Alternative Aperitivo Inspiration: Tea Party

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Here in Italy, it's common to have an aperitivo before the wedding dinner. This consists of a drink which may be prosecco or a cocktail, and usually a large amount of delicious Italian finger food. Despite the huge amount of food available, this does not replace dinner, so make sure you leave space!

When getting married in Italy, why not embrace the aperitivo culture, while adding a fun and distinctly non-Italian twist with a tea party theme? This allows your guests to enjoy the great outdoors while the sun is out and to be able to mingle and chat before the more formal sit down meal.

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This idea is particularly great if your venue has various different spaces, as it gives your guests the chance to explore. It also breaks your day up into more little events, which can make the event more enjoyable for everybody, and of course means you can take advantage of the sunshine if your wedding is in the sunny season.

We love the idea of a tasteful take on an Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter's tea party. Think all your family and friends outdoors, sipping on colourful cocktails served from teapots and surrounded by pretty nibbles, while sitting on mismatched chairs or hay bails.

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This theme easily blends in with an antique/vintage style wedding, and the quirky Alice in Wonderland theme can be played up or down depending on your tastes, but provides the right excuse to use plenty of fun colours, cute china cups and to incorporate the green garden element of your wedding. 

What do you think?

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Spring has sprung

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May is one of my favourite months in Italy. The city’s so green that you almost forget you’re in a city at all, the days are lovely and long again, and the warm spring light never fails to bring a smile to my face. 

Spring is also a fantastic wedding season. Not only is it not too hot and not too cold, but spring trends always lend themselves perfectly to a charming, pretty and unique wedding. 

Although there always needs to be a contingency plan, an outdoor reception becomes an option in spring, and the beauty of the outdoors lends itself to a very fresh, natural theme.

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One of the best things about springtime is that so many beautiful flowers are in season, and you can take your pick from any number of them for your bouquet and decorations. 

Daisies and peonies are solid spring favourites, and the combination of smaller and larger blooms creates a playful feel.

Every spring, pastel colours are bang on trend, and if traditional bouquets aren’t your cup of tea, there’s no need to settle for a sphere of roses. For spring, I love garden-style bouquets and centrepieces, which have the look of just-picked flowers and incorporate pastel shades with bright natural greens: simple but gorgeous for a fresh feel to your big day. 

Pastels and neutrals compliment the green all around to create a real spring feeling, and combinations of pastel hues make for a whimsical feel. 

Use coral, peach or blush as accent colours to create a gorgeous, girly wedding. Sage or mint tones are ideal for springtime elegance if you’d prefer something less pink, or a mixture of pastels can be happily put together if you'd love a vintage-inspired day. 

Keep your background colours neutral – think simple whites, creams, or champagnes – to highlight your accent colours beautifully.

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