Gemma’s Cultural Wedding: A Blend of British, Italian, & Scottish Traditions
its not easy to mix several cultures into one cohesive event, but that was Gemma's wish was for her big day. And we must say she did a fantastic job!
This beautifully traditional black and white wedding was a melding of British, Italian, and Scottish heritage and you simply have to see all of it! Fabulously captured by Jay Studio, you can get a closer look by visiting the full gallery here.
Surprise Wedding Entrance
From the Bride: My vision for the wedding was simple and elegant, and I wanted to combine all three cultures - Italian, English and Scottish, to make a unique and special day that we'd never forget. The Bagpipers were a massive surprise for John and all our guests, so I think my favourite moment was walking down the aisle to Highland Cathedral and seeing John's face smiling at me all the way down.
Plan Your Photo Session
I think the only thing I wish I had done was got a few more 'posed' pictures taken. I didn't manage to get any of my cousins, or aunties/uncles, and I think we should have done this during the aperitivo. Unfortunately, the wedding started later than planned and so the aperitivo (the Italian name for the ritual of going out for a pre-dinner drink) was actually shorted, so it just didn't cross my mind to do this!
Mixing Cultures
Italian weddings are quite different to British weddings, and all our guests remarked that they'd never been to a wedding like ours before. We were so grateful to the fact some many of our loved ones traveled so far to share in our special day, but I think we made it worth it for them with plenty of amazing Italian food, and of course the open cocktail bar!!
Read on to see how much this traditional black and white wedding cost. Please note that costs change as the years go by, and prices are subject to change. This is just one couple’s breakdown to give you a rough estimate on how much a wedding like this may cost you.
We spent approximately £30,000 ($45,678) on the wedding overall, and here is a quick breakdown of where that money went:
Caterers including decoration: €12,000 ($13,593)
Flowers: £1,000 ($1,523)
Dress: £2300 ($3,502)
Veil, Belt and Shoes: £500 ($761)
John's Kilt: £800 ($1,218)
Boys suits (purchased not hired): £750 ($1,142)
Bridesmaid dresses (purchased not hired): £500 ($761)
Rings: £1500 ($2,284)
Then the rest was spent on gifts, wedding stationary, invites, make-up, hair dressers, wedding fees/certificates/licences, venue fees, translator fees etc etc ... it really does all add up!
- Wedding Photographers: Daniele Pierangeli
- Bridesmaid dresses: Lipsy
- Caterer: Alfonso Muzzi
- Dj: iParty
- Dress designer: Augusta Jones
- Flowers: Songs From The Garden
- Groom’s attire: Geoffrey Kilts
- Pipe band for ceremony: City of Rome Pipe Band
- Shoes: Badgley Mischka
- Venues & Officiants: Casina di Poggio della Rota