Pure romance…that’s how I would describe Janet and Michael’s Italian mountaintop wedding. These two world travelers chose the Mediterranean coast as the incredible backdrop for their dream wedding, where they celebrated with close friends and family. A perfect evening of dinner and dancing under the stars came to a close when guests were treated to a spectacular fireworks show, lighting up the night sky. What a perfect ending to a magical wedding and reception. Congratulations to this beautiful couple!
Janet & Michael | September 5, 2010 | Ravello, Italy
How they met
We met during the fateful Memorial Day Weekend of 2007, in Bridgehampton, New York. Our mutual friends Katherine and Matt were already a couple, but we took our time getting to know one another as friends during that summer and started dating after Labor Day Weekend. (exactly three years before our wedding date!).
The ceremony
Michael and I are both avid travelers. As soon as we were engaged (in Paris!), neither of us had a doubt that a destination wedding would be the most befitting way for us to exchange our vows. We decided to bring our loved ones to the the charming little town of Ravello, Italy, that sits atop a 1000-foot limestone cliff, overlooking the Mediterranean. In addition to the destination element, we wanted our ceremony to be both romantic and with a strong sense of history. So we chose the 11th-century estate that is now the Hotel Caruso Belvedere to have our ceremony. Its garden, perched above the Gulf of Salerno, had a mountain-meets-sea view that served as the best ceremony backdrop.
The reception
We decided to hold our reception at the Hotel Caruso Belvedere as well. The waters of the hotel’s magnificent infinity pool fade seamlessly into the mountainous horizon, providing a beautiful setting for our reception. The dinner reception was held at the hotel’s Belvedere balcony and the dancing celebration was held directly next to the infinity pool.
The moment from the wedding Janet will never forget
Every moment of the entire day’s celebration will remain in our hearts as cherished memories. The single moment that stands out the most is watching the fireworks unfold before our eyes with 76 of our dearest family and friends that traveled from all over the world to celebrate with us.
Splurges and Savings
We certainly splurged on the venue itself for our wedding because we wanted to make sure that our guests who traveled such a great distance enjoyed the best food and scenery that Italy had to offer. At the same time, because the hotel was surrounded by so many beautiful flowers and gardens, we were able to spend less on flower decorations overall for both the ceremony and centerpieces of the reception.
How she knew her wedding dress was the “The One”
I tried on about 10 dresses at three different boutiques before deciding on the Amsale Tyler dress. As soon as I walked out of the dressing room and saw the looks on my bridesmaids’ faces, I knew it was “the one”.
Why she decided to sell her wedding dress
I ultimately decided to sell my wedding dress because I would want my daughter to have the experience of shopping for her own dress instead of wearing mine. As sentimental as it is for me, I felt that it would serve better to complete someone else’s fairy tale as it once did mine. My husband and I decided to keep my Maria Elena headpiece as our heirloom to pass down instead.
