The Pandemic Will Not Stop The Most Popular Wedding Destinations In Italy

2020 is a year that ravaged us all, bringing both human and economic loss to millions of people and forcing life and the events around us to come to a stop as we had once known them. In Italy, the collateral damage brought on by Covid-19 continues to be felt by many sectors, namely the wedding industry, leaving many within it to wonder how and when they will be able to work again. 

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi spoke to Parliament referring to the thousands of couples in Italy and abroad who are waiting for the big news: will wedding season be back in full swing? 

“On Monday, May 17, there will be answers given to the wedding sector,” says Draghi. “I understand the concern of those who are about to get married. The celebration is a wish we all had but it is essential to have the patience to prevent an occasion of joy and lightheartedness from turning into a potential risk for the participants, “ said Draghi.

“The government remains close to the event sector with the allocation of 200 million per year in progress and provides for further compensation in the new support decree next week,” said Draghi.

At the moment, wedding receptions – indoor or outdoor – are not allowed in Italy. Forbes spoke with some of Italy’s artisans, dressmakers, photographers, and director of events who work in the wedding sector that showcase the best of what Italy offers to see how they are coping in this unprecedented time.

Paola Vuilleumier, Director of events at Villa Cimbrone Hotel, one of Italy’s most exclusive villas on the Amalfi Coast in the town of Ravello. Despite this tragic year, she maintains a glimmer of hope because of the foreigner’s desire to return to Italy.

“This is a unique year, a year we didn’t expect. Italy, despite it all, despite the difficulty the country had to face, our culture, our unique places, traditions, and products continue to be desired to visit and experience. Perhaps even more now, this is a beautiful thing that despite the pandemic, people can’t wait to come back,” says Vuilleumier.

“I do remain an optimist. We hope that when Draghi speaks, the sector can work again, we hope this summer things will be more normal – with some restrictions of course,” says Vuilleumier in regards to distancing and masks when necessary.

In a normal year, the Villa holds about 60 to 70 events annually, sometimes lasting up to 3 days.

The Villa works mostly with American and British couples for destination weddings. Most have been vaccinated, but due to national restrictions in Italy, weddings still are not able to occur. “Here in Italy, we expect to have a boom soon, if someone chooses to have a wedding on the Amalfi coast, you usually maintain the desire to have the wedding in this unique and beautiful Italian location,” says Vuilleumier. 

“The majority of couples want to still have their weddings in Italy and just postpone, opting to celebrate at a later date.c this makes me happy,” says Vuilleumier.

Now, Vuilleumier explains that the Villa Cimbrone Hotel plans to have Covid free weddings, “we are working to request swabs outside of the villa, to give guests an added sense of security – so they can dance and enjoy themselves.”

Cinzia Ferri, a high fashion wedding dress designer of three generations has been dressing brides in her custom dresses for 40 years. Her atelier is located in northern Rome, just steps from the Vatican where brides have entered with excitement to share their ideas of their dream wedding dress that Ferri and her dressmakers create for the bride’s big day. 

The reality of creating a custom wedding dress is it relies on time, multiple specialized dressmakers, and unique handmade fabrics that are laborious and time-consuming to produce. This sartorial work of art is part of a storied tradition in Italy, but a sector that has been suffering during the pandemic. 

“Covid will create so many victims, and I think this sector will be one of them,” says Ferri emotionally. 

“Designing a custom dress is a long process, alta moda or high fashion dresses are made specifically for a person, molded for their body. To do this there are so many steps – you need at least 40 days from start to finish and minimum of 2-3 people,” says Ferri.

The creation of these dresses has always been an intimate experience, where the bride, designer and dressmakers work closely during fittings because of the nature of the work. Measuring, fitting restitching is all done closely. 

“I’ve always been a dreamer – I love the work I do, but I have to be honest. This is work that no one wants to do anymore – perhaps even more now with the pandemic, but if my design doesn’t have the hands that know how to work from my drawings to create the dress, Cinzia Ferri is no one,” says Ferri.

Silk is one of the most coveted and used materials Ferri uses in her designs, specifically Silk from Como produced in Como Italy. The northern Italian province famous for being a Hollywood destination has a long tradition of artisanally working silk that comes from China.

Luca Valli, the owner of the fabric company, Tessitura Carlo Valli, specializes in silks for brides and ceremonies.

“Unfortunately with ceremonies, weddings all being canceled – the great tradition of the wedding, being close to family and celebrating with loved ones came to a halt.”

“We worked much less in 2020, 48% less. We work predominantly with weddings, ceremonies, cocktail dresses. The majority of our clients are brides who also need dresses for their mothers and aunts – we sell directly to ateliers who custom-make dresses,” says Valli.

The silk is produced in China, Italian artisans then select the highest quality raw silk and work it with traditional Italian methods. “We get the raw material and we have to knot it – creating the unique Como silk we produce in this area. It is still artisanal work, knotting the silk,” says Valli.  

Linda Acunto, a professional wedding photographer explains how the pandemic has gone beyond being difficult for business. “The impact of coronavirus on my work was significant. My work is done in close contact with people, which was not allowed, and so the work was drastically reduced.”

Acunto has worked to capture the celebration of a wedding for years across Italy, but this unique moment that has put ceremonies at a standstill has also been a moment to reflect, changing the lens in which she wants to capture love and marriage, “I will go against the tide and my own interest, but the wedding stories I want to tell are those that do not depend on the restrictions caused by the coronavirus and do not depend on the Prime Minister and what he will or will not say on May 17 for the restart of the sector,” says Acunto.

Now, what she wants to capture is the essence of what marriage is all about, “The image that I would like to capture with my photographs is showcasing the vows of a couple and the pact between them. Capturing this image there is no need to wait for the decisions of the government that will or won’t consent to allow wedding ceremonies.”

“This past year should have made us reflect on what marriage really is,” says Acunto.