A castle wedding in Piemonte

E vissero per sempre felici e contenti. [And they lived happily ever after.]

Castello di Pralormo wedding, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy on Flickr.

In a beautiful fairytale setting that not so long ago drew tulip admirers from near and far, Pralormo Castle became the elegant backdrop for a most important reception earlier this month. A dear and long-time friend of the MotH - dear like a sister - tied the knot with her beau at the castle in Cisterna D'asti in a simple civil ceremony. It was the quickest italian marriage that I've been to (apart from mine), and for a hot summer month like July, the bride and groom could not have chosen a better day to pledge their vows. Lower than usual temps, passing clouds and a soft breeze kept everyone in good form. The coolest ones though were the italian women in stilettos. This was no catwalk in Milan, and I could only stare in awe as they navigated the steep rocky path while the guys poked fun and laughed.

E vissero per sempre felici e contenti, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy on Flickr.

The rich colors of burgundy and ivory repeated itself in all the usual details from party favors to rose petals, but the special touch that I liked best were the table id cards (each table was named after a wine) with excerpts from a poem by W. B. Yeats printed on the front. I draw a big blank of who's who in the poetry world, but when translated into a romance language, does it even matter when words become music to your ears? Reading the first and last two lines from A Drinking Song made me thirst for more than the prosecco in my hand. Oh dear!

Il vino raggiunge la bocca / e l'amore raggiunge gli occhi...
...sollevo il bicchiere alle labbra / ti guardo e sospiro.

The coordinators of this event left nothing to chance - it was flawless! They had someone in charge to keep the children occupied, allowing parents the luxury of enjoying themselves without worrying over their hyperactive kids. The young guests even had a long dining table set apart from the adults which made them feel as if they had the castle grounds all to their own. Not long after snapping this tranquil scene, the air was filled with the sounds of hungry mouths feasting on pasta e pomodoro.

The Children's Table, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy on Flickr.

Of the four italian weddings that we've been invited to, the best part was always the aperitivi/antipasti preceding the meal. The variety, the color, the whole bounty of trays and trays of stuff to nibble on...you could fill up, and fill up fast, on this part of the meal alone. A table with tiny portions of sushi was descended on so quickly that it was gone in minutes. Hand-carved prosciutto is not just something to behold, but a pleasure to devour as soon as that silky pinkish sliver hits the plate. I didn't photograph the main dinner as the evening light was fading fast but I felt the catering company Simini did an impressive job at this party. Everything was perfect, from the discreet and professional staff to the gorgeous meringue and cream cake decorated with edible gumpaste calla lilies.