Grazie > Philippa & Stephen
September 11, 2010Santa Margherita Ligure
Dearest Cinzia,
I am finally getting around to thanking you for making our wedding day the best day of our lives! From the moment Stephen and I met you and chose Villa San Giacomo as our venue, we knew you were someone we could trust and rely upon. I can't believe a year full of emailing each other on such a frequent basis is now over - it's so sad!
I'm trying to remember everything in order as it happened! Firstly we were really pleased with the Hotel Continental. The staff were really helpful and arranged to have our room cleaned early in the morning on the wedding day so we weren't disturbed during our preparations.
I was really pleased with my hair and make-up - it was exactly what I wanted so say a big thank you to Marina from me.
I'm so glad in a way that the vintage car wasn't available at the last minute because it made it all the more fun having the Ape! I will never forget the look on Stephen's face when he saw it. Myself and Dad thought it would break down on the way up the hill to the church but it gave us much amusement and looks great in the photos.
What can I say about the flowers? They were everything I imagined and wished for. You understood exactly what I wanted. The colours were amazing and worked so well with my and Jen's dresses. The church looked really beautiful. At the reception, I loved the floating candles, the table settings, the menus and the favours were so cute! I got one of my friends to take a photo of the table as I liked it so much. Stephen, Dad and Gareth's button holes were gorgeous. So unusual (in Ireland anyway) to see a purple flower used but it just looked fantastic.
The food was gorgeous as I expected. The buffet appetisers were out of this world. Just feel so guilty that so much was leftover! We were really pleased with the wine. I was only sorry I couldn't drink the red (I love red wine) as I was afraid I'd spill it on my dress! The cake was beautiful with all the candles around it and it looks so impressive in all the photos. We're delighted with the photos also - we have just about narrowed them down to 110 for the album - it was hard work choosing!
The piece de resistance was definitely the band. You were so right in saying that they would make the wedding. Would you have an email address for them so we can thank them personally? Did you hear everyone shouting for more when they were finished?! They learned our first song so well, couldn't believe it!
I will probably remember more and more things to thank you for after I've sent this mail. But the main thing is that it was the most magical day we have ever experienced. We are so glad that we had 50 people as it made it so intimate. You made it work so that it always felt as if there were lots of people there. So many people said it was the best wedding they had ever been to, the setting, the food, the music etc. I think the mojitos were the icing on the cake!
At the end of the night, when we walked down the steps to Miami Bar, there was a crowd of people having drinks outside and they all cheered as we walked down! My feet were so so sore at that stage that I just wanted to go home so Stephen and I just stayed about 20 minutes and then got a taxi back to the hotel. Got back at about 2am. We sat out on the terrace of the hotel room until 4am, chatting and doing a post mortem of the day. It was fantastic.
So thanks for being the best wedding planner ever and for being such a good pal to me over the past year. And Stephen thinks you did a great job too!
Love Philippa and Stephen
My dear Cinzia
I suppose every mother dreams of her daughter having the most beautiful wedding and I was certainly no exception. And in my case the dream came true on 11th September last.
I cannot thank you enough for all you did for us - from the booking of hotels to the glittering reception. Everything was exactly as we would have wished it, you even managed a beautiful sunny day in spite of the torrential rain that week.
There are so many memories for us to keep down the years, its difficult to know what to single out. Marina did a magnificent job on Philippa's hair, interpreting her wishes exactly, and Jennifer and I were also delighted with our styles (and our make-up). Please thank her and give her our best wishes.
Don Mario was a calm and dignified celebrant of the Mass and his homily on love was appreciated by so many of us "oldies".
The church, the flowers, the singing of Milena and the playing of Maestro Alessandro, the organist, made the wedding ceremony so memorable.
And of course the Villa Durazzo! What a perfect setting for a wedding! The fun we (and most of all the children) had at the pre-dinner reception, followed by the most delicious meal. I would especially like to mention the serving staff who were so pleasant to us.
And then, of course, there was the band!! Their playing at the reception and after the meal was wonderful - we adored their music and loved their sense of fun. I haven't danced like that for a long, long time.
Massi was also so attentive. He has been in touch with Stephen and Philippa while he was in Dublin and we are awaiting the album which we hope to have soon.
And you know Cinzia, every time I looked around, there you were, unobtrusively keeping an eye on everything. I felt that you were my alter ego. I am so, so grateful for your professionalism and also for your friendship which I hope we will keep for ever. Thank you my darling. I know that should you ever be in Dublin we will be happy to return at least a little of your hospitality.
So now winter is setting in here in Ireland. What lovely memories we have of Santa Margherita, not just of the wedding but also of the wonderful week we spent afterwards with friends and family. Actually, I'm sorry that I don't have another daughter so that we could repeat everything in a year or so!!!!
I hope you have time on your hands, now that the hectic days of spring and summer have passed, to take a little time off and enjoy a well-deserved break.
We hope to be in Italy sometime in the New Year, perhaps in Genoa, who knows?
In the meantime, take very good care of yourself and give our regards to Alice.
Des joins me in wishing you well...............
Love,
Helen
PS: Des hopes you are having lots of fun with the new motorbike.
I am finally getting around to thanking you for making our wedding day the best day of our lives! From the moment Stephen and I met you and chose Villa San Giacomo as our venue, we knew you were someone we could trust and rely upon. I can't believe a year full of emailing each other on such a frequent basis is now over - it's so sad!
I'm trying to remember everything in order as it happened! Firstly we were really pleased with the Hotel Continental. The staff were really helpful and arranged to have our room cleaned early in the morning on the wedding day so we weren't disturbed during our preparations.
I was really pleased with my hair and make-up - it was exactly what I wanted so say a big thank you to Marina from me.
I'm so glad in a way that the vintage car wasn't available at the last minute because it made it all the more fun having the Ape! I will never forget the look on Stephen's face when he saw it. Myself and Dad thought it would break down on the way up the hill to the church but it gave us much amusement and looks great in the photos.
What can I say about the flowers? They were everything I imagined and wished for. You understood exactly what I wanted. The colours were amazing and worked so well with my and Jen's dresses. The church looked really beautiful. At the reception, I loved the floating candles, the table settings, the menus and the favours were so cute! I got one of my friends to take a photo of the table as I liked it so much. Stephen, Dad and Gareth's button holes were gorgeous. So unusual (in Ireland anyway) to see a purple flower used but it just looked fantastic.
The food was gorgeous as I expected. The buffet appetisers were out of this world. Just feel so guilty that so much was leftover! We were really pleased with the wine. I was only sorry I couldn't drink the red (I love red wine) as I was afraid I'd spill it on my dress! The cake was beautiful with all the candles around it and it looks so impressive in all the photos. We're delighted with the photos also - we have just about narrowed them down to 110 for the album - it was hard work choosing!
The piece de resistance was definitely the band. You were so right in saying that they would make the wedding. Would you have an email address for them so we can thank them personally? Did you hear everyone shouting for more when they were finished?! They learned our first song so well, couldn't believe it!
I will probably remember more and more things to thank you for after I've sent this mail. But the main thing is that it was the most magical day we have ever experienced. We are so glad that we had 50 people as it made it so intimate. You made it work so that it always felt as if there were lots of people there. So many people said it was the best wedding they had ever been to, the setting, the food, the music etc. I think the mojitos were the icing on the cake!
At the end of the night, when we walked down the steps to Miami Bar, there was a crowd of people having drinks outside and they all cheered as we walked down! My feet were so so sore at that stage that I just wanted to go home so Stephen and I just stayed about 20 minutes and then got a taxi back to the hotel. Got back at about 2am. We sat out on the terrace of the hotel room until 4am, chatting and doing a post mortem of the day. It was fantastic.
So thanks for being the best wedding planner ever and for being such a good pal to me over the past year. And Stephen thinks you did a great job too!
Love Philippa and Stephen
My dear Cinzia
I suppose every mother dreams of her daughter having the most beautiful wedding and I was certainly no exception. And in my case the dream came true on 11th September last.
I cannot thank you enough for all you did for us - from the booking of hotels to the glittering reception. Everything was exactly as we would have wished it, you even managed a beautiful sunny day in spite of the torrential rain that week.
There are so many memories for us to keep down the years, its difficult to know what to single out. Marina did a magnificent job on Philippa's hair, interpreting her wishes exactly, and Jennifer and I were also delighted with our styles (and our make-up). Please thank her and give her our best wishes.
Don Mario was a calm and dignified celebrant of the Mass and his homily on love was appreciated by so many of us "oldies".
The church, the flowers, the singing of Milena and the playing of Maestro Alessandro, the organist, made the wedding ceremony so memorable.
And of course the Villa Durazzo! What a perfect setting for a wedding! The fun we (and most of all the children) had at the pre-dinner reception, followed by the most delicious meal. I would especially like to mention the serving staff who were so pleasant to us.
And then, of course, there was the band!! Their playing at the reception and after the meal was wonderful - we adored their music and loved their sense of fun. I haven't danced like that for a long, long time.
Massi was also so attentive. He has been in touch with Stephen and Philippa while he was in Dublin and we are awaiting the album which we hope to have soon.
And you know Cinzia, every time I looked around, there you were, unobtrusively keeping an eye on everything. I felt that you were my alter ego. I am so, so grateful for your professionalism and also for your friendship which I hope we will keep for ever. Thank you my darling. I know that should you ever be in Dublin we will be happy to return at least a little of your hospitality.
So now winter is setting in here in Ireland. What lovely memories we have of Santa Margherita, not just of the wedding but also of the wonderful week we spent afterwards with friends and family. Actually, I'm sorry that I don't have another daughter so that we could repeat everything in a year or so!!!!
I hope you have time on your hands, now that the hectic days of spring and summer have passed, to take a little time off and enjoy a well-deserved break.
We hope to be in Italy sometime in the New Year, perhaps in Genoa, who knows?
In the meantime, take very good care of yourself and give our regards to Alice.
Des joins me in wishing you well...............
Love,
Helen
PS: Des hopes you are having lots of fun with the new motorbike.