Katy and James, civil wedding in Venice

Venice, June 7th 2010.

I fell in love with Italy when I first visited Tuscany aged 12. I have been back to Italy on numerous occasions since then visiting different locations around the country. When James and I first started going on holiday together, I couldn't wait to take him and show him all my favourite places! That lead to us getting Engaged in the Colosseum in Rome and planning to spend our honeymoon in Italy.

James and I originally planned a traditional wedding in a countryside gardens in England, but after a few problems and financial issues arose, we had to cancel the whole thing and re-think our plans. This happened only 9 months before we had planned to get married. We already had a three week honeymoon booked starting in Venice, so I came up with the idea of flying out there a few days early and marrying there! James was really keen on this idea, so I started researching, and that is when I found Exclusive Italy. I found a few other wedding companies but Exclusive Italy stood out with their expertise, experience and value for money.

My first contact was with Sara and then on to Stefania who both helped with planning and coordinating our day. I am the kind of person who likes to meticulously plan and organise everything myself so found the thought of leaving that responsibility with another person quite daunting. However my worries were soon put to rest. Each time I requested any advice or particulars for the day, it was arranged almost immediately to the letter. We were also advised what action to take to ensure the wedding would be legal in England and what documentation we would need. Even if a problem arose, such as realising at late notice the hairdresser doesn't work Mondays, wasn't a problem. It was sorted out straight away and my mind put at rest. We only had a short time to arrange everything but thanks to the help of Stefania, it was so easy and stress free.

We arrived in Venice for the wedding very excited and prepared for our day. On the morning of the wedding we met with Lusiella who was our interpreter and coordinator for the day. She was very professional and sweet and helped make our day even more enjoyable.

Everything was perfect from the hair and make-up, flowers to the restaurant. After marrying at the beautiful Palazzo Cavalli we took a gondola and private boats to St. Marks Square where we paused and strolled around for photos. We then went on to the wonderful restaurant Antico Martini for a superb meal. We went back to our hotel for a rest then back out for an hour private boat tour around the canals finishing at St. Marks Square for Bellini cocktails and canapes at Caffe Quadri - a beautiful way to end the evening and an idea that Stefania suggested.

We had a photographer with us supplied by Exclusive Italy and he was fantastic. He suggested some really different ideas for photos which has left us with some wonderful memories of the day.

We had a wonderful wedding and amazing 3 weeks travelling from Venice, to Tuscany, Sorrento, Amalfi, Capri and ending in Rome. Venice will forever hold a very special place in our hearts due to an experience we will never forget - and that is thanks to everyone at Exclusive Italy.

Katy and James Hulance-Taylor