Ideas for a Tuscan Wedding

My brother was married in Italy, to the girl of his dreams, in the little village where she grew up. On the wedding morning, the best man arrived at the house where my brother was staying, and together they set out to walk to the bride's house. The bells of the Church began ringing as they left the house, and as they passed each home along the way, neighbors and friends came out to join them in their promenade. By the time they reached the bride's home, the entire village had joined the wedding procession.

It's a simple and beautiful idea for a Tuscan wedding that may seem impossible to carry out in a busy city in the middle of the United States.

And yet, when I described the scene to a friend who is being married next month, he was so charmed by the idea that he and his fiancee have decided to incorporate it into their wedding morning. When they start their procession to the chapel where they'll be married, they'll be echoing a Tuscan wedding tradition that is centuries old. It's only one of the ideas for a Tuscan wedding that can make your wedding day beautiful and meaningful.

One way to let your guests know that your wedding is going to be something extra special is to send out an extra special wedding invitation. One couple planning a Tuscan wedding sent out unusual wedding invitations that paid homage to the reputation of the region as one of the premiere wine-making regions in the world. They contacted a local vintner and arranged for him to affix their wedding invitations to bottles of his wine.

The invitations were inscribed on personalized wine labels, and sent out to all their guests, complete with RSVP cards tied around the neck of the bottle with a satin ribbon. It's a very clever idea for a Tuscan wedding that will long be remembered by all of their guests.

Incorporating Tuscan wedding traditions into your wedding day can bring the beauty and charm of Italy home with you. One of the ideas for Tuscan wedding traditions that you might adopt for your wedding is the release of doves at the end of the church ceremony. The single dove winging into a blue sky is meant to signify the introduction into the world of a new life - that of the united couple. It's a lovely tradition with a lovely meaning. If you'd like to adopt the tradition, you can contact a local club that runs homing pigeons to arrange to rent doves for the release.

Food ideas for a Tuscan wedding draw heavily on the traditional fare of the region. Plan on serving at least four courses at dinner - food is vital to the celebration of anything for Italians, and triply important when the celebration is the start of a new life together. Primi piatti - the first plate - is a relish tray, with several kinds of olives, pickles and tomatoes. Prosciutto de Parma is expected, wrapped around fresh figs or melon, and an antipasto that could be a full meal in itself substitutes for a salad. Plan on a pasta course, and a meat course, and at least one dessert course - each served with a wine specially chosen to accent the flavors of the course.

A Tuscan wedding is one that will be forever remembered, not only by you, but by all of your guests. These ideas for a Tuscan wedding can start you off toward planning the most beautiful and meaningful day of your life.