Weddings in Italy - Testimonials from the UK

	Stephanie & Guy
	Dear Janie and Bill, many thanks for all the hard work you put into making our wedding day so special. The venue, catering and accommodation was all top notch, and the setting at the Inn at Fiumicello was spectacular. The paperwork, ceremony, and the whole day was superbly organised. We would have no hesitation in recommending Slow Dreams to anyone looking for a romantic Italian wedding in a stunning location. Steph and Guy.
	Becky & James
	Bill, Janie & Lucia Thank you for everything you did to make our day special. Everyone had a fantastic time and a number of them said it was the best wedding they'd ever been to! We loved the location (Inn at Fiumicello), which lived up to the pictures on your site, and from seeing our photos we've had 3 couples ask us where we were as they are interested in getting married there. We're quite happy to recommend you as you ensured that everything ran smoothly, it can't have been easy with us finding decision-making so difficult but you coped with that admirably. Everything you organised we were very happy with, from the flowers to the meal. We were able to relax as we were confident everything was being looked after, and we're very grateful for that. We really don't think the day could have gone any better, it got our marriage off to a perfect start and we're so pleased we decided to come out to Maratea to do it. Thanks again James & Becky
	Haley & Martyn - Weddings in Italy
	Dear Janie, Bill, Lucia and Rosa, Both of us wanted to say how very much we enjoyed our wedding day. It really was the most fantastic day and better than we could have ever imagined. Thank you all so much for making our day so special, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the time our ceremony was over! You all made the whole process so easy, even providing answers to questions that we hadn’t got round to asking! You were all so great in dealing with our unreasonable/unusual requests (the cricket themed table plan, Welsh and English flags, etc) and for accommodating all of our guests. The setting for our ceremony at the Hotel Meraviglie was so romantic and perfect, and all the staff so friendly and helpful. The area of Maratea itself is beautiful and unspoilt, and all the people we met were friendly. We have both already recommended Maratea and your company to other people. I am also holding Martyn to his promise of taking me back to Italy’s last hideaway for our wedding anniversaries. Thank you once again so much, it is a day we will both remember for ever. Hayley and Martyn Cushing!
	Rachel & Duncan
	Dear Janie, Bill, Lucia & Rosa, Wow, where do we start? Firstly, thanks to Bill and Janie for all your emails of endless information and reassurance over the past year. It's difficult to arrange a wedding & accommodation for 30 people so far away but you guys were great and also very patient. Thanks also for the great welcome packs in everyone's rooms, all our guests were very grateful for those. When we first arrived in Maratea in absolute pouring rain, you 3 lovely ladies were there to reassure us that it'll all be fine on the day and if it was still raining, plan B was still a beautiful option. Luckily, my dad was looking down on us and the sun shone all day long which meant we could go ahead as planned and get married overlooking the sea at the stunning Il Carrubo at the Santavenere. All our guests were utterly gobsmacked at the amazing natural beauty of the surroundings at the Il Carrubo, we would recommend a wedding here to anyone and everyone! The staff at the Santavenere were more than helpful and the waiters were very charming. We had the tastiest, most fantastic 6 course meal ever (and the most filling as well!). The photographers, Sylvia and Luigie were great too, both so laid back they made us feel very relaxed. They even came back after the meal to take more pictures! Thank you both of you for your great work. Lucia and Rosa did a fantastic job with decorating the tables with all the little jars and butterflies we'd brought over from England.......thank you. To sum up the day, we had the most amazing, perfect day of our lives and feel very lucky that 28 of our closest family and friends came all the way to Maratea to share that day with us. Many of our guests have said it's the best wedding they've ever been to and also how they would love to return to that part of Italy again. The whole day ran extremely smoothly and we are both very thankful to all of you at slow dreams for making it possible. we are already planning to return for our first anniversary! with love from Rachel and Duncan x x
	Joanne & Chris
	Janie, Lucia, Bill and Rosa Well.....What can we say? We almost can not find words to describe what a perfect wedding, and all round experience we had. We had our wedding in Castello Rocca, Praia a Mare, and it is something we will never, ever forget. The minute we first saw this imposing building, we were genuinely stunned at its sheer beauty and breathtaking views, and it only got better once we had a look around inside! WOW! Never have we, or our guests been lucky enough to stay somewhere so special, in such a stunning location. From the minute the family of the castle met us it was genuine warmth and kindness all the way. Not only did they make us all feel very welcome, but we felt as though they had somehow embraced us almost as part of their own family, something we were very humbled by. Nothing was too much trouble for these wonderful people, in fact amongst the nicest we have ever met. Even when some of our guests had experienced problems en route, both Slow Dreams and the family were on hand to make sure things were sorted out, and relieve the stress from an already stressed out bride and groom. Wonderful. I have nothing but great things to say about Slow Dreams too....Every question that I have ever asked has been dealt with immediately and professionally (not always the case when dealing with other countries, I can tell you!). We had the best day of our lives, and without Slow Dreams it certainly would not have been possible, you were with us every step of the way, and it was lovely to finally meet you (sorry I did not get to meet you too Bill). I would recommend Slow Dreams to anyone considering a marriage in Italy, and the locations on offer can not be bettered. We honeymooned in Sorrento, which although we enjoyed, was in stark contrast to the wonderful Italian lifestyle we experienced around Calabria, and we secretly wished we would have stayed there for the honeymoon too! We will certainly be back, in fact, I am looking into flights as we speak!.... We can not wait to see Silvia and Luigi's handiwork on the photographs. I have never seen two more enthusiastic photographers! If the proofs are anything to go by they will be very interesting! Thank you all so much for everything you have done, and helping ensure we have had not only the best day of our lives, but the best holiday too. I'm sure most of the guests would bear testimony to that too. Love Joanne and Chris (Castello Rocca, September 9th 2005).
photo coming	Liz & Darren
	Dear Lucia Thank you so much for everything that you and the company did for our wedding. Everything was perfect, even the thunderstorm in the evening added a bit of excitement! I couldn't think of enough superlatives! We recommend the Grand Hotel San Michele and the fantastic work of the Slow Dreams team to any couple looking for the perfect hideaway in which to spend their special day. The whole party loved every minute of their stay and we wish to thank everyone who was involved in making our wedding adventure the best and most perfect day to start our new life. The Grand Hotel San Michele is a stunning location with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and nearby towns. The rooms and suites are beautifully furnished and have fabulous views from their balconies. We were warmly welcomed and all the guests settled in well with drinks and food on one of the many terraces. The service was impeccable and all the staff were on hand to provide the party with their needs. The first part of the wedding service took place in the old town hall of the quaint town of Cetraro. The afternoon part was held on the terrace which had been decorated like the rest of the hotel with fantastic floral arrangements. Much of which had been selected and hand picked from the vast array of flora from the estate. The planning and preparation of the wedding day was second to none and we both felt that we could not have had a more perfect day. Even the weather held out for us during the ceremony! The Italian wedding vows were the most beautiful any of the guests had ever heard and there were few dry eyes by the end. There are so many great places to have photographs taken, with the foliage, fruit trees, steps and buildings that offer amazing backdrops. The reception was superb and the food divine – even if there was too much! Everyone's taste was catered for on the seven courses and the chefs and waiting staff did us proud. Thanks again Liz
	Belinda & Michael
	When Mike and I decided to get married in Italy at first I was overjoyed, then a little panicked. How could I arrange a wedding in Italy to a venue I had never seen without speaking the language? As it turned out I didn’t have to arrange anything, Slow Dreams did it all for me and it was perfect. First I must thank Bill for his patience. I lost count of how many times I emailed him to add more guests and hotel rooms to my ever-growing guest list. Janie answered all my pre wedding questions at lightning speed, which was great. Although I was in another country while my wedding was being arranged I still felt like I was involved but without any of the stress! It was just a matter of outlining what I wanted and Janie did the rest. Lucia, Francesca and Rosa met us at the Hotel Gabbiano days before the wedding to go over minor details. It was obvious from the start that Lucia had everything under control and I was immediately put at ease. On the day of the wedding all Mike and I had to worry about were getting ourselves ready. The rest just seem to magically happen! Rosa translated the vows from Italian to English (so romantic), the weather was perfect and the backdrop was stunning. I never dreamt for a second that our wedding day would be so perfect. I have asked myself what would I change about the day if I had the chance? The answer is nothing; I honestly would not change a single thing. The Hotel Gabbiano was a dream come true, I am so glad that’s were we chose to get married. It is a very secluded hotel and we felt like we were in our very own paradise, the view was breathtaking, and the food was fantastic and both Mike and I were completely relaxed during the lead up to the wedding. Maratea is just beautiful. Slow Dreams did and amazing job of making our wedding day more perfect than we ever thought possible. A perfect way to start married life! Thank you all so much Belinda and Mike xx
	Jez & Liz
	Firstly, if you are thinking should we get married abroad, then don't hesitate, just do it - short of agreeing to marry the right person its the best decision you can possibly make. Yes, you'll have fewer guests, but you'll actually be able to talk to them and you'll have a wonderful and magical set of memories binding you with them. Secondly, if you are wondering where to get married, do it on the Maratea coast - look at the pictures on the site and times them by ten - it is simply jaw droppingly gorgeous and an infectiously relaxing place as well. Add in the fact that it's much quieter and cheaper than more well known locations and you'd be a fool to go anywhere else. Finally, if you are wondering who to use, then wonder no more and email Bill NOW - the service we received from everyone at Slow Dreams has been exemplary throughout the 18 months we spent planning our wedding through them. Bill, Janie and Lucia, we can't express our gratitude enough for all of your hard work - we had complete confidence in you all to turn our dreams into reality and you never once let us down. You were patient, helpful, knowledgeable and professional, but above all else you also made us feel that you cared that we had the wedding we wanted. The Hotel Villa della Meraviglie was the most perfect location, and the staff treated us so well. Silvia, the photographer, managed to put two camera shy people completely at ease and we are delighted with our photos, and the food and wine from 1999 was fantastic. Every single one of our guests have told us that it was the best wedding they had been to and if we did it all over again, we wouldn't change a thing. A million thanks to you all, and we'll look forward to seeing you again for our anniversary(ies)! With love, Jez and Liz Kinsman
	Natasha & Nick
	Hi Bill, Janie, Lucia, and Emma, Just back from Honey moon in Sardinia, and wanted to write and say a million thanks to all of you, you have been fantastic, right through from the very beginning to the end. Thanks so much Bill, for all your help in the beginning and answering all my questions, even the silly ones, I really did bombard you with them, and you were just great in answering them for me. Janie too, in getting things organised and also answering my questions, you have been fantastic. A really, really huge, special thank you to Lucia, you are one in a million, absolutely fantastic, from e-mail, answering all my questions, helping me put the final touches together, and then your amazing support too once out in Italy, and last but not least, Emma, thanks you so much also for all your support and help in Italy, for a new girl just training you were fab!! Slow Dream are an excellent organisation, you made everything so easy for us, and also made it all possible, we really couldn't have done it without you, You made our day like a fairytale, you took all the stress away, there were no hitches on the day, and you always kept us in the picture and made great suggestions! I have no doubts in recommending you. If only things had been easier when we tried to organise our UK reception, you were 100 times better than any UK supplier we encountered. The day it self was better than I ever imagined it would be, it all came together so well (We are still smiling about all of it), the band were brilliant, the photographers were amazing, what lovely people they were, they really made us feel relaxed. Big thanks to them. The church (on the mountain) itself and surrounding area was surreal, it was beautiful, like some out of a fairytale. Lucia, also big thanks for organising our boat trip with Mario, that was a great day, a nice wind down after the big day itself, Mario was fab, what a personality he is!! Nick and I had the time of our lives thanks to Slow Dreams, really can't say thank you enough, you've all been great and made the whole experience wonderful and memorable. You gave us the most amazing, emotional, memorable day. All of our guests say it is the best wedding they have ever been to. We all loved Maratea, and I think most of is will return at some point, it's a beautiful, breath taking place, and we all miss it. Hopefully Nick and I will return with our Bambino's one day. Once again thanks to all of you from the bottom of our hearts. Love Nat & Nick
	Olga & Nick
	Bill, Janie and Lucia I wanted to thank you all for a wonderful job that you did organizing our wedding – it has been a great experience for us and our friends and family. From the very beginning you have been very responsive and professional. Organizing a wedding in a different country may be very difficult but you made it very easy and efficient for us! The event was exactly what we both wanted our wedding to be. I think the choice of the country and the location was perfect! Maratea will always be a very special place for us and we will be going back for many years. It is such a beautiful place and the fact that it is so secluded makes it even more special. I think we were very privileged that we were able to find such a special place and such a great company to work with! Special thanks to Lucia for being so helpful and suggesting so many great ideas. Her knowledge of the area, the venues and other options was incredible. It’s a shame that we couldn’t have a boat trip due to the weather but again Lucia was very efficient in keeping us up to date and cancelling the arrangement. And the party was such a success that not that many people would have been able to make it to the boat anyway J. For me a bride organizing a wedding overseas it was a real pleasure to work with both Janie and Lucia finalizing all the details for the big day. Thank you to both of you for being so flexible and supportive – I must have been the most “unstressed” bride as you made wedding planning a very easy and fun job for me. All I had to do is research what I wanted and let you know. The set up of the dinner area was absolutely beautiful and the wedding flowers were stunning! The food was great! We seemed to have run out of appetizers but it was only a minor issues as we hade plenty of the main courses left. Thank you again for all your help! Olga and Nick
Photo coming	Hannah & Rob
	Dear Janie, We had a lovely wedding, and thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Hotel Villa Sirio and Castellabate. We would highly recommend it, whether for a wedding, honeymoon or just a holiday. Allessandra, Andreas and their entire team at Hotel Villa Sirio were fantastic, the Hotel was beautiful, and the ceremony and reception were superb. We would like to thank you all at Slow Dreams, too - all the arrangements were made with minimal input from ourselves, and everything went perfectly. It was all so easy. In particular, Janie, I would like to thank you for your kindness and understanding re the difficulties I had last year. With best wishes and many thanks for a fantastic wedding, Hannah and Rob
	Laura & Dave
	Janie, Bill, Lucia and Francesca, Just back from honeymoon and wanted to thank you all so much for organising THE BEST wedding for us, we had such a wonderful time. We fell in love with Maratea and the venue ‘Inn at Fiumicello’ from the moment Bill showed us around! We couldn’t have received a better service, from the minute we got in touch with you nearly 18 months ago to the day of our wedding, the whole experience has been tremendous and stress free. From initial discussions with Bill, who answered a million questions and took the time to show us lots of different venues, to planning the details of the wedding with Janie and then the onsite expertise of Lucia – everything exceeded our expectations. I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Lucia & Francesca who made everything on the day possible, even when it rained!! It was probably the only day of rain in the 3 weeks we were in Italy but with the stunning setting and smooth organisation of the wedding, it didn’t matter at all. Thank you Lucia for answering all our pre-wedding emails (and there were loads), for getting the ‘guest gifts’ for the rooms, and for sorting out small surprises for us on the day such as the frame for our table planner – you are simply the best!! Oh and finally, thank you to Luigi the photographer who captured all the events of the day in some stunning photos, he even took the time to take pictures the next day because it was so wet on the day of the wedding. We had an amazing time in Maratea, and all our guests did too. The area is much more stunning than the Amalfi coast and we would definitely recommend Maratea and Slow Dreams to anyone that is considering getting married in Italy. Thanks again to a great team for organising our special day! Laura and Dave
	Lucy & Mark
	Dear Lucia, Janie & Bill, We wanted to say thank you so much for making our wedding truly amazing. From the first email (and the hundreds that followed) to the last day of our trip you have all been so helpful and have gone out of your way to make our wedding better than we could ever imagine. The Hotel Meraviglie and location was beautiful and our 35 guests were bowled over by the surroundings when they arrived. We had such a fantastic week leading up to the wedding day. Lucia was on hand all week in case there were any problems (which there weren't) leaving us to relax! The day of the wedding was perfect. We loved having two ceremonies. First the town hall where even the mayor fitted into our 'Red' theme and then the second ceremony at the Hotel. I will never forget walking down the steps to the aisle to be greeted by our guests, the sunshine, a string trio and seeing for the first time the area set up for the wedding. It was beautiful. There was not a dry eye in the house when the registrar read the most romantic reading we have ever heard accompanied by the strings. The fact that it was all in Italian made it even more special. Friends have since asked for copies of that reading and told us it was the most romantic wedding they have attended. The effort that Lucia and the caterers went to, to include our lemon theme into everything from the flowers to the cake to decorations on the canapé table was just fantastic. Everything just seemed to happen - it all ran so smoothly and not once did we worry about anything! We must have been the most relaxed bride and groom ever. We were able to enjoy our day without having to think of anything...and Lucia was there all night - she is amazing! Since we have arrived home we can not stop thinking back to our 'Italian Job'. Many of our guests have called to say how wonderful it all was and I think in many ways we are all unable to put into words just how fantastic it all was. We are definitely coming back for our 1st wedding anniversary and will invite our guests again! This could be an annual event! Thank you! It was perfect! Lucy & Mark Ashton xxx
	Gina & Terry
	Janie/Lucia The photo's have just arrived and they are amazing. Thank you again for all the hard work you have put in over the past year and helping to create a day I we will never forget. I will send a testimonial in the next few weeks when I get a moment to catch my breath. Thanks again Gina XX
	Diana & Ian
	Hi Janie: We would to do it all over again!! We had a magical day. Throughout the whole day I kept saying how amazing everything was I truly couldn't have imagined it to be so beautiful. Your attention to detail down to the berries in our champagne glasses. It was first class all the way. We only have praise and admiration for the team of slow dreams, they made it all so easy. From the moment I found the website definitely the only one that captured my imagination and also the ease at navigating my way round was a joy !! Bill answered every question and more, from the word go our whole experience with Bill, Janie and Lucia was a complete stress free joy. Any request they considered and then made possible. The ceremony at Villa Maratea was Romantic, simple and true to us both, there were tears all round. The catering was exceptional and the staff and team were polite, helpful and met all our needs. From the flowers to the music it was all such a pleasure for us to enjoy. Ian and I our families and friends had a great holiday also the Villa Maratea has an amazing setting surrounded by mountains overlooking the sea.With 16 of us staying there the hub was the pool and BBQ made perfect with the gorgeous Maratea town below. We have many amazing memories, we had guests writing to us thanking us for such an magical day and introducing them to the Romance of Italy. Can't wait to come back. Thank you all for everything and more, we couldn't have ever imagined for our wedding day so perfect and the beginning of our lives together to be any better. Thank you !!!!! Diana and Ian
	Natasha & Jody
	Hi Janie, I know I have thanked you all various times during our correspondence & I have also told everyone this end about you all but I just realised that I still had not got round to writing you a testimonial for your website, so here goes: THANK YOU FOR THE BEST DAY OF OUR LIVES ! If you are reading this, you have probably just found the Slow Dreams website during a search. Don't look any further ! If you want a magical wedding day that you will always remember, then you have found the right site. December, I was you, reading the testimonials & trying to decide. I had never been to this region of Italy however we took the chance & put the deposit down on a venue without seeing it or visiting the area. Friends & family thought we were mad ! We eventually visited about 6 weeks later to find everything from the venue to the area was amazing. The photographs on the website do not justify how beautiful the places really are. On top of that, the wedding co-ordinator (Lucia) is absolutely amazing & gets the impossible done. Everything we asked for, she arranged, nothing was too much trouble. The whole team was brilliant. Emma who is Lucia's right hand man, helped with a flower display on the day which turned out absolutely fantastic. We can't say enough about everything & everybody. The venue was a dream come true, the food was excellent, the DJ was brilliant & the photographers took the most amazing photos. They say arranging a wedding is stressful, thanks to Slow Dreams mine was fun ! It was the best day of our lives & perfect in every way. Our guests can't stop talking about how perfect it all was & that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. Lucia, thank you for everything you did for us from sourcing out a baker, taste testing, arranging our favours & even visiting a pet shop which I am sure was a first & a very unusual request. We'll definitely be back ! Thanks a million times over for everything. Natasha & Jody x x x
	Gemma & Rob
	Hi Janie: I am so happy with the way everything turned out the day couldn't have gone any better. Me and Rob have been planning this wedding for over 2 years ( which was probably a little too long ) but Janie and Lucia were with us every step of the way. The only real means of communication was via email but they would respond to every mail within 24 hours with an answer. There were a lot of changes to our guest list ( which I lost track of in the end ) but Janie was constantly on the ball with numbers and anything i may have forgotten or missed which was great. The hotel (Hotel Villa delle Meraviglie) the wedding party stayed in ( organised by slow-dreams ) was beautiful with stunning views over the sea and a lovely swimming pool in the hotel grounds. Everybody felt like they had a really chilled holiday most of which was spent by the pool and it gave everyone a chance to bond before the big day. The Santavenere grounds where we had the wedding are breath taking. If its an outdoor wedding you are after then this is the place to do it. Everywhere you look there is a stunning view with the sea one side of you and mountains the other. As soon as you arrive you know you are in a 5 star resort but the staff are really down to earth and friendly. We chose to have a buffet in the evening and i have never seen a buffet like it-forget sausage rolls and cheese on a stick this was fresh Parma ham presented on a 3 tier platter and lots of different types of fresh fish. There were at least 4 tables full of food with plenty of variety with everything from fresh prawns and fresh meat to vegetarian pasta dishes and risotto. The party went on well into the small hours no-body wanted the day to end! We will be going back to the Santavenere for a holiday and so will some of our wedding party no doubt! Thank you so much for your time, effort and patience Janie,, Lucia, Rosa and Bill. Gemma and Rob.
	Creena & Michael
	Dear Janie, Lucia and Bill Thanks you all so much for organising my wedding. We had such a lovely day, maratea was absolutely beautiful. The boat was amazing. Everything was just perfect. We have all fallen in love with maratea and are returning for hols next year. Thank you all for your hard work. Creena and Michael x
	Manda & Rob
	Dear Lucia, Janie and Bill Thank you so much for your help, advice and organisation of our recent wedding, we couldn’t have been more thrilled with your input throughout the process. From Bill’s (very patient!) advice which helped pinpoint exactly what we wanted from our day, to Janie’s efficient organisation throughout the planning stages, onto Lucia’s responsiveness to our needs on the day, it was more than we could ever have hoped for . When researching wedding planners, Slow Dreams stood out as genuinely flexible, exceptionally helpful and friendly, and very accommodating – truly understanding our desire for a really intimate day. Your sensitivity to our wishes made the planning and carrying out of the day a true pleasure. On the day of our wedding, Lucia genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself, which added to our pleasure immensely. It was like having a great friend around to look after us, and who handled our queries and requests with exceptional charm. Stopping for a coffee between ceremonies was one of the unexpected highlights of the day, and looks great as part of the photographic memories beautifully provided by Luigi and Silvia. We can’t recommend Slow Dreams highly enough, and have already passed on your details to others. If we’d thought getting married was going to be this much fun we’d have done it years ago! Thanks again, and all the best, Manda and Rob xx
Photo coming	Rachael & Dan
	Dear Lucia, Janie and Bill From start to finish you surpassed all our expectations to ensure our wedding was beyond our wildest dreams…. And then some…. Our wedding planning journey began in the UK with exploring different ceremony options and wedding venues. As nothing felt right, we became convinced that we would have to settle for something we didn’t necessarily desire for the big day. Urged by a friend to describe my dream wedding, I confided that I’d always wanted to get married on a beach, surrounded by close family and friends. The next day I googled “Beach Weddings Europe” and found Slow Dreams. Bill responded to all queries efficiently and it soon became clear that Slow Dreams could fulfil our wish list by providing something different to the other companies, such as getting married on a Sunday, on a beach and offering us hotels we could take over. The entire wedding planning process was so easy. My family were amazed that I was so relaxed, but this was as Lucia and Janie helped me with absolutely everything. They often responded to my emails within hours and I was reassured by their experienced advice as they guided us towards what would become our dream wedding. My only concern was whether our 70 guests would be as enthralled with the area as we were - but they all absolutely loved Sapri! The restaurants were of excellent quality and value, the bars were great fun, and being so close to the beach was fantastic. We were totally spoiled by the staff at Hotel Pisacane who couldn’t do enough to ensure our stay was amazing. I can not recommend them highly enough. The Wedding Day was phenomenal. I’d repeatedly told Lucia that we didn’t need a plan B as it wasn’t’ going to rain. In fact, there was not a cloud in the sky all day. The ceremony on the deserted beach was breathtakingly magical. The beauty of the bay and the intensity of being lucky enough to get married there overwhelmed us all. Our biggest surprise was how welcomed we were by the entire town of Sapri. There were over 100 people lining the beach waiting for our boat to return - they seemed to really enjoy having us there and this really added to the atmosphere. I must thank Hotel Pisacane so much for ensuring the reception went as smoothly as it did. We were not an easy party to cater for as we literally danced from the moment we arrived back. They totally accommodated us in this respect and the buffet was outstanding. Everyone thought the food was incredible I feel so privileged to have found such a fantastic wedding planner in Lucia. EVERYTHING she suggested, from the hotel, to the band, to the hairdresser etc was perfect. I felt as if my hand was held from start to finish. All our guests had a fantastic time and many told us it was the best wedding and event they had ever been to. I must say, we agree!! I hope to see you all soon!! Love Rachael and Dan xx
	Emma & Nick
	Dear Slow Dreams We would like to say a huge thank you for organising our wedding in Maratea. The whole experience was stress-free, and far easier than we had imagined arranging a wedding abroad to be. It was a lovely gift to our friends and family to bring them to such a beautiful place, and they all fell in love with Maratea. Our wedding was absolutely perfect, the Santavenere with its breathtaking views, the weather and our choice to have the classical trio (who were excellent by the way), helped to make a romantic, fairytale setting that left not a dry eye in the house! Indeed, almost all of our guests said it was the best wedding they had been to. I don't think we could have found a more beautiful place to say our vows. The Santavenere hotel is certainly a hidden jewel, the hotel's setting and the service were exceptional. The staff were so professional and accommodating without being at all intrusive. Lucia, Bill & Janie were great, everything ran smoothly, going from our initial enquiry until the wedding day and I would highly recommend Slow Dreams and the area of Maratea to anyone considering getting married in Italy. It was truly the best day of our lives, and a day that neither us nor our family and friends will ever forget. Nick & Emma
	Mandy & Mark
	Dear Janie, Lucia and Bill, Many apologies for the delay in sending you this testimonial, however it has been extremely difficult to put into words just how perfect our wedding was and how exemplary the service was, Not just by the Slow Dreams team, but all the staff at the Hotel Meraviglie, Franco and Co, Angelo and all the staff at 1999 and lastly the photographers who kindly stayed with us for longer than they normally would. Our journey started in November 2005 when we first set eyes on Maratea. Lucia was our fabulous tour guide around many of the properties Slow Dreams have on offer. However the Hotel Meraviglie captured our hearts that day. Set in it's beautiful pine forests and with the rocky alcove at the bottom with the breathtaking view; there really was no other place on earth more perfect for our wedding. Over the next nine months or so Bill, Janie and Lucia were attentive, reassuring and efficient with our various queries, worries and ideas. Nothing seemed to be beyond their capabilities to arrange. They were good humoured and patient throughout our stresses over guests, DJ systems, wild ideas about flowers etc etc!! Upon arrival at Maratea in September we were pleasantly surprised to see that the hotel and surroundings where even more beautiful in the summer. The rooms were spacious and elegantly decorated (the shower head was just pure luxury!!) We were extremely surprised that the venue was described as budget on the website as to us it was pure luxury and we already anticipate our return. As soon as we had settled in Lucia came to visit to provide us with activities for our guests and cards for restaurants (Thank you so much for all your help with reservations and boat trips etc a potentially extremely stressful situation was a piece of cake with all your assistance which all seems so effortless to you). Lucia also gave us more info about the wedding and took us to 1999 where Angelo was absolutely fantastic with allowing us to have anything we could possibly desire. My (Mandy) biggest fear with getting married abroad was the lack of knowledge as to how the tables and venue was going to be decorated (as I am a complete soppy romantic at heart!!). But to be absolutely honest the tables and venue thanks to Lucia, Angelo, my Mum and Ali, was beyond my wildest dreams and way and above the quality of any I have ever seen in England. It was pure magic!!!! On the day of the wedding Lucia was in hand again floating effortlessly and extremely organised between Bride, Groom and guests soothing any nerves or last minute questions in her good humoured and bubbly way. The hotel were very accommodating in allowing our family's to decorate the pagoda where the ceremony took place. The day and evening flowed through relaxed and magical under the watchful eye of Lucia. Over the nine months that we were organising the wedding we had both played the wedding day through our minds over and over again, but the day was 100% better than any expectations we had ever had. Friends and family have all said it was the best wedding they have ever been to and I don't think anybody else's wedding that we attend in the future will ever come close to the beautiful, emotional, romantic day we had. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.........I don't think we can do justice as to just how grateful we are to you all. Lucia please pop in and see us when you go to Broadstairs next and we will give you a tour!! Anyhow we could waffle on forever about how wonderful our day was....... Take care and Arrivaderci. Love Mandy and Mark Wood xx
	Mark & Sara
	Bill, Janie & Lucia, We had a fantastic Wedding Day, and enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Pisacane immensely. You made the whole process of organising our Wedding Day and accommodation for ourselves and our guests very easy and completely stress free. The Wedding Day itself was amazing and everything ran smoothly as you had arranged, down to the smallest of details, and the little extras, which altogether far exceeded our expectations. Not only did you make our Wedding Day so special, but you also found time to keep ourselves and our guests entertained during our stay by arranging a boat trip along the coast of Maratea which was stunning and breathless under fantastic clear blue skies and sunshine, as it was for our Wedding Day and our entire stay. The staff at the Hotel Pisacane were so helpful and attentive to our needs, they made our stay that extra bit special, like on our last day when they gave the children gifts and sweets wrapped up in a present. The entire experience will stay with us for the rest of our and our guests lives forever. We cannot wait to receive our photos and video to remind us of our special day and the fun we had, especially with the Italian folk band at our reception. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts, Mark & Sara XXX
	Patrycja & Gavin
	Dear Slow Dreams Team, Ornella and All Staff at San Michele, We would like to thank Ornella and All Staff at San Michele for their hospitality, advice, help and patience! Also a huge thank you to everyone at Slow Dreams – Janie, Bill: thanks for promptly answering thousands of my emails, Lucia : thank you so much for everything on our wedding day…your help, advise, translation service… not sure how we would do it without you! We recommend the Grand Hotel San Michele to any couple looking for the perfect wedding… San Michele offers everything from amazing history, through stunning location, breathtaking views, fantastic cuisine, beautifully furnished rooms and finally the true Italian hospitality! From the minute we arrived we became the members of the San Michele family…Ornella's warm welcome followed by the tour of San Michele estate were outstanding! All Staff were so friendly and helpful we couldn't have asked for more…in fact EVERYTHING we asked for was not only delivered on time and to requested specifications…no EVERYTHING was bigger and better…I still can't believe the size of our beautiful wedding cake, a true masterpiece! The Italian Religious ceremony and the reception were excellent; our guests couldn't stop complementing the waiters and our Maitre De who was fantastic on the night and also did a great job with table arrangements and seating plan suggestions, THANK YOU!!! When we were leaving Ornella asked me if we were planning to have children I said yes, then she smiled mysteriously and said "there is something special and magical about San Michele…good luck" well I can confirm the "magic" as I'm now 7 weeks pregnant and am the happiest wife and mum to be! Thanks again and see you soon, we can't wait to visit San Michele again! Patrycja & Gavin.
	Pip & Neil
	Hi Janie, Thank you so much to all the people involved for making our wedding such a special and stress free occasion. Castello Rocca was such a beautiful venue and everything we wanted, relaxing, picturesque and friendly. The team at Slow Dreams have been fantastic from the very initial arrangements. Many thanks to you all, we had a truly memorable and amazing time. Neil and Pip
	Melissa & Sam
	Dear Bill, Janie and Lucia Thank you ever so much for making are dream wedding come true. It was perfect and a day that we and all our friends and family will never forget. The way we could do everything in our own way made it a different and original one of a kind wedding just for us. The boat was really ideal as all of Sam's family are great boat lovers it went down really well. The beach is now a place that we will always love and want to go back to. The reception was beautiful, really peaceful and relaxing everyone was so wonderful and took good care of us and our guests. The food was great and what a setting at Santojanni. The magical part for us was the fact that the statue was over looking everything and the weather was perfect. We could not of asked for a more perfect day. The weeks holiday before relaxed us both so we were not nervous at all just enjoying the beautiful scenery and having our friends and family around us it felt like Christmas everyday. Any concerns or worries we did have Lucia was on the end of the phone line ready to help. We were both pleased with the service that you gave us. It took the pressure off us so we could enjoy ourselves. We just wish we could do it all again. Many thanks. Sam and Melissa.
	Leanne & Mark
	When we started planning our wedding, we had our hearts set on going abroad, but no idea where in the world we wanted to be for our special day. Then we found the Slow Dreams website and the decision was made. Not only did Maratea stand out as providing a beautiful setting for our special day, but Slow Dreams seemed to know exactly what we wanted. We’re glad to say that we were proved to be absolutely right on both counts. What a special place, we honestly could not believe how beautiful it is, the website doesn’t do it justice really. As we drove south from Naples airport the scenery grew more and more breathtaking and we knew we had made the right choice. Obviously us Brides have a few wobbles and niggles and I have to say that Lucia was brilliant. I needn’t have worried, and when I did, she knew exactly what was needed. All in all, I have to say that it was relatively stress free, any changes or additions to day were never too much trouble and dealt with straight away. We arrived at Villa Cheta quite late in the evening, so it wasn’t until the following morning that we realised just how gorgeous the grounds and patios were. Everyone at the Villa was lovely, so excited for us and helpful. They really helped to make our day special and nothing was too much trouble. In fact, the Villa is one of the best places we have ever stayed and absolutely perfect for a wedding. The service was excellent, food lovely, and it had such a pleasant, calm atmosphere, everyone was smiling. Our room was fantastic, we had our own terrace, which made life interesting on the day of the wedding. Mum, sister and myself all in various stages of make up and hair preparations, and hairdresser and beautician despairing of us as we tried to catch a few last rays of sun before the ceremony. Lucia popped up all over the place, honestly, we never felt any anxiety, she gave us a phone to keep in touch, took us through everything on our first morning, made sure everything was going well at the beauticians and even told off the hairdresser for me! Our guests have also asked me to thank Lucia, they really appreciated her help from booking their nail appointments to helping my mum pin on her corsage. All the guests stayed in the San Diego, which is actually right next door, very handy for keeping tabs on them and everyone getting to know each other. Many a happy hour was spent socialising in the bar and the pool is something else! So, to the day itself, well, it had been a little chilly in the evenings for a few days and being British we decided that we would not let that deter us from holding our wedding breakfast on the terrace overlooking the bay. Luckily, we woke up on the morning to brilliant sunshine and an excellent weather forecast (I know it sounds insane, but we weren’t entirely sure Lucia hadn’t had a word!), which I think greatly relieved the owners, they had been quite sweet - worrying about us being cold. The beautician and hairdresser were great, and our lack of Italian wasn’t a problem, we managed to have such fun. The flowers were wonderful they had recreated my ideas and added a touch of flair which really wowed everyone. The ceremony was wonderful, everyone at the Villa had put so much effort into creating a beautiful setting and making all our guests feel special, and the photo’s went brilliantly. Our photographer didn’t have that bossy wedding photographer thing going on, he was so laid back and fun, everyone just went with the flow. We couldn’t have imagined that everything would go so well, and looking back we really wouldn’t change a thing. The wedding breakfast was superb, from the setting and the service, to the food and wine. People are still remarking on the meal and the staff, who we really didn’t thank enough. The whole occasion was so elegant and well managed and it was the people that made it so special. We have fantastic memories, not only of the day, but of our whole stay, as do our guests; Mark’s parents are determined to return to the Villa next year. Thank you all at Slow Dreams and Villa Cheta.
	Gina & Billy
	Bill, Janie & Lucia We would like to thank you for organising the most perfect wedding we could have ever dreamed of, we couldn’t have asked for a more stunning location than the Hotel Grand San Michele. We would like to especially thank Ornella (owner of the hotel) and her staff who made sure all our guests felt welcome with their exceptional service. The wedding itself was no less than perfect from the amazing view on the terrace to the delicious five course wedding meal, everything met our expectations and beyond. The hotel staff even managed to help Billy when he forgot to bring his wedding trousers which we discovered the night before the wedding. They found a matching pair of trousers and even had them tailored on the morning of the wedding itself, I think without the help of the staff we wouldn’t be married today! We had the most fabulous wedding with many special memories to last a lifetime. Some of our guests commented they enjoyed our wedding so much they were thinking of doing the same, which I think says it all. All our love Billy and Gina xx
	Gail & Mark
	Hi Janie, please find below our testimonial which cannot begin to express the memories we have for our Wedding Day. I hope these few paragraphs are ok, but it was really difficult in trying to express our thoughts on paper. Many thanks (and sorry for the delay), Mark & Gail Dear Janie, Bill, Lucia, Ornella and all at the San Michele,</