lace, with elegance and refinement. Also when sober and simple in shape, refinement and richness are in fabrics and precious embroidery. Keep it in mind when you think about the dress for your destination wedding in Sicily.
LOCATION, BEAUTY IS ALL AROUND
Wonderful churches or baroque noble palaces, traditional villa surrounded by agrume trees or under the shadow of olive trees or carrob ones, vineyards, old tuna factories, ancient ruins in the midst of natural reserves… Oh yes, this is not a dream! There are so many different venue options for you and your loved to fit your budget and also your personality. The options are really endless and in this beautiful island you are sure to find something to fit exactly what you are searching for to organize your dream destination wedding in Sicily.
PRICE, AN AFFORDABLE PARADISE CORNER
The last (but also the first) point is the price. Sicily is really more affordable than you could think, more than other regions in Italy. It is one of the most authentic regions of Italy, where mass tourism has not yet arrived and prices are therefore fairer. And obviously this is also dependent on the savings that a wedding planner can get you. Asking for the help of a wedding planner can save you a considerable amount of money, with the experience in the cost savings on each single part of the organization. Depending on your budget, we can direct you towards the right partners for your event and the perfect wedding venue, whether it’s an elegant villa or castle with a rental fee or a cozy tavern by the sea with a menu in a budget.
I hope I have convinced you and that you have no more doubts on what is the best place to live this fundamental piece of your life.
If you would like to know more about having a destination wedding in Sicily, contact us so we can chat about your dream wedding plans!
Thanks for these great pictures to Caitlin Lisa Photography and Morlotti Studio Padova
THE PARTICULARS:
Photography: Caitlin Lisa Photography & Morlotti Studio Padova
