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Critical Questions to Ask Your  Italy Wedding  Planning & Management Company

Slow Dreams' Answers to These Italy Wedding Questions

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Can I have a large number of testimonials and contacts?

Excellent Italy Wedding Testimonials -  Read some examples of what our couples have said about Slow Dreams and the Coast of Maratea and the Cilento National Park.  

Italy Wedding - What types of venues are offered?

Idyllic Ceremony, Reception and Accommodation  Venues  - including beaches, Italian flower gardens,  romantic seaside inns and villas,  castles,  palace, towers,  ancient sailing boats, manor houses with 1200 acre farm,  and seaside hotels. These range from the quite inexpensive to the luxurious  -  most right on the sea.   Most of these venues allow the choice of having your reception, ceremony, and/or accommodations there. 

Can I have the type of ceremony I want?  How flexible are the mayors and clergy?

Outdoor & Church Weddings in Italy By The Sea -   Unlike most of Italy, the local mayors and protestant clergy of the Coast of Maratea & The Cilento will also conduct wedding ceremonies outdoor - in venues of your choosing.  As well as Catholic weddings, the local Catholic church will also permit Protestant weddings in some of their beautiful Catholic churches and private chapels -  some by the sea,  some on mountain tops, and some nestled in ancient towns and villages.

How beautiful is the area?

Unspoiled & Beautifully Romantic - Easily Italy's most beautiful and unspoiled romantic region - protected by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the United Nations (UNESCO) -  Soaring mountains bordering a clear blue sea with some of Italy's finest beaches and 3000 years of stunning architecture, town and villages. 

How does the planning and management company minimize problems and hassles for me?

We Do The  Whole Job  -  Many of the Italy wedding planning companies simply "resell"  the services of other companies.  They have no control of the quality of services that these 3rd party companies end up delivering.   When you contract one of the most important events of your life to us  -  we and only we  plan and manage that event  -  we and only we are responsible for getting it done right.

Native English Speakers -   Language and cultural based miscommunications are the primary reasons behind problems that mar, ruin or complicate overseas weddings.  All Slow Dreams' staff are native English speakers from the US or the UK that live in Italy and, as such,  are sensitive to the cultural expectations of our clients and of the relevant local Italians.  To illustrate  -  Italian wedding receptions are about food, food and food.  Surprisingly, dancing and alcohol play no or little part in a typical Italian wedding.    Off the shoulder wedding dresses can be offensive to certain Italian clergy and mayors.  Certain hymns which are well accepted in the UK and US are frowned on for Italian religious ceremonies.  Italian wedding cakes are flat uninteresting slabs of cake.   Our combined intimate knowledge of the local environment and of the US and the UK, our continual lobbying of the locals to integrate new US & UK ideas into traditional Italian weddings,  and our attention to detail ensures that you get your wedding your way.

Based in the Area not 100's or 1000's Miles Away- Many Italy weddings are arranged by planners hundreds or thousands of miles from Italy.  Regardless of what these planners claim,  you CANNOT effectively design and manage weddings from a distance.   You must literally be on-top of everyone all the time.  You must have continual face to face meetings with the suppliers.  How does a planner in London or New York or even Rome communicate the exact wedding cake you want? -  Baker's most often do not have email to look at pictures of your exact cake.  When you are sitting having your hair done for the biggest day of your life and the stylist has minimum or no English  -  it feels pretty good to have a Slow Dream's manager by your side -  much better than sitting there with your English speaking planner hundreds of miles away or even your Italian speaking planner hundreds of miles away.

Two Wedding Managers Assigned to Each Wedding - Slow Dreams assigns to each wedding TWO local event managers,  who both will meet you on your arrival.   Regardless of how long and how detailed a wedding is planned,  everything has to come together perfectly at the last minute. "Double Teaming" ensures that it does.  We also supply a cell phone to the bride & groom during their stay so they can stay in contact with us.   We even tell you how to open train doors in Italy - we used to be astonished at the number of our guests that missed their station because they could not figure out how to open the doors -  some ending up 50 miles away or more in the middle of the night. 

How restricted are the services?

You Design Your Italy Wedding Your Way -  Slow Dreams offers complete wedding and honeymoon services.  Design your wedding your way  -   your exact ceremony spot,  your vows/readings, your flowers, your cake, your hair, etc.  If there are services that are not on the web site, we will do our utmost to provide them.

Are there typically a line of couples waiting to get married?

No Standing in Line for Wedding Ceremonies - Areas such as the Amalfi, Capri, Rome, Florence, Venice and Tuscany often have couples standing in line to get married - robbing the event of much of its romance.

Are there minimum residency requirements?

No Minimum Stays  - Unlike most of Italy, there is no minimum stay required before you have your wedding in Italy, e.g., the Amalfi and Capri require a six day minimum stay before you can marry in Italy -   Most European countries have weeks of waiting.  

Do you offer last-minute weddings?

Last Minute Weddings -  Slow Dreams has arranged for last minute weddings for US Citizens.  These weddings can be outdoor or indoor -  civil or protestant.  There is no need to go through the Italian consulate in the US -  all you need are your passports and divorce papers (if applicable).

How Convenient is the  location?

Very Convenient Location -  The Coast of Maratea and The Cilento are located on the main highway and main railway line servicing the west coast of Italy -  providing convenient and high-speed  access to Rome, Naples, Florence, Tuscany,  and Sicily.  The region also provides easy access to Capri, the Amalfi  (Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, etc.), Pompei, Herculaneum,  Paestum and Matera -  the site of Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of The Christ".    Note:  do not confuse distance with convenience -  for example,  the Amalfi coast is only 30 miles from Naples airport,  but it can can and most often does take two to three hours and more to get there because of traffic congestion. 

Are there low cost flights?

Low Cost Flights -  UK & Irish residents, check out the very low fares to Rome and Naples now offered by Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com).  Ryan Air now has flights from Stanstead to Lamezia Terme.  North American residents checkout www.travelocity.com for inexpensive fares to Naples and Rome.

What activities are in the region?

Rich in Activities  -  All kinds of beach, boat and water activities; mountain and sea caverns; white-water sports; hiking, pony trekking; cycling; climbing,  fine food and wine (including cooking lessons) -  or just lounging by pool or sea.

What attractions are in the region ?

Rich in Attractions  -  3000 years of architecture, 88 hill-top and fishing villages, and great towns for shopping and entertainment.

How expensive is the region?

Better Value - This region is significantly less expensive than most areas of Italy,  especially places such as the Amalfi,  Rome,  Florence,  Venice, Capri, Tuscany, and Cinque Terre.   We still have €2 pizzas and €2 bottles of wines - restaurant prices, of course.  We also have some of the finest and most expensive restaurants in Italy.

Are all prices on the the web site?  Are there hidden prices and taxes?

Increased Transparency and Information  -  Unlike most other wedding sites all pricing for all options is provided.  There are no hidden taxes,  fees nor costs.   This web site is 100's of pages -  it provides the most detailed description of the services, the region,  where to go,  what to do,  wedding regulations, etc.

Has tourism ruined the region?

Italy's Last Hideaway  -  Italy is arguably the world's most beautiful and interesting country.  Because of this, areas of the country have become overwhelmed by tourism (65 million per year) - resulting in chaotic traffic on roads built for Romans and not tour buses, and resulting in high prices.  A number of years ago, we searched every corner of Europe looking for the "perfect hideaway"  with a balance of romance, fun, interest and most of all for the unspoiled. The Coast of Maratea and The Cilento National park is that hideaway  - it is  Italy's Last Hideaway.

How long do I have to wait to get a detailed proposal with accurate pricing?

Responsiveness -  Ask us for a detailed online wedding budget and wedding plan and we will have them on your own web page within 24 hours.