Anyone who has read more than three posts on My Bella Vita knows I am obsessed with a few things … Italy, Calabria, my nephew Cole (but that is a story for another day) and traveling!

When I’m not traveling, I’m thinking about my next vacation, welcoming others to their vacation at our B&B or dishing out advice to Calabria-bound travelers.

Today, I am happy to introduce you to my kindred spirit up in Liguria.

Megan of Bella Vita Italia is a full-time Italy travel consultant, vacation planner and wedding coordinator who has spent the last five and a half years in the Italian Riviera. I interviewed her last week about her job and (lucky) you get to read about it today.

1. You and I have a lot in common, Megan. We were both event planners in America, are married to super-cute Italian boys and chose similar names for our expat blogs. The difference is, you always knew you wanted to live in Italy. What finally motivated your move to the bel paese?

We do have a lot in common! As for finally making the big move, I literally woke up one morning and said to myself, “If I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it.” I quit my job and put the wheels in motion. Six months later I was here for good.

2. You started Bella Vita Italia in 2004 as a travel concierge to assist travelers with their Italian vacations. What is the most rewarding part of that job?

The most rewarding thing is when people tell me it was the trip of a lifetime-I love that!- or when they thank me for not making them “think” too much.  Another satisfaction is planning “off the beaten path” trips. I recently had clients do a trip to Puglia and Sicily and I really enjoyed the research that went into it.

3. I have to ask … what is the hardest, or shall we say, least glamorous part of your job?

The hours. People think because it’s a fun job, it can’t be hard, but there are times when I am on the computer 12-15 hours a day or when I am juggling seven sets of clients at once-like right now!

I guess you could say the “behind the scenes” part is not so glamorous. Then there’s the accounting, ugh.

4. You give your phone number to clients, offering them a 24/7 lifeline when they are in Italy. You just added vacation rentals and weddings to your repertoire. Uhm, Megan … when do you sleep?

Absolutely I give them my number, and in many cases I provide them with an Italian cell phone. As for the new services, I’ve been doing both on a limited basis for a few years now. I know it seems like a lot, but thankfully I am organized. (Although I do sleep a bit more from November – March!)

5. What are some of the most memorable vacations and weddings you have planned?

There have been many, but recently I had clients staying in Le Cinque Terre for three months who had eight different groups of guests visiting them. I organized all of their excursions, cooking and eating events and transportation. In a way, it was like working as a concierge for a small hotel, but they were so kind that it was a pleasure to be so busy.

The other one was a wedding I did in a thousand-year-old tower overlooking the sea in Portovenere. It was such fun to plan and the wedding couple and mother of the bride were wonderful to work with. At the end of the evening, the bride turned to me and said, “Thank you for making my dream come true.” That was better than any paycheck I could receive!

If you are planning a trip to Italy and are interested in a travel consultant, visit Bella Vita Italia or contact Megan directly for details.

Thank you, Megan for chatting with us today … and everyone else, buon weekend!

* Photos courtesy of Megan, Bella Vita Italia

As an American expat in Italy who married a descendant of the Roman gods a guy from Calabria, I had the luxury of a ready-made wedding theme when we tied the nodo in 2007. Although we got married in Texas, we looked for ways to infuse his southern Italian culture into our Big Day and since Italian wedding traditions are so charming … we didn’t have to look far for fun, fresh ideas.

If you’d like to inject some southern Italian wedding traditions into your wedding, or are just curious about what the heck they do down here, then read on.

Here are Five Fun Southern Italian Wedding Traditions

photo credit: pigliapost

1. Sit Down and Eat

Ok, so couples around the world host a sit down dinner for their wedding reception and there is not a dang thing Italian about it. However, Calabrians always* host a sit-down dinner, complete with seven, nine, even eleven courses. One wedding I attended a few years ago was an 11-course feast, complete with two rounds of antipasto, three rounds of “primi” plates, sorbet, two rounds of seafood dishes, a round of meat, fruit, then finally dessert.

2. Confetti per Tutti

You know those brightly colored Jordan almonds people sometimes have at their weddings? Well, that is an Italian wedding tradition that is surpassed by no other. Three-to-five white almonds wrapped in netting are usually attached the wedding favor and offered to the guests as a thank you gift. Additionally, they are often mixed with rice and thrown at the happy couple as they exit the church.

Ouch …

3. Cut the Tie

In some parts of the region, the groom’s friends “steal” his tie, cut it into small pieces and sell them to guests to help the newlyweds pay for their honeymoon. (However, if you are really getting married in Calabria, then you probably know your guests are expected to offer you a busta of several hundred euros, so I’d skip the tie thing, as well as the money dance, and other traditions that drain your guests of more soldi … but maybe that is just me.)

4. Wedding Day Meet and Greet

One of my favorite southern Italian wedding traditions occurs on the morning of the Big Day. The groom and his family-and the bride and hers-each have party trays delivered to their homes the  morning of the wedding. Their closest friends and family members are invited to stop by and see the soon-to-be-espoused, have coffee or Prosecco and enjoy pastries and confetti candies.

5. Decorate the Car

Everyone’s car!

The newlyweds’ families distribute ribbons and bows for the guests to tie to their cars. The guests all drive from the church to the reception in a line and passerby often honk their horns, congratulating the happy couple on their marriage.

What other southern Italian wedding traditions did I miss? What are some of your favorite wedding traditions from around Italy?

*Always, as in, every wedding I’ve been to and ever heard of-have you ever heard of a Calabrian wedding that didn’t have a sit-down dinner?

This post is written on behalf of AffordableCallingCards.net. Click here to read similiar posts written by other expats in the ACC expat community.

 
It is no secret I’m somewhat, oh, what would you say? Addicted to weddings.
 
Seriously. I. Love. Them.
 
I do.
 
(get it?)
 
I love the pre-planning, the planning, the execution … even the stress. I’ve worked in the industry, I’ve written about the industry and I’ve even played along - just for fun.
 
So it was absolutely perfect timing when I got the call, less than one week after arriving in Texas for my summer vacation, from my friend Andrea’s boyfriend, Taylor.
 
My immediate reaction to his call was, “Oh my God, what happened?”
 
Because, ya know, my friends’ boyfriends don’t just call me to chat.
 
But everything was cool. He had a table at a wine tasting event on campus, they had an extra ticket (for me) and he had a ring and a plan. Could I be there?
 
You bet!
 

 
After a near-miss with his encouragement for Andrea to re-call and re-invite me, the group was set.
 

 
Taylor had purchased an additional bottle of wine and asked wine-tasting organizers to ensure he won the final door prize, from which a shiny new diamond ring dangled.
 
I knew this.
 
So, I was stunned to hear my number called as the first door prize recipient.
 
“7-7-8-2-9-FIVE?” I repeated loudly.
 
“Yes…”
 
“Really? 7-7-8-2-9-5?”
 
They must have thought I was drunk.
 
“Yes…” he was losing patience with me now.
 
I strolled to the front of the room and repeated my number a third time and was relieved when he handed me a rock-less bottle of wine.
 

 
And low and behold, guess who won the next bottle?
 

 
Andrea!
 
Finally one bottle remained, and as planned Taylor’s number was called. After retrieving his prize, he asked Andrea to stand and declared his love to the entire group of wine-filled observers. Then, he dropped down.
 

 
And she said yes!
 

 
Congratulations to Andrea and Taylor and Happy Love Thursday, everyone.