Valeria and Alexander wanted an elopement for the two. The couple chose one of the most romantic places in the world, Venice, as their destination. They admit that the wedding day turned out to be so magical that they are still reviewing the wedding pictures, returning to the feeling of love.

Wedding destination - Venice

Valeria and Alexander wanted to combine an official wedding ceremony with a romantic trip. "Two years ago, my husband shared a wish for a wedding abroad, and I agreed with this idea because we wanted something original and interesting to keep the memories for the rest of our lives. We were planning a wedding for about a year – In the first half of the year, I was looking for ideas on where and in what style we could get married. It was important for us to find a wedding planner who would help with all the practical issues, such as paperwork. Although, at first, we considered the idea to get married in Dubai or the Maldives, we realized that the right choice would be Italy and my favourite city in Europe – Venice,” says Valeria.

The wedding photographer and make-up artist travelling from Latvia

The couple decided to marry without the presence of family and friends. They were accompanied only by a make-up artist and a wedding photographer, who are the bride's friends. "Our wedding day was perfect. We were joined in Venice by another photographer – a guide who lives in Venice and knows all the beautiful locations perfectly, so the route of the photo session was well thought out and planned.

She immediately advised us to start the photo session at seven in the morning so that the popular San Marco Square would be free of tourists and we would have the opportunity to take great photos. For couples planning a wedding abroad, I recommend getting help from a wedding planner, because preparing all the documents for an official wedding ceremony can be a challenge.

I also recommend hiring a photographer and make-up artist from your homeland – it will be much harder to find such good rates and great professionalism abroad,” suggests the bride.

Official wedding ceremony in Italy

Caramel Events Riga wedding planner Julija Pumpe points out that it was important for her and her team to carefully fulfil all the wishes of the couple. "Priorities were an official wedding ceremony and a well-planned photo session with beautiful pictures. The couple had nothing against marriage in the municipal building, which made the task easier because organizing an official outing ceremony in Italy is not be as easy as in Latvia. In addition, the wedding hall was in a classic style overlooking the Grand Canal, and it all perfectly fitted with the wedding concept.

On the wedding day morning, after an early photo session, we arrived at the municipal building on time and checked all the documents again. The official wedding ceremony in Italy, in my opinion, is more ceremonious and much longer than in Latvia because several articles of the agreement are read. The whole ceremony was translated so that the couple could follow its course,” says Julija.

At the end of the wedding day – a romantic dinner

After the wedding ceremony, Valeria and Alexander went on a romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice, but after lunch the bride had a boudoir photo session. At the end of the evening, the couple went to a wedding dinner with the bride's friends. "We chose the terrace of the famous Hotel Danieli as the place for dinner due to both the view and the friendly attitude of the management. Hotel Danieli is famous for the fact that some episodes of the film "Tourist" were filmed on its luxurious stairs, " says Julia Pumpe.