Religious wedding in Venice side altar Saint Mark’s Basilica

Nancy and Mark said “yes, I do” in front of God, according to the rules of the religious wedding. They arrived from Canada to get married in a church in Venice, precisely in front of a side altar in Saint Mark’s Basilica. The two lucky fellows and their guests (more or less forty in total) could so join the joy of an unforgettable day to the magnificence of a city that has no equals all over the world. An entire ocean separates their home from the church where their wedding has been celebrated but, you know, love has the power to bridge the distance, making possible what at first seems to be impossible. A challenge that Brilliant Venice wedding planners enthusiastically accepted, giving this couple the experience an unforgettable ceremony in Venice.

A long time ago, back in 1947, an Italian sailor arrived from Europe for the first time in the faraway Canada. His name was Giovanni Caboto. The name of this man is strictly linked to the city of Venice and a bust of him is visible in Palazzo Loredan, in campo Santo Stefano. The land where he got, after having braved waves definitely more dangerous than the ones he was used to face in the Adriatic Sea, was the Nova Scotia and more precisely Cape Breton Island, crossed by the Cabot Trail, named after him. More than five centuries later, alpha is reunited with omega. The trip is backwards now, but by a more comfortable plane. From Canada to Italy, headed to that “Cabot” Venice.

By day or by night, lonely or crowded with tourists, with rain or sun, it doesn’t make any difference. Venice and Saint Mark’s Basilica have always been spectacular and they are more and more desired as a location for those who wish to celebrate a special wedding. Once entered the stunning church, its mosaics and its sacred art can strike fear but it is just a temporary impression, just the time needed to get acquainted with a completely different world. Among the most valuable masterpieces outside, the renowned Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs in porphyry and the so-called Saint Mark’s horses, made of golden copper, both taken to the Serenissima directly from Constantinople, Istanbul now. The interior is not less beautiful, with very precious works that date back till the 11th century.

The D-day has come. Saint Mark’s Basilica is ready for them. That so long desired wedding in Venice is soon going to become real. In contrast to the tradition, the two lovers are going to live their magic moment aboard a gondola. That feeling of anxiety normally present in many Italian weddings is completely absent here. Mark and Nancy are relaxed. They are joking. She is wearing a fine white veil. Canal after canal, they take out a mask. He puts on the traditional Pantaloon mask with a big nose, while she decides to wear a classical women’s mask that covers half of her face. And besides the mask, she is obviously carrying a bouquet. You can give up on something, but some rituals have their unalterable fascination.

The bride and the groom arrive in Saint Mark’s Square and they make their entrance in the Basilica. Venice is ready to officialise their union. Nancy is accompanied by her father. Mark is waiting for her at the altar, excited and ready to pronounce (and hear) the most important “Yes, I do”. The sacred atmosphere gives even more pathos to this special day. There are family and friends. Old and young. A wonderful human mosaic, in perfect harmony with the church. Mark wears an elegant white flower on his buttonhole. Nancy has a pair of shining earrings. They swear eternal love to each other putting their signature on the documents. And before dismissing all, a picture of the whole group.

Love makes feel hungry and a wedding in Venice must be celebrated completely. In Saint Mark’s Square, everybody knows it, there is a place that has (nearly) an older story than that of porches and capitals, the Florian Café. In front of that, the newlyweds let the photographer go wild with his shoots and then they take him to the Procuratie enjoying some romantic shadows. The many lonely nights are now just a distant memory.                         Mark met Nancy. Nancy fell in love with Mark. No magic formulas or spells or magic tricks. The sand has run in the sandglass and now the wedding can be celebrated in front of the Venetian lagoon.

And now let’s go, they can enjoy their dinner. A generous banquet on a terrace overlooking Venice from which you can imagine to take flight over that magnificent city. There is a continual succession of mouthwatering dishes. The glasses clink. There is a continuous and cheerful chattering. Nancy has Italian origins. Her family comes from the close town Bassano del Grappa, near Vicenza. Time took her to grow up beyond the Atlantic Ocean but now, here, she reunited with her origins. Her wedding with Mark in Venice is packed with emotions and seems to add new stars to a sky that now seems to be watching, stroking and blessing them.

The conclusion of this wedding on the lagoon could be put in a picture for girls. Nancy in her elegant white wedding dress. Her arms are wide open. With her right hand she is carrying the white bouquet. Behind her (delicate) back Saint Mark’s basin, Saint George’s Island, the first part of the Grand Canal and going even back further, the “sestiere" Castello. Her hair with some rebel blond curls seems to shine in harmony with her smile. Her lips are calling love. Her hands are side by side with the Time. They make promises that represent their hearts’ happiness. This is the story of Mark and Nancy’s wedding in Venice.

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Religious wedding in Venice - Italy

Ph: Laurè Jacquemin