That’s Amore.
Halfway along the Amalfi Coast road, between the relatively low-lying towns of Sorrento and Amalfi, sits the clustered town of Positano, its brightly coloured houses stacked one on top of the other, climbing the impossibly steep, lush mountainside.
From: London / Dublin
Nearest Airport: Naples International
Arrive and Fall in Love
This stretch of the Amalfi Coast is one of those rare places that you really don’t need to visit in order to confirm how genuinely beautiful it is (it’s not just that the photos are flattering – it really does look like that) so for those of you who, like Caoimhe & Dave, “just want to arrive and fall in love with the place”, it’s perfect. When planning their wedding, the couple set out quite simply with a love of Italy, its food, its people and its culture. As self-confessed lovers of the sea, they also considered it essential that both the ceremony and the reception had coastal views, and by scouring the internet they eventually pinpointed their perfect location: “If you look hard enough you can find your dream location”, says Caoimhe “so don’t settle for the easiest option; you can do something really different and amazing so just keep looking – it’ll be worth it!”
Classically Italian
The couple had arranged their wedding day to evoke a simple but classic feel “in the Old Italian style”, as Caoimhe phrased it; tasteful and understated but with a stylish, casual flair that allowed the guests to indulge in the location’s relaxed atmosphere. The day began with a civil ceremony held on the balcony of Positano Town Hall overlooking the splendid view of the sea and its famous coastline. The couple were able to personalise their ceremony, which was conducted in both Italian and English, to the accompaniment of a violinist.
Al Fresco Reception
Following the ceremony, the group walked together down the winding steps of the town to the harbor where, after an obligatory gelato, a private boat transported the newly-weds and their guests along the glittering coast to Amalfi, where local people stopped to cheer and congratulate the couple as they walked to their reception. This was held at the Luna Convento Hotel, a 13th century converted convent whose past guests (Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman, to name but a few) lay testament to its stylish charm.
Welcome drinks were served in the pretty cloistered courtyard before the party was escorted to the summit of the private Tower Restaurant for a six-course al fresco meal, which was followed by dancing. The hotel had decorated the tables with white roses to compliment the bride’s bouquet, and had laid out candles and place cards hand-made by the bride. “The view from the top of the Tower was incomparable”, described Caoimhe. “As dusk fell and the candles glowed around us, we gazed out across the town of Amalfi and the tiny villages beyond, as the coast line lit up in the dying light of a perfect evening”.
So Special & Unique
“Getting married this way was definitely right for us”, explained Caoimhe. “The guests didn’t divide into groups but socialised together; everyone was in the holiday mood, relaxed and happy, and they all got on together wonderfully.” Having booked a co-ordinator to assist with the legal requirements, the couple found it a less stressful experience than they felt a conventional, local wedding would have been. Aside from the incomparable scenery, they knew there were some extra special aspects that could not have been realised had they held their wedding at home. “Walking through the town of Positano, having ice-cream at the harbor below, taking a private boat to our reception.” Caoimhe reminisced. “It was all those things that made our day so special and unique”.
Story: Callie Copeman-Bryant
The Perfect Partners
Ceremony: Positano Town Hall // Reception: Hotel Luna Convento, Amalfi // Wedding Planner: La Calla Wedding Agency // Wedding Dress: Berketexxx Bride // Bridal Shoes: Paradox // Bridal Accommodation: Booked through Amalfi Coast Rentals
