Our Wedding Story: The Italian prime minister nearly ruined the proposal

[ irishtimes.com/weddings ]

Stefano, from Tuscany in Italy, first spotted Amy-Louise from Killiney, Co Dublin, in 2009 at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels where they were both working. A few months later, he finally had the opportunity to invite her for an aperitivo on his terrace.

In 2014, Stefano and Amy-Louise were living in Rome where he was working as EU adviser to Italy’s then-prime minister, Enrico Letta. The plan was to propose on Valentine’s night but that day his boss officially resigned.

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Amy-Louise had a feeling he might propose that night but, “I was sure there was no way he would after a day like that. To my surprise, he was quite resilient.” After dinner overlooking the Pantheon, Stefano went down on bended knee at Piazza Navona.

On May 22nd 2015, they were married – by Fr John Chester and Stefano’s family priest from Pisa, Don Sergio – in St Macartan’s Cathedral in Monaghan.

Amy-Louise’s sister Lauren was chief bridesmaid and bridesmaids were school-friends Andrea Somers and Jennifer Lennon and her friend from Brussels, Grainne Delaney.

The best man was Francesco Giusti and groomsmen were Marco Pagano, Simone Caddedu, and Massimo Marchesi. “Not surprisingly,” said Amy-Louise, “the Italians all had different ideas about what suits to wear. I had to make it very clear that they needed to wear the same – Irish style.”

The bride’s mother Maureen and Lauren found the bridesmaid dresses while her father helped Stefano with transportation for the 50-plus Italian guests.

The reception was at Castle Leslie where owner Sir Jack Leslie, a fluent Italian speaker, greeted the bride and groom and had his photo taken with former Italian prime minister Mario Monti, who was there with his wife Elsa.

Stefano’s mother Giovanna Gentilini provided confetti and almond favours for guests sitting at tables named after places Stefano and Amy-Louise have lived – Dalkey, Rome, Brussels, Strasbourg, and Pisa.

Although speeches aren’t a traditional part of Italian weddings, the bride, groom and both fathers – Rodolfo Grassi and Anthony Dent – spoke. Stefano’s best man did more than one ‘brindisi per la sposa’/ ‘toast to the bride’.

The wedding band was Harlequin. A week before the wedding, the couple found a "wedding dance" crash course outside Brussels for "last minute couples" and their first dance was to English/Italian Stardust by Mika and Chiara.

The newlyweds honeymooned in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Photographs: Will O'Reilly Photography, willoreilly.com

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