Michelle (nee Dee) & Kevin Mountford’s wedding took place in Italy.

 

Here we interview Michelle to find out more about how they went about arranging it.

 

Michelle, when did you get married?

7th June 2006 @ 5pm

How did Kevin propose?

Although he knew what type of engagement ring I liked he effectively sourced himself and once acquired he was keen to present it to me. He had been trying to organise a weekend away or cook me a grand dinner at home but for whatever reason, I was not interested at the time – just appreciated time at home with Kevin & my dog, Billie.

With this in mind Kevin put on some good music, opened a bottle of champagne and popped the question at home – we had a great night and invited my Dad around to share in the celebration.

Where in Italy did you get married?

A small, old town hall, situated in the historic town of Ravello, which is on the Amalfi coast in Italy.

What made you choose this location?

Having had a formal engagement party in the UK with friends and family we had always intended to get married abroad. Wanting to avoid the production line beach type ceremonies we were either going to do tacky in Las Vegas or romantic in Italy. I fell in love with a hotel called the Palazzo Sasso which was in Ravello and everything after this just came together.

Who attended your wedding?

Originally we had intended to take a couple of close friends and their respective partners who could act as ‘witnesses’ however in the months leading up to the wedding others asked if they could come along and in the end there were 12 of us in total.

How long did it take you to organise your wedding?

Except for the fact that documents needed to be sent to Italy in advance almost everything was organised ‘on-line’ and therefore in total it did not take a long time but recommend that to secure the right dates, venue etc you try and plan 6–12 months in advance.

How easy/difficult was it to organise a wedding in Italy?

As with everything it’s down to research and Kevin actually took care of most of this. Having located a number of agencies specialise in Italian weddings we opted for a company called Matrimoniando.

Did you enlist any help with the organising?

Yes, as per above and we liaised with the proprietor, Barbara Aronica, although she used agents local to Ravello

Where there any resources you found particularly useful when organising your wedding?

I guess there are concerns in booking something as important not only overseas but via e-mail or phone and therefore not actually meeting. With this in mind look for references or referrals wherever possible. Also there is a different attitude to business and a belief that you can freely hand-over deposits etc without fear of being ‘ripped-off’.

How many guests were there at your wedding?

We had a small intimate service with 10 guests.

Where did you buy your wedding dress?

Bridal House in Chester

Where did you buy your wedding shoes?

Purdies in Chester.

What flowers did you choose and why?

I had a bouquet of 4 big white daisy type flowers. I wanted something simple.

What stands out most about your day?

It was simple, sophisticated and totally relaxed, exactly what I wanted!

Where did you honeymoon?

Having spent a couple of nights in Ravello Kevin and I left our friends behind and travelled to Sorrento for a week. We stayed in the Excelsior which gain was another fantastic hotel.

What piece of advice would you give to any other Mrs2Be organising a wedding abroad or particularly in Italy?

Think about how you are going to get your dress abroad……Most short- haul airlines do not have wardrobes on board!