Rosanna,

This was a dream! Yes please use us as a reference. Catia is a amazing, Irene and her mom are amazing, Christian and the Palazzo Carletti was amazing and Giuseppe was perfect. It was the time of our lives! Thank you!!!!

All was perfect. I can't wait to see (the pictures) because even the ones from our friends are unbelievable. Everything and everyone was so very nice and we had the time of our lives. I love that church, it is very special and father John is wonderful and so kind. 

Thank you for everything. We are so looking forward to the remainder of our trip as well. 

Alicia and Doug

We are still traveling....

I would echo everything my mom said. The wedding (and entire experience) was exactly what I wanted, it was perfect and I couldn't have planned the day to go any better or the weather to be any more beautiful than it was. I was a very happy bride!!

I thought that planning my wedding through your company was incredibly easy, helpful and would absolutely recommend it to anyone wanting a destination wedding. All of the services and providers were great! I could not have done better choosing a photographer, he was wonderful. 

My husband does not particularly like pictures of himself and is uncomfortable having them taken....he made Matt feel completely at ease, and produced a very natural smile from Matt. Out of the entire wedding day I think Matt appreciated our photographer the most! My hair dresser was wonderful, he did a much better job with my hair than I even had pictured. 

The florist was very sweet and my bouquet could not have been more beautiful. The musicians were all fabulous! The harpist did a beautiful job, the guitarist and mandolin player were possibly my favorite part of the day. They were a lot of fun to have during the walk through town, made the pictures fun to take and it truly an experience to remember. The on site coordinators were very sweet and accommodating - both Rosie and Julia at Villa Fraulo. I had several locals ask me who had coordinated the wedding, whenever I mentioned Rosie they all spoke very highly of her! 

As mom mentioned, Villa Fraulo was very accommodating, the staff very friendly and in a great location in reference to the town center. 

The tours were perfect. And Pompei too was good, I would recommend the half day tour (which we did) to anyone. A full day would have been too much. 

Did I cover everything? Basically it was perfect and exactly what I had wanted. I wouldn't have celebrated my wedding any other way!

I would be happy to be a reference. And the address mom gave will be fine, our photographer said he would have the pictures done in about a week so they may be there before we return. I can't wait to see them!

Thanks for everything!

- Rachel

Rosanna and Raffaela,

I would like to thank you so much on behalf of my Husband and I for making our dream wedding come true!! We cannot express the satisfaction that we both have on the outcome of every single detailed preparation. The professionalism from the wedding planner to the hairdresser was phenomenal!! Italy is a beautiful country and we just fell in love with it. The wedding ceremony was beautiful, Ely was very professional and we both connected very well, the castle was beautiful and peaceful. 

The flowers were exactly what I requested and how I pictured to be. Rochelle was incredible, my husband loved her enthusiasm and her spontaneous attitude, we are both confident that the pictures will turn out BEAUTIFUL!!! And yes, you can use me as a reference for future couples who are considering your services.

Again thank you so much for everything you and your team of professionals did for us. We fell in love with Italy, such a beautifully country!

Thank you sincerely,
Cinthia

We would be very happy to be references for Distinctive Italy – especially for American/NY couples. Everything went exactly as planned and how we pictured it – it was a happy, perfect day.

Wedding Day Assistance/Translation
Ms. Donatella was wonderful. I truly don’t know what I would have done without her. She was by our sides until the boat ride to Villa Balbianello, and helped to ensure everything went smoothly throughout the early afternoon. She also made great suggestions during the day. For example, she suggested our driver take us to the top of Cernobbio when we had a few minutes of free time before the wedding service (the view was fantastic!), and she provided instructions to the photographer to take pictures of us in the medieval square (which was one of our favorite photos of the day!). As a bride, I am forever in her debt for her important help/contributions. 

Villa D’Este
A couple can never go wrong in selecting Villa D’Este as a part of their wedding day plans! The grand hotel was even more beautiful than we had expected and our time at Villa D’Este yielded fantastic pictures for our wedding album. It’s our opinion that few places can compare to the elegance and convenience that Villa D’Este offers its guests. We attached a few photos from our visit.

Our experience was incredible - unforgettable. Our suite was gorgeous, the meals delicious, and on-site amenities like rush laundry, on-demand luxury transportation, and spa services all combined in giving us a much more tranquil experience in the days leading up to our big event. As a special note - we requested room service to prepare a picnic lunch for our boat ride to Villa Balbianello and it was absolutely scrumptious. Sandwiches, cheeses, fresh fruit, beverages, tea and desserts - everything we requested was spot-on perfect. 

The hotel concierge even assisted us in shipping our wedding clothes back to the US so that we could continue our honeymoon without the extra baggage. It was a huge relief and great service.
Finally, the hotel manager adjusted our room to have a lake view instead of a park view for our special occasion. As a result, we had front-row seats to see the fireworks display from our room!! It was spectacular! Again – can’t thank the staff and management of Villa D’Este enough for everything. It added the ‘special’ to our special occasion. We will highly recommend Villa D'Este to all of our friends and family that may be considering trips to Italy.

Floral Arrangements
The flowers were absolutely amazing. The beauty and quality were beyond words and I can’t rave enough about the florist and floral arrangements. I fell in love with my bridal bouquet and the flowers at the wedding hall were perfect. I would urge you to keep using this florist in the future for other couples, since it worked out so incredibly well for us.

Boat Ride
The boat was great for the occasion and also nice/clean. It was also a plus for us that the driver spoke English very well. As a special note, Ms. Donatella learned of some bad weather moving into the area after the afternoon wedding ceremony. The boat driver arrived earlier than scheduled and this adjustment in the timeline allowed us to have our photo shoot at Balbianello as planned. 
On the way back from Villa Balbianello, the driver drove like a ‘bat out of hell’ in order to get us back to Villa D’Este before the heavy downpour started. The ride was a little bumpy, but ultimately much appreciated. 

Since Bill and I had our first kiss while watching the movie Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, it was cute for us to get photos at the place that featured so prominently in the film. It would have been a disappointment to miss it – we are very thankful for everyone’s extra help in making it happen.

Photography
The photography and sample pictures were received were fabulous and we can’t wait to see the full shoot. We were pleased that the service was similar to US custom, and that Enrico brought an assistant with him in order to capture additional angles and shots. Our families ‘oohed’ and’ aahed ‘at the pictures we showed them - they really did a great job and we would certainly recommend them again. 

Overall
Again, we can’t thank you and Gloria enough for all the extra planning and coordination to make our wedding day a happy success. 

Thank you again.

All our best,

April (& Bill)

Hi Laura-

Where do we even begin to express how magical our wedding was, thanks to you! You went above and beyond to ensure our special day would be filled with magical moments to be cherished forever. Giuseppe and I have lived the fairy tale romance and dreamed of a ceremony to represent our unique relationship. You certainly took our desires and requests to heart making the entire event feel like a fairy tale. 

The extra care you took and the time you spent on every detail was very evident as the time flowed smoothly. Thank you for allowing us to personalize our wedding and for being flexible with our requests. Even in our most extravagant dreams, we could not have imagined such a romantic and more perfect day! 

Thank you so much for your passion and dedication to keeping the flames of love and romance bright for couples around the world! We are telling everyone we know and strangers we meet about you and the wonderful service you provide, whether they are getting married, renewing vows, or know someone who is! Please call us if we can every do anything for you to repay your kindness and generosity! Giuseppe and I will be happy to recommend you because we appreciate what you did for us and believe in living your dreams!

Thank you for making our dreams come true! 

Kindest Regards,

Giuseppe & Rita

Hi Rosanna & Gloria, 
Thank you so much for everything!!! Everything turned out really great!! Sean and I were very happy with everything – the church, the flowers, the photographer, the hotel recommendations for Treviso and Asolo, etc. etc. etc. We fell in love with Villa Cipriani and did not want to leave! The gardens were amazing, our room was perfect, and the service was unbelievable. We definitely would never have been able to do any of this without the both of you! You truly made our dreams come true and everything was exactly how we wanted it. Thank you for all of your work that went into making it possible to get married in the church that my great-grandparents were married in 108 years ago. It really means a lot to us, and you both made our wedding very special for us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! 

I would definitely be happy to be a reference for you!

Thanks again and thanks for the well wishes! 

Vanessa

Hi Rosanna, we just returned from the cruise last night and had a wonderful time. I'm still catching up on everything but wanted to email you right away to let you know that everything about the wedding was PERFECT!! I cannot think of one thing that could have been improved.

The weather was the main concern as it was generally cold/windy/rainy up until the day of the ceremony and then miraculous it was beautiful!! Not a cloud in the sky and Capri was more beautiful than I had imagined.

The hotel staff was excellent and the lunch and ceremony out on the terrace was very intimate and perfect. My entire family commented that it was probably the best meal start to finish that we've ever had.

The flowers were perfect, I can't believe that they were able to produce exactly what I wanted just from the small description I gave you!

And most importantly Simona and Umberto were AMAZING!! They were genuinely happy for us and worked very hard to make sure we were taken care of. My family also commented that they had never seen a photographer so eager and work so hard. And Simona did a wonderful job with the ceremony. I cannot say enough about how great these 2 people were and how stress-free the day was because of them. I CANNOT WAIT to see the pictures as Umberto showed us a few glimpses and they looked amazing. Please let me know when you hear anything from him as I will be waiting by the mailbox daily! :)

We would be more than happy to act as references for you. Like I said I cannot think of one thing that could have been better. The day went so smoothly and I know that is because of the work you and your team put in. The day was absolutely perfect!!

Thank you so much Rosanna!! It was certainly a memory that none of us will ever forget!

Heather

Hi Gloria

We are now back to normal life again after a fantastic time in Italy. Rob & I cannot thank you enough for all your help in creating our perfect wedding. We were so happy that everything went absolutely perfectly on the day (we had no doubts that it would!) which we are extremely grateful to you for. 

All of our guests told us they had a lovely day, the main comments were that the food and wine was amongst the best or best that they’d ever had at a wedding before, the setting was beautiful and the restaurant flowers and decorations were gorgeous.

I would appreciate if you could pass on our thanks to Cristina & Stefano and all the staff at the restaurant, the florists who did a fantastic job with both the bouquets, button holes, restaurant decorations and also the boat, Pamela for doing mine and my bridesmaids hair and make-up so perfectly! Also a lot of our guests said they found the ceremony very romantic so please could you pass back our thanks again to the registrar who performed the ceremony and we appreciated the kind mementos. Really everything was perfect so we are so grateful also to Stefano for looking after the guests so well. 

We were both very happy with Mauro’s style and approach on the day, we hardly noticed him there apart from our time at the castle of course. They seemed to fit into the background very professionally so we are really looking forward to seeing the pictures. Do you have any idea when these might be ready?

We would be more than happy to provide a more formal, detailed review for you to use on the website if you would like us to.

Rob & I feel that we have a very special connection with Lake Garda now and without doubt will be visiting again very soon and in the future. At least 2 of our guests have booked to go back to Sirmione again next year too!

Thanks again Gloria, we wish you well in the future. We have attached a few of our favourite photos from our guests for you.

Rob & Lisa

Ciao!

Distinctive Italy Weddings is everything their website says - it is absolutely correct for them to claim "Impeccable planning & Flawless Execution." As an American couple who have never visited Italy, we researched dozens of wedding planners in hopes that we could have our fairy tale wedding (and note it was to be planned within two months) in Italy. From the very first moment of (immediate response) contact from Rosanna, we were completely confident that our dream of getting married in Italy was actually possible and we had no hesitation to choose Distinctive Italy Weddings.

Believe me, we are researchers & put Rosanna through every question, scenario, detail, possible option & request. We expected to continually be disapointed with what was available to us, but every question was met with honest answers, considerations, options & suggestions. It's scary to take a chance with such an important event, especially in a foreign country putting the future memories in someone else's hands, but we were consistently met with immediate response including suggestions of things we had not thought of. Up until the night before our flight out, we had email contact to answer any questions we could come up with.

All the details of paperwork, dates, times, addresses, small details, large details, travel details, plus picking out the locations, help with hotels, dinner suggestions, reservations, our liaison Alessandra in Milan, the lovely Georgia in Lake Como, a photographer (Enrico, who we LOVED), were all the things that made our wedding memories completely an amazing reality! 

Lastly, it was the beginning of October with possibility of rain & chilly weather - very stressful for a bride to consider. We actually woke up at 5AM to a fantastic thunderstorm that cleared all the fog off the lake & made everything clean. It ended up being the most amazingly clear day on Lake Como for the wedding with the perfect temperature - I believe she may have arranged that, too! 

Rosanna, our love & gratitude to you & your team!

Cheers!

Kathy & Mark Ahlin, newlyweds

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.  We are still trying to get settled in!
 
As far as our wedding in Florence:
 
First, I want to say that working with you was great!  I know I asked a lot of questions (sometimes the same question 4 times), but you were always happy to talk and didn't seem to mind.  Thanks!
 
As far as everything when we got to Italy...It could not have been better.  Everything was where it was suppose to be, and I was not disappointed with anything.  The church was beautiful, the flowers were exactly what I had imagined, and the Rev. was great to work with.  My husband's family is Catholic, but even they were happy with the ceremony!
 
Everything ran so smoothly on the day of our wedding.  I didn't worry about a thing!  This is how a bride's day should be!  I was able to just concentrate on my husband-to- be and the guests!
 
The photographer was great, also.  With Florence being such a beautiful backdrop, I cannot wait to see the pictures.  He seemed to have an artistic touch, and not just a "picture taker".
 
Now-for the best part – the Reception!  The food here was amazing!!!  I only wish we had been in Florence for another day, just to have another meal there.  The owner and staff were so gracious, and seemed to be genuinely happy that we were there!  All of our guests kept commenting about how wonderful the food was!  You must recommend this restaurant as much as possible!  It was way beyond our expectations!  They even cooked something special for our main course!  I am not sure who made the wedding cake, but I was so full from the dinner and the Gelato, that I was actually hoping they had forgotten the cake.  However, true to form, nothing was left out.  But-lucky us, because the cake was to die for!  We ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning!
 
As Chris and I left for our honeymoon the next day, we talked about how perfect the entire day was, and how unstressful it was.  It truly was the best day ever!
 
I would recommend this to anyone who asks, and probably those who don't!
 
You can use me as a reference any time you want!  You put together my perfect wedding!
 
Thanks!
 
Sarah

Our wedding was TRULY a fairytale wedding. We dreamed the impossible and got it! Ely and Ilizabetta were a charm that day and David and I thought they were fantastic. They both arrived on time and so I didn't stress. I am hoping our photos are beautiful. 

David and I were overall incredibly happy with our wedding. 

Thanks so much for this dream wedding,
Kimberly 

****

I want you to know when I got home today the CD was outside my door. I have reviewed them and please read and send this note to Elisabetta:

Never would I have imagined that a photographer could go without posing and/or positioning the bride/groom and capture such wonderful photos. I am VERY amazed and overwhelmed with excitement. I have never seen such phenomenal wedding photos in all the weddings I have seen. As I was viewing them I cried because I felt I was reliving that day. I actually wanted to go back to that day. I will treasure these photos and continue to look back every anniversary with joy and excitement that we lived our dream. Nothing will ever compare to that day. Thank you for giving us that day back with such wonderful photos. I will cherish them forever!

As for the service and continued support I have gotten through this I can't say "thank you" enough and mean it more. This has been an adventure we will never forget!

Thank you both,

Kimberly(now) Jones

I guess this ends our adventure together and with that note I feel sad. But as I think back to the experience and that day I feel incredibly happy. I wish you all nothing but happiness in the future!

Now we're back from the most magical month we could have imagined, our honeymoon was absolutely amazing, and we're just sitting to go through all our things before Heather returns to the USA. So, we've written some feedback for you into your email below, as you requested.
 
It was ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL!!!! All of it was just PERFECT!!!!!!
 
Many many many thanks,
 
A VERY HAPPY Andy & Heather

Was everything as you expected?  
It was even better, the quality of the food and services was excellent. The villa staff were the main people who really pulled things together wonderfully on the day, in particular Ivan the restaurant manager.

Were we and our services (the wedding ceremony, the onsite coordination, location, music, etc) as you expected?  

Yes. Luca and Bonnie were wonderful. In particular we especially appreciated them visiting us on the evening beforehand. This was essential and we thank them for recognizing the need.
Luca's delivery of the service was flawless, and we can't extend enough thanks to him for this, the guests loved him. His help with Giuseppe during the photos was also extremely valuable. 

The Florist was great, with the additional Orchid effects on the bouquets working wonderfully. We want to extend our most heartfelt recommendations for using them in the future.

The Music Trio were also great, they listened to our guidance for where to set-up their equipment, and were very open with allowing us to play recordings where we preferred. Not that it was often necessary, as their music was excellent. We thank them for being so accommodating and for the use of their equipment afterwards. All the guests have said how much they enjoyed their music.
About the Villa, we just can't say enough. If there was one vendor that made the whole wedding work, it was they. The staff, the food, the quiet yet superbly efficient way they worked. It was magical. They really got involved and made it all come together. In case you weren't aware, the villa staff (Valentina and Ivan) became key to organizing the whole day, and did more for us than we could ever have expected. The comprehensive service from the waiting staff, the dinner itself, the cake, well, there are no words to describe it all.
 
Molti Grazie! In our words, and those of our guests, we truly had a fairytale wedding!! Thank you so much.

The trip was amazing. We had the most wonderful time! I would love for you to include us as references for other couples. If we can answer questions or concerns for anyone, just give them my email address. 

A few comments that we noted along the way: Our chauffer/tour guide Roberto for the Rome castle tour was superb. He went above and beyond his job and I hope that you all continue to use him in the future. We really enjoyed him. Same goes for our Tuscany tour guide. We could not have asked for a better tour. Sean got a little motion sick from the roads and Franco drove all the way back to town while we were touring the vineyard to buy Sean motion sick medicine :) 

Elisabetta the photographer was excellent. She was so sweet and so excited and intense about her photographs. It was a pleasure to have her as a witness at our ceremony. 

And finally Tamara. We spent the most time with Tamara and she was definitely the best. She was so much more than a tourguide for us. She was a wonderful tour guide and we did enjoy that, but most of all, she was indispensable on the wedding day. 

Overall, this was the best 10 days ever. We could not have imagined a better wedding honeymoon. Thank you for all of your help. We never could have done this without you. 

Amy

Many thanks for your congratulations and for all your efforts to organize the wedding.  Please also thank your colleagues Stephania and Bonnie.
 
We had a fantastic day, and the musicians we booked through you were excellent, just right for the occasion.  The family running the hotel were very good to us throughout our stay.
 
We will send you some photos when we have them, and do not mind acting as references.  I have already passed your details to one person who is thinking about a wedding in Italy next year.
 
Kind regards,
 
Mark

I want to thank you for all your hard work and help with our wedding at such short notice. The villa we stayed at was beautiful with its old world splendor. Everyone thought it was magnificent. What made our stay even more delightful was Desy who took great care of us and made sure we had everything we needed. There was a wonderful family atmosphere at this villa that put one immediately at ease.

Stefania our on site co-coordinator was everything one could have wished for and ensured that everything ran like clockwork. The ceremony was everything I dreamed it would be. The music was heavenly. The vintage car was perfect and the driver was so helpful and nice. The company's photographer was very discrete and a perfect gentleman. San Gimignano is wonderful , charming town and I cannot wait to go back there.

Thanks a million for giving us a dream wedding

Christine and Johnny

So sorry for the delay in responding to you.  Everyone helping us the day of the wedding was fabulous.  The wedding coordinator, Anna Maria, was very nice and fun to work with.  She stayed with us until we got to the restaurant to ensure that everything was OK (which was later than what was noted on the schedule).  The photographer, Giuseppe was great -- we're looking forward to receiving the photos.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy the boat ride.  The boat driver was very pleasant and pointed out key areas on the lake and ended up staying longer as the dinner ran late.  The owner and his staff at the restaurant did an amazing job!!  The food was outstanding and the set-up was just perfect!!
  
Overall though, we were very happy with our wedding day.  Feel free to use our email on your reference list.
 
Thank you,
 
Jen

We just got back from Italy last night, and everything was wonderful! The wedding day went off without a hitch, and everything was absolutely perfect. I was a bit scared when the hair stylist turned out not to speak any English, but I had brought along a photo of the style I wanted, and I must say that what she produced was better than the photo! The gondola rides were a big hit with everyone; we really lucked out with the weather as the forecast had said rain and we had nothing but blue skies all day. The Luna Baglioni was beautiful, and the food at the reception was delicious. We were very happy with the service they provided. And most of all, Tamara was wonderful, so we'd really appreciate it if you could pass on our sincerest thanks to her again. We have been extremely pleased with everything you guys did for us and would be happy to act as a reference in future.
 
So thank you very much again for all of your help. Everything exceeded our expectations and I know our guests had a terrific time too. You've been wonderful at getting everything organized and we are extremely grateful for the great work you did!
 
All the best,
Evsen

The whole trip was wonderful. As far as using our e-mails are references, that is not a problem. We'll be glad to communicate with anyone. As far as an After Action Report is concern, here is what I have:
1. Everybody was on time as expected (i.e.-transportation, flowers, etc).
2. The staff at Hotel Forum were very professional and helpful with everything.
3. Daniela (Italian translator) was more than helpful and professional with everything we needed.
I think that's about it. I'm sure Christina could send some more useful information. Thank you so much for all your help. There is no way we could have done it without you.
Take care,
ERIC

Thanks for your email and for all of your help.  Yes we are back from the trip and we are both already missing Italy.  The wedding was not without its drama.  For example it rained pretty hard on our way to the ceremony (supposedly good luck in Italy) so the whole party was cowering under umbrellas and Miori had to borrow a raincoat to keep her wedding dress dry.  It also made for an interesting adventure on the "high-seas" during the crossing to Menaggio.  Once we were at the wedding hall we were really impressed with the way they had "spruced up" the hall.  Our first impression from our initial visit on the 9th was that it was a very simple location but they really did a fine job of making it appropriately formal for the occasion.  After the ceremony, the clouds parted and we had a good 2 hours of some great photos. The boat ride was absolutely marvelous.  

The photographers were great (there were two) and we cannot wait to see the photos.  
Finally the diner at the Villa Serbelloni was very impressive.  I was nervous because I'd heard mixed reviews about the food but we all found it to be absolutely perfect.  The service was impeccable.  In the final analysis I don't think we would have done it any differently than we did, rain and all.  We are both so happy with the way it turned out.  

We would be happy to act as references for other couples planning weddings in Como and for your company in general, so feel free to pass on my email address. 

If you'd like more detailed info our trip of if you'd like to use some of our photos for your website just let us know and we would be happy to help.  Once again, thank you for all of your help and we truly had a marvelous time in Italy.

Rodney and Miori

We are still traveling Italy. Right now we are in Sienna and tomorrow we will go to Rome until the 26th when we return home. 

Everything was perfect. Stefania our contact was wonderful. The man who married us could not of been nicer. The “Sala Rossa” was beautiful. The reception restaurant was great. And our photographer did a great job. And not to forget, the flowers were perfect.

Absolutely you can use us as a reference. I’d be happy to write you a detailed review when we get back if you want.

Thanks again,

Michael