Here Comes the Bride

I woke up surprisingly early this morning after yesterday’s feast, made myself a cup of tea, and decided to just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.  When my father-in-law got up, he was energized and ready to pack in some morning activities before we went to the wedding.

But to be honest, I was really enjoying the quietness of the farm, and so I decided to hang behind while he and Zio Mario went off exploring.  My father-in-law was laughing at me and my love for the farm life. . .he jokingly said, “what are you going to do, watch the corn grow?” (But all joking aside, the corn has actually grown a lot since we’ve arrived!)

While they went out in search of something (probably a little bread or pastry), I decided to take a quick shower so that my hair could air-dry.  Pino had told me to lock the front door if I was going to shower, so I literally used a key to lock myself in.  When I got out of the shower, I made another cup of tea, and then went to go unlock the door and sit outside.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the door to unlock.  Seriously.  I probably tried for 15-20 minutes with no success.  (Which also brought back memories of the time when I locked myself in a bathroom at my parents house as a child. . .but that is a story for a different day.)

But finally I figured it out.  No, I didn’t unlock the door.  I opened up the kitchen window, climbed on the table, and hopped through.  Well at least I was outside, right?  Luckily when Pino and Zio Mario got home, they were able to get the door unlocked on their first try.

After a good chuckle, we all got ourselves ready for the wedding, and found that we had just enough time to kill that we could sneak in a quick gelato lunch.

The gelato in Sicily is so good – it is super creamy, and so flavorful.  And don’t even get me started on the brioche. I had never actually had brioche con gelato before, and when Irene heard this, she was like, “we must go immediately and get you one.  Everyone who visits Sicily must eat brioche con gelato.”  So, brioche con gelato it was.  Just imagine a freshly baked brioche roll, cut open, stuffed with gelato and then topped with fresh cream.  A gelato sandwich, can life possibly get any better?

Stuffed with gelato, we then drove over to the relatives’ house and took pictures of everyone dolled up for the wedding, before driving into Palermo for the ceremony.

Mario and Zio Mario

Mario and Loridana

The church was beautiful – the star painted ceiling, the ornate gold accents, the white flowers – everything was just right.

Just before the ceremony started, the choir sang a few songs.  And to be honest, I was both surprised and excited by their selections.  Serena (the bride) had chosen all upbeat and happy songs for them to sing.  I felt like I was in a scene out of Sister Act – it set such a great tone for the wedding.

The ceremony was so much fun.  Serena made the most beautiful bride, and Lorenzo, her doting groom.  They are so sweet and gentle with each other.  Truly a beautiful couple.

the proud parents

After the ceremony, we all set up outside the church for the traditional rice throwing.  I have seen this in movies and pictures, but have never gotten to experience it myself, so I was really excited!

After pulling rice out of each others hair, we all piled back into our cars, and drove out into the countryside where the reception would be held.  A beautiful villa lined with Italian pines awaited us – it was lit up, decorated to the nines and filled to the brim with food.

just the start of the appetizers

We were offered different champagne cocktails and then encouraged to dig in.  There were three 15 foot long tables filled with food. . .and I mean filled with food.  There must have been at least 100 different things to eat.  “Is it possible to eat everything?” I asked Irene.  “Yes Kate, it is always possible.”

So as to not offend anyone, I made sure to eat everything.  Just kidding!  But I did try bites of just about everything. . .because when your choice is either pane e panelle or a meatball. . .how do you choose?  You choose both, that’s how.

round 1 of 20

Fried foods, raw foods, cheeses, breads – I can barely even remember everything that they offered.  It was unbelievable to look at, and each bite was truly as good as the last.

a giant wheel of cheese?  yes please!

Already stuffed, it was time to head into the dining room.  The staff escorted us each to our tables and helped us with our chairs.  Serena and Lorenzo arrived and burst into the hall beaming with that newlywed glow.  They have such a sweet energy together.  They both have such joyful personalities, and it has been so much fun to be a part of their special day.

With the arrival of Serena and Lorenzo, you guessed it – it was time to eat again.

First course?  Fried shrimp, smoked salmon, octopus salad, and a shaved fennel salad.  Wow.  Strong start.  I was immediately starting to regret my 100 appetizers.

As soon as we finished our first course, the band started playing and everyone jumped out of their seats, and we danced for a good 30 minutes until our next course of food arrived.

Since this was a little different than other weddings that I had been to, I asked Irene, “do we dance between every course?” And her response was simple, “of course Kate, that’s how we keep eating.”  Ohhhh, okay. . .I get it.  Eat, dance, eat, dance.

Second course?  A creamy mixed seafood risotto, followed by more dancing of course.  (Which by the way, the band was amazing!)

The third course?  Homemade pasta with langostino.  Homemade pasta?!?  At a wedding?!?  Someone was really busy in that kitchen!  This was easily my favorite course, and definitely a dish that I am going to try and make at home – fresh pasta delicately tossed with a shrimp infused red sauce and topped with sweet juicy langostino – che buona!

And then the fourth course?  Salmon stuffed with crab and spinach, a piece of swordfish, fried calamari and a stuffed lobster tail.  And then of course, more dancing.  (Which honestly, I don’t even know how I was still moving at this point.)

Finally done with the feasting (or at least until dessert), the next few hours were filled with lots of dancing, a few speeches and then the most amazing surprise. . .a sand artist.

This artist came with a table of sand that was under-lit, and then projected onto a screen for us all to watch.  What was going to happen?  I had never seen anything like this before.

What unfolded was such a beautiful work of art.  Using only her hands and the sand, the artist told the love story of Serena and Lorenzo, literally drawing pictures of their life together with the sand.

And if that is not amazing enough, what I was so impressed by, is that she never wiped the board clean – she would literally turn the butterfly into Serena’s face, or a horse into the Eiffel Tower – all set to beautiful music.  This was truly an experience.

After the sand art, we all put our dancing shoes back on for the few last songs before the doors opened, and the dessert room was revealed to us.  What had once been 100 appetizers was now 100 desserts. . .cakes, cookies, gelati, tartes, candies, fresh almond brittle. . .you name it, they had it.  I mustered the strength to try a few things, but after all of the eating that had already happened, I barely had any room left.

After we finished dessert, it was well after 1 in the morning, and it was time to start saying our goodbyes.  (Which probably took a good hour at least.)  (Italians take their goodbyes very seriously.)  (Especially at weddings.)

Our drive home was filled with laughter and smiles, as we all exchanged happy stories from the day.  To watch such a special couple marry was truly a gift for us all.  Congratulazione Serena e Lorenzo!  Una grande bacione a voi!