Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Original post by butterfly91804
Hi Everyone, Just wondering among the Italian-American crowd how you are all coping with your plans and your families! Also, anyone doing anything special to commemorate/celebrate the italian culture during your wedding? Thanks!
firegal
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
My mom's side is also from the north of Italy and we are all blonde haired and blue eyed. My dad's side is from Naples and Sicily.
No one has been really annoying with the planning. We are going to play some of the 'fun' Italian songs and we'll have the jordan almonds. We're getting married at Villa Lombardi's so we'll be eating amazing Italian food.
FH is half Italian but the Irish side is married to Italians!!
fallin04
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
My fiance is first generation Italian, and like cat4580 his parents are also literally right off the boat. I'm Irish and German and not the slightest bit Italian, but we will be having some Italian music played, along with Irish and German. His family isn't used to American weddings so they aren't really bothering me too much, because they don't know what they entail...especially a Long Island wedding, because they are from Massachusetts. We are trying to plan a second wedding in his parents hometown near Bari (southern Italy). We were just there in March and it was AMAZING, the cathedral in the center of town is BEAUTIFUL and it's where his parents were married, so I would love to do something over there! If there are any special things/traditions that everyone is doing I would love to learn and hear about them so I can surprise him and his family with them. Thanks!
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Ann - What parts of Italy have you visited? Have you seen the Lakes in the North? Gabriella
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Fallin04 -
That is actually a great idea. Friends of mine who live here in NY got married here in City Hall. They then went to Brazil and had a wedding there (for groom's side) and then a year later they went to Cypress (spelling!!) and had a wedding there for the bride's side! Definitly an extreme situation but it would be a nice thing if you can have a ceremony and maybe a small reception there. I can definitly tell you from experience on the weddings in Italy that the receptions are Very centered on food and it is incredible - Just course after course - Although they don't tend to have music or dancing. Ciao Gabriella
fallin04
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Gabriella, His family was telling us that the wedding receptions last 8 or 9 hours and it's all just eating. We went to this amazing masseria (??) where we had an 9 course meal, and where they do some wedding receptions too! We definitely would like to have the reception there if we could! It was just so beautiful and the food was soo good. We just would like to have something over there, because more than half of his family lives there still so they won't be able to make it over here for our wedding. Plus it's just a great excuse for us to go back!! and bring my family along!!
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
I wish I could do the same thing because my father's whole side is there. Unfortunately, due to the bash that will be occuring here (I lost some control over the guest list - well, all control for that matter), I will be broke! My mom's insisting on inviting the world - hairdressor, family doctor, etc.etc. ! Have you ever been to italy?
bedda26
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
I can sympathize here too because I have an Italian Famiy but worse mine are sicilian and they are the hard headed people i've ever known in my life. I just got married about a month ago on July 6. My mother drove me up the wall so many times that sometimes I just wanted to scream. She wanted the old fashioned traditional wedding. Errrrrrr! she stressed me out. Here are some of the things that she drove me up the wall about:
1. Pictures - this was the worst. We are at the house doing pictures before church and some of my aunts came to see me which was nice but then my mother starts saying 'take a picture with aunt so and so and uncle so and so' and my photographer was like 'why are we doing these pics now we have to get to the church. we can do them at the hall but my mom insisted on it. then at the was worse becuase in my opinion the immediate family picture should be you, your husband, parents and siblings. But no she also wanted to do this in addition so i made her happy but i told her aunts and uncles only. It was not that simple becuase she starts inviting certain first cousins into the picture and I have 23. I was flipping out and my mom was like 'oh no its just the cousins that are single' and I was like oh sure now all the married cousins will feel excluded. Then she wanted me to do the aunts and uncles pics separate because one doesnt talk to the other and I got so mad and was like 'it's either one group picture or nothing at all! because I am not spending my whole night doing pics with pain in the ass relatives.....and now that I have my proofs she wants me to put all these pictures into my album. I was like 'hell no' I am not paying all this money for pictures to have pictures of my cousins all over my album. no way.
2. The music - I have a cousin that has a band called 747 they are good but i did prefer a band because i like DJ's better. Oh my god my mother was flipping out and gave me the 'how dare you not pick your own cousin's band' lecture. I told her to get over it and she did...LOL and in the end after the wedding she was like 'oh wow the DJ was great, and she loved him' she was just concerned he wouldnt play italian music. All dj's know that at italian weddings you have to have some italian music and he played it. and my cousin with the band gave the DJ one of his cd's to play so everyone can still hear his band's music. I thought was cheezy, rude and in bad taste but my DJ was nice about it and played.
3. My invitations - we put in a phrase that said 'Giovanna and Robert together with their parents...etc. etc.' and my mom was upset because it didnt state the names of the parents. she said that everyone was not going to know who they were and i was just like 'um hello the bride and groom are the main focus and everyone knows who giovanna and robert are'
see the thing with my mother is that she always worries what the family is going to think. I always say why try to please a bunch of people that will never be please no matter what you do. No its not easy being part of an italian wedding we always have to please and impress everyone. I hate that.
My brother is getting married in italy this year on September 20 and they too are doing a small reception here when they get back from their honeymoon.
fallin04
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
We will probably do the Italy wedding for our one year anniversary because we are also having a large wedding over here. I have a big family and his family that is in the US is ridiculously large.
I've been to Italy twice. The first time I did Venice, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. The second time I went with FI and did Bari, and his families town and then we took a trip to Naples, the Amalfi Coast (but we spent most of our time in Sorrento, and Capri) and we did Pompeii! I'm glad we took the side trip to get away from meeting every single relative he had, even his 5th cousins it seemed! and having to eat at every house we went too!! I love it over there, it's so beautiful! It was so amazing, that's why I know how amazing the cathedral is!!
babybride
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Gabriella-
I just saw your post! I'm impressed to see some more people from the North!! Both my parents were born in Italy in a very small town called Porcigatone - which is on top of the mountain. If you go down the mountain you enter the town of Borgo Val Di Taro. Also a province of Parma!!! Is your family directly from Parma or a smaller town? That is so awesome!!! Have you gone back. As I am first generation too and have a ton of relatives overseas I go back alot. We have done all the touristy stuff and ironcially enough are looking at almost the same places as you for our honeymoon if we go to Italy. Positano/Ravello/Taoromina parts of the Amalfi Coast. We have both been to Capri.
Or Sardenia/Corsica as my cousin went there for her honeymoon and said it was beautiful!!! Just expensive!!!
Anniegrl
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Gabriella - the only places in the north that I've been to are Milan and Venice (loved them!). I've heard the lake regions are gorgeous.
I've also been to Rome, Florence and Siena. I'm looking for places to go that wouldn't be so touristy, but still will have things to do, like a beach to go to or things to see (FH is very hyper and gets bored easily ).
P.S. - I love your name - very pretty
Babybride - what did you think of Capri?
fallin04
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Anniegrl, I went to Capri, it was absolutely amazing! The most beautiful place I've ever been. It is very touristy though, but it was just so beautiful! The water was this amazing blue, and It was so beautiful!
ETA: His family from Bari really wanted us to go to another island right near capri called Ischia. 'Ischia, another island in the Bay of Naples, is easily accessible from Sorrento or from Naples. Although larger than Capri, it is not quite so popular with tourists, but well-visited by the locals who appreciate it more for its calm and scenic beauty.'
babybride
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Anniegrl-
Capri is gorgeous. I was only there for a day though. Beautiful place. My friends just came back from their honeymoon in Italy and they did Florence, Positano, and Taoromina. With day trips to Capri, Sorrento and Ravello and they absolutely loved it.
Anniegrl
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Ooooh that sounds so nice...... thanks girls!
TESTAROSSA19
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Nobody has been driving me nuts so far! is anyone wearing the red ribbon in their bra? I was told that it is to ward off evil. I am doing the normal traditions like the tarantella, the almonds, liquers. So far, that is it. I am sure my family will tell me more as it gets closer.
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Giovanna
Your email had me laughing my *ss off!! I can actually picture the play by play of the day! I can completely sympathize with you over the picture situation. Every occasion we are together, we have to take a roll of pictures. Usually the pictures are of every combination possible. ex. me and fiance, me+fiance+mom, me+mom, fiance + dad, Me+mom+zia L etc. etc. And the best part is that we never change location - they are always in the same spot with the same backround so they are sooo boring!!
I live in Astoria too! Gabriella
butterfly91804
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Babybride....
Ok. Now I'm freaking out. Out of all the places in Italy, I never once thought I would meet someone that comes from the same region as us, Let alone anyone that has heard of the mountain town 'Borgotaro'. We are from that area too!! Actually, the small small small town my mom was born in is called Tornolo and it is the town after Bedonia. When I was younger, I would spend the summers there since my mom worked for airlines. Not that there was much to do there except eat good Focaccia bread and take hikes and eat icecream. Have you heard of these towns?
Another coincidence - I'm getting married at the Westbury too! What room are you getting? Ciao - Gabriella
For all those reading this - you must understand how weired this is - the towns we are talking about have about a population of 200 people!
WithThisRing
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
my mom's family is like the movie my big fat greek wedding, only its melissa's big annoying italian family
(my dad is jewish)
everyone wants a say. I finally told everyone shut up its my wedding. my grandmother threw a fit when she found out the colors the girls are wearing (they are wearing plum), then my aunt threw a fit when i chose my hall, then my cousin got insulted that i will not invite her to my wedding (hello you stuck up BIATCH you did not invite me to any of your wedding parties and havent spoken to me in 3 years because you dont know how to think for yourself and you expect me to invite you to my wedding. go to Hell)
hmmm...what else.....i think thats all for now
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Anniegrl - The beaches in Italy are always very very crowded in the summer. But you would probably be going during May-Early June, right? If so, then you will be ok. July and August are very crazy there. The south of Italy is supposed to be spectacular - Maybe you could situate yourself in a big town and then make day trips to the smaller villages or towns.
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
Testarossa - I've actually heard of the red ribbon - my sister used to make us wear red underwear on new years to ward off evil....yep, crazy italian family here!
butterfly91804
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Re: Italian American Brides !! How crazy is everyone making you??!!
My mom's been pretty good so far except for... 1- bridesmaids are not allowed to wear black or dark colors ?? 2- everytime I show her a picture of a dress for me she will comment on the hair, the flowers, the shoes, everything except the dress .. and for some reason this makes me sooo angry!
My dad is staying out of it. He doesn't want to know much about it because he's scared of getting caught in the cross fire. He just wants to know when and where!
