Comments on: How to Plan a Traditional Italian Wedding

on 6/19/2008 Well, we are Italian Americans and we just celebrated our daughter's Italian wedding. The comments from some of the rewiers were justified. Almonds are not "thrown" but are actually packaged in a little bag to give to guests. They are known as "confetti" in Italian. They symbolize the wish for fertility for the couple.

The dove launch is really American to be sure, and definitely NOT politically correct these days, as the poor doves usually lose their way after release (they are actually homing pigeons) and die from starvation. I was born in Italy and never remembered this custom in my days.

If you want a wonderful guide and music to the Italian wedding, take the advice of other reviewers and buy the Italian Wedding Music CD by the Roman Holiday Ensemble. Their booklet takes you step-by-step through Italian wedding tradition. The booklet alone is worth the price of the CD!

The m

on 11/17/2007 Steps 1, 3, 7, 8 and nine are simply ridiculous. I am Italian and I've never heard about throwing the newlyweds sugared almonds. Are you crazy? That could hurt! We usually throw rice.

And what about the purse where the guests put the money in? Where did you get that from? The Godfather???

on 2/15/2007 Hi! We had an Italian American Band play at our wedding and they were absolutely fabulous! They are called We Three. You can visit their website at www.mifflinhillsmusic.com. They are from Pittsburgh, but did mention that they play throughout the tri-state area and beyond. If the band is a little out of your budget, they have 14 or 15 CD's. Their CD's offer traditional Italian music to more modern Italian music. They even have an American CD that is AWESOME! We Three was SUCH a crowd pleaser... from all of our older guests to all of our younger ones! The band even offered to play CD's, as a DJ would, when they were done performing so we didn't have to get a seperate DJ for the rest of the night.

on 1/16/2007 Hi, I've got to agree about the two suggestions for an Italian Wedding music CD. Unfortately, we couldn't afford an Italian band, which we would have LOVED, the the Italian Wedding CD by Roman Holiday was the next best thing. Our DJ loved it and our guests danced like crazy for the Italian portion of our wedding.

Canton Ohio Bride and Groom

on 11/22/2005 Italian syrups for soda can be an elegant and inexpensive alternative for those who don't drink alcohol. The are mixed 2 oz. with 7 oz. sparkling water and come in dozens of flavors like pear, almond, vanilla and blueberry.

on 6/25/2007 Thanks for the tip about The Italian Wedding CD by Roman Holiday. We actually saw the troupe at our Pittsburgh festival and they were incredible. We bought the CD and it is perfect for the Italian wedding we are planning for our daughter in October. All we have to do is give the CD to the wedding planner, and we know everything will be perfect. It's great music accompanied by a wonderful how-to guide.

on 11/22/2005 A true Italian-American wedding is all about good food and good music. My husband and I just experienced what we feel is a truly authentic Italian American wedding. The site was the Rancho Bernardo Winery in Escondido, near San Diego, California. The cost for renting the winery was minimal compared to other venues. Both sides of our family are from Sicily, so we felt very much at home with a reception in a winery. No expensive chair covers, ice sculptures, and fru-fru for us. We spent our money on an exceptional Italian caterer and a great San Diego Italian wedding band, who arrived in costume with dancers and truly made our day! Everyone was up dancing the tarantella even before the meal was served!

The tables were covered with wine colored tablecloths, we had grapevines with grapes gracing the tables, huge candelabras we lit as the sun set, and a magnificent Italian multi-course feast. The band played all the traditional songs and our guests danced in the grass and had an incredible time. They are still talking about how much fun they had at our unusual--but highly memorable-- wedding reception.

Italian couples should break out of the mold of the average, and oh-so-boring, hotel weddings and look for venues that reflect their heritage. We will never forget our wonderful wedding, and neither will our guests. Break out of the box and you will be so pleased with the results.

on 11/22/2005 There is a fabulous Italian Wedding CD out there. This CD really added so much to my wedding experience. It is called, "The Italian Wedding." It was produced by a band called Roman Holiday. The CD contains a booklet, coordinated with the music, that takes you (or the DJ, in our case) through the entire traditional Italian wedding experience. The songs are so lively and fresh. Our guests loved it.