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WEDDING — ITALIAN STYLE |
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By: Bianca M. Cano, Ville et Village office manager
(So many of you have worked with Bianca over the past
12 years, that we thought you’d want to read all
about her special wedding in Florence. Also, we have
many clients who ask us about holding their weddings in
France and Italy, so you can see how Bianca did it.)
You don’t have to be rich and famous like Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes or Rachel
Ray to have a wedding in Italy. In May I experienced the most festive and magical
event of my life -- I married my fiancé Shizen in Florence. After
working at Ville et Village for so long, a wedding overseas had long been a dream
of mine. As a French-speaker, I initially considered a wedding in France,
but ended up selecting Italy because France requires a 40-day residency whereas
Italy requires only 3-days. And I love Florence – I lived and attended
school there for 6 months as a child. My love affair with Florence grew
after 4 more visits on my annual trips to Europe staying in our properties. I
organized the entire wedding myself thanks to my experience at Ville et Village
and much guidance from friends, family, the internet, and my invaluable Italian
colleagues. For many of my guests it was their first time to Italy
and as their friend and a travel professional, it gave me pleasure to have my
wedding be their reason to travel there for the first time.
Our wedding was a civil ceremony at town hall, the spectacular Palazzo Vecchio
(former home of the Medici family) situated in Florence’s most famous square
-- Piazza della Signoria. Not only is the square breathtaking (home of
the replica of David, Neptune’s fountain, and the renowned Uffizi Gallery),
the official chambers are gorgeous. Naturally I arranged the rental
accommodations for our guests myself. Sixty of us, myself included, stayed
at Ville et Village properties in Florence, the Borgo and Collona apartments,
just a 15 minute walk away from the Palazzo Vecchio. Because of my elegant
wedding gown with train and heels, I arranged a horse-drawn carriage to transport
my 2 bridesmaids and me to the Piazza. En route from the apartment to the
wedding, tourists and locals alike applauded and encouraged us along shouting “Auguri!” I
thought I’d be uncomfortable about making a spectacle of myself, but the
sincerity of the well-wishers eased my nerves and allowed me to savor the fairy-tale
moment.
In Florence, civil ceremonies are held in the opulent Sala Rossa (Cosimo de Medici’s
former bedroom) which features red velvet walls, ornate tapestries, 30 ft. tall
ceilings, a massive chandelier, gilded mirrors, and antique chairs. The
bilingual ceremony featured the mayor’s officiants, our translator (required
by the municipality), and a violinist I arranged playing Vivaldi. After
the ceremony ended and we were officially pronounced husband and wife, our guests
lined up outside the Palazzo to shower us with rose petals as we made our exit
into the Piazza. We then walked to the Ponte Vecchio to take pictures with
our bridal party and were congratulated by the crowds and serenaded by street
performers. It was a great little unexpected treat and Shizen twirled me
around for the onlookers who were snapping pictures right and left.
The owner of our Florence apartments also owns a 14th century country villa whose
gardens and patio she hires for special events. That’s where we had
the reception. We hired a private bus to transport our guests from Florence
to the villa in the Tuscan countryside. The villa features frescoes, coffered
ceilings, lush gardens, an olive grove, and panoramic vistas of
Florence in the distance. We all enjoyed cocktails on the terrace, glasses
of prosecco, a six-course dinner and dancing under the stars.
After a week long stay enjoying the delights of Florence, 20 of my guests crashed
the first part of our honeymoon in Rome. It was great fun to have them
accompany Shizen and me there to continue the festivities. We rented several
Ville et Village Rome apartments that were within walking distance of each other
and met regularly for communal meals, sightseeing and people watching. But
after all, we deserved some alone time, so Shizen and I continued our honeymoon
just the two of us with a romantic stay in Barcelona at BA011, an apartment we
offer near Las Ramblas, and capped it off in a lovely Paris studio PA048, on
rue des Lombards in the heart of the Marais.
Everyone is still talking about what a memorable event it was. For me and
Shizen it was nothing less than perfetto and really the quintessential
beginning of our “Dolce Vita” together.
(Bianca’s wedding wasn’t the only Ville et Village
nuptial this year. See the photo to the left of Marc and Hallie Chouanière,
one of our clients who got married in France this spring and stayed in PA070,
one of our Paris apartments for part of their honeymoon.)
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CREATING FAMILY
MEMORIES FOR YOUR CHILDREN |
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I want to rent a house in Provence with my children,
but is there “enough” for them to do? Parents
often pose this question to me. I always respond
that renting a house in the French countryside is the
adventure for children. It is precisely the day-to-day
events that children love the most. Each day provides
a new discovery: going to the boulangerie and
asking for a croissant (in French!); bringing a straw
basket to the weekly outdoor marché and
filling it with purchases of fresh vegetables; visiting
the farmer and taste-testing lavender and thyme honey to
chose a favorite; sitting at the local café and
enjoying an ice cream sundae ordered in French.
I have the good fortune to introduce you to a 10-year child,
who can explain exactly what she likes about renting a villa
in France. Kathryn Bohlmann has spent 7 summer vacations in
Provence at a house she and her mom rent through us. This
year, Kathryn wrote an article about her summer vacations that
was published in Family Group Magazine. She describes
all the things she loves about their trips: shopping
like the French do, sitting at the café drinking lemonade,
going to the flea markets. When she remembers the clear
blue skies and beautiful mountains behind the farmhouse, she
imagines Monet and Cezanne painting these lovely landscapes. Click
on this link to read Kathryn’s article, and you will
see what a wonderful gift you can give your children by renting
a house in Provence and experiencing French country living. (Kathryn
and her mom, Victoria King, rent PR025 at Caromb. And they’re
renting again in 2008!)
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RENTING A LARGE
VILLA FOR YOUR SPECIAL EVENT |
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Each year we help many folks plan their special trip by
reserving a large villa in the Italian or French countryside. It
might be a group of 5 couples celebrating someone’s
50th birthday…. 8 women taking a special trip with
their high school classmates….3 generations of a family
celebrating Grandma’s birthday.
It’s always an exciting but challenging situation
for the person who’s responsible for organizing the
trip for the others. The staff at Ville et Village
is here to help. Need a recommendation for a location
that provides fun experiences for folks of different ages? Biking
for the athletic? Vineyards to visit? Villages
to explore? Restaurants close by? Lovely countryside
to explore? We’ve got the answers.
Once the region has been identified, we can identify those
villas that can accommodate your party size and configuration. Do
you need 4 bedrooms all with ensuite baths? Is a bedroom
and bath on the ground floor a requirement? Does one couple
require a shower stall? Are there young children who
need to be near their parents? Our property descriptions
are detailed and clear. We can select the villas that
offer the basic requirements you need and then help you evaluate
the pros and cons of each one.
It is very important to plan early for such events. Now
is the time to start evaluating the different selections
so that you can be assured of getting the property that is
best for your large group.
Here are some comments from clients this year who booked
vacations for their large group:
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Sorgente, Lucca, Italy (left photo): L.Wilson, “It
was wonderful. Everyone is still talking about it.
We each had privacy and could come together when we wished. The
vistas and spacious setting were wonderful. The outdoor
living area was special.”
PR380 St. Remy, France. K. Agnew, “We loved
the property. All the space was great for our large
group. We loved the outdoor area with table under the
plane tree. We ate all our meals there. The grounds,
lawn and flowers are beautiful. The kitchen is large
and well equipped. Lots of bathrooms. The décor
of the house was well-done.”
PR339 Fontvielle, France. L. Wagner “The pool
was magnificent. Members of our group were able to
have their privacy as they wanted or we could all be together.
The weather was so great we spent all our time either outdoors,
in the kitchen or in the bedrooms.”
Casa Rosa, Lucca, Italy. (top photo) J. Earle, “Superb! Gorgeous
views. Pool. Everyone had their own space and
there were enough bathrooms. Great outside eating area. Playroom
with toys was loved by my granddaughter!”
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SPRINGTIME IN
PARIS? PLAN NOW! |
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“What?” you may ask, “Aren’t we
just entering the fall?” Indeed, but nowadays
renting in Paris is so popular that advance planning is important
if you wish to find the apartment rental that’s perfect
for you. So start thinking now of springtime
in Paris and visit our listings. Here are a few to
tantalize you:
PA070 a beautiful new apartment in the 7th arrondissement. Bright
and airy, air conditioning included, an easy walk both to
the Seine and to the elegant shopping of the 6th. On
the beautiful Boulevard St. Germain.
PA101 with its beautiful kitchen, large open living room
and even a small garden in the up and coming 10th. The
Canal St. Martin, is the new “in” neighborhood
in Paris. Walk the canal, enjoy the greenery, the bistros,
and the local ambiance.
PA163 a classic apartment in the residential 16th arrondissement. Ever
imagine living in Paris? Then stay here. Beautiful
décor, easy walk to all services, great for a family. And
all of Paris is accessible with easy access to the Métro
and RER.
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