ELENA & NICOLÒ

Ah Venice, La Serenissima... Canals, more than four hundred bridges, gondolas,
St Mark’s Square with its basilica and Campanile, majestic palaces, home of the Venice Biennale and film festival, a UNESCO heritage site and
a destination for millions of tourists. The birthplace of Marco Polo, Titian, Vivaldi, and also Elena and Nicolò, an Italian couple who said “I do”.
They met eight years ago through a mutual friend.
They had both been living and working in London for over six years and got engaged during a trip to the islands of Malaysia. “But we definitely wanted to have our wedding in Venice because we’re from here, we met here and we just love it here,”
Elena says with a smile.
The couple got down to the preparations less than a year before the wedding. They wanted an elegant wedding, but at the same time they wanted
a relaxed atmosphere for their 120 guests. Elena and Nicolò exchanged their vows on the last day in August. There was a traditional ceremony
in the Church of San Zaccaria near to the Basilica of St Mark, and after that the wed- ding party took a boat to the charming island of San Servolo.
As you approach it, the white buildings of the sprawling monastery, dominated by the two bell towers of the local church, seem to rise straight out of the sea.
The island in the lagoon has been inhabited by Benedictine monks since the
7th century; in the 18th century the monastery became
a military hospital and later a psychiatric hospital. Today it is home to a museum and university, and visitors can’t help being impressed by the large park with its ancient trees and the magnificent view of the Venice skyline from the island.
The reception and subsequent party were held in the handsome convent courtyard, which gives an impression of tranquillity and intimacy
even though it can accommodate up to 220 guests.
The newlyweds also rented a terrace with a view that will take your breath away, especially when the sun begins to set, and a glittering expanse of water separates you from Giudecca Island and St Mark’s Square with the Doge’s Palace and the Lido.
If you ask the newlyweds what they liked most
about their wedding, they point to three things: the location, the timing and the overall atmosphere. They prepared a wonderful day for themselves
and their guests, and we wish them lots of happy memories that will only multiply as time goes on.

Text: Hana Janišová | Photos: Gloglo Photographer