VENICE is one of the most romantic cities in the world, sunlight glistening off the canals, young lovers snatching a kiss on a shadowy bridge, musicians playing in the squares...and, of course, the singing gondoliers.

Now an English woman who fell in love with the “floating city” is helping couples realise their dream to get married there.

Jayne Seddon spent many years in Italy working for a British holiday company before deciding to branch out on her own organising tours around Venice, but it was not long before she realised that many couples she met would dearly love to be married in the city.

A few years later she is now organising 85 weddings a year across Italy, and of the many ceremonies she has arranged in Venice the most amazing was probably in the crypt of St Mark’s Cathedral itself!

And it can be cheaper than at home - “An average wedding in the UK can cost around £15,000. Many couples are choosing to reduce the number of guests and use a wedding abroad as a holiday for their guests too” explained Jayne.

“A wedding in Italy does not have to be expensive, a basic civil ceremony including wedding co-ordinator on the day, interpreter during the ceremony, all documentation and town hall/consular fees, bouquet for the bride and buttonhole for the groom and pre-wedding day planning starts from Euro 1,900 (just over £1,000) for the couple – on top of this would be your flights, accommodation and meal. A wedding ceremony can be organised to suit everyone’s budget.

“A civil wedding in Venice with say 30 guests, hotel for close family, a few nice extras like a wedding gondola, good photographer and including a 5 course Italian dinner with entertainment/music, bridal hair and beauty and violinist during the ceremony would cost approximately Euro 11,000 (£7,500, excluding flights).”

Jayne, from Kingswinford in the Midlands, one of the directors of Venice Events, said: “I am fortunate to have one of the most satisfying jobs of making people happy on their very special day. It can also be one of the most stressful jobs, as part of my aim is to take away some of the stresses on the couple that can occur when organising their wedding!

“I have so many wonderful stories…… no two weddings are the same and I am in a position to hear so many family stories and situations, occasional problems to overcome and meet so many people from different walks of life.

“Why do couples choose to get married abroad, or in Italy? Some couples are on their second-time or even third-time round, many just love Venice for instance and it is their dream to get married in the most romantic city in the world, many want to do something totally different to their friends or simply get away from the limited choices they have at home.

“I remember all the couples and weddings I have helped to organise and stories spring to mind, such as a couple  who booked their wedding to coincide with Carnival and the bride donned a Venetian white mask, one groom who’s main concern was that his separated parents had not met or spoken in six years and were meeting on his wedding day – both with new partners….., an Australian couple who travelled across the world bringing just their mothers to the wedding (their mums cried all the way through the ceremony!), a very talented bride who designed and made her own period costume wedding gown – she made her own buttonholes, bouquet, and table place names, an Irish couple whose main concern was to have sufficient beer for their wedding guests,.. and many more.”

Jayne said that over the past few years destination weddings have become very popular, with most people thinking of a beach wedding in a far-away place - “But Italy has just so much more to offer – historical backgrounds and architecture, fantastic food, sunshine and you don’t need to book two years ahead as some venues ask for in the UK. Simple civil ceremonies or registry office weddings become something much more glamorous when held in a palace overlooking the Grand Canal, or in town hall rooms in a castle on Lake Garda.

“Religious weddings are also possible in Italy, with obviously Catholic churches being plentiful. One unusual place to be married is in the crypt, hidden away under the floor of the St Mark’s Basilica in St Mark’s Square. Reputedly holding the remains of St Mark, this location is not open to the public but it is possible for Catholic couples to be married under the arches in this very special place.

“There has also been an increase in requests by couples to have special ceremonies such as renewing their vows on special anniversaries, or surprising their partner with a special romantic proposal. Many couples, especially non-European, get married civilly in their own country, but ask us to set up a ‘symbolic’ wedding. These ceremonies can be a simple wedding ceremony on a gondola, or in a private palace with ‘all the frills’.

How does Jayne and her team start organising your wedding? The main items of course are deciding the date and location, number of guests and type of venue. We ask all our couples to send us as much information as possible about they way they see their wedding day, the type of ceremony they would like, the budget they have, colour schemes and likes and dislikes. Some people contact Jayne and her colleagues and like to arrange to have a weekend visit to see locations and venues - “this is very worthwhile because they get to meet their wedding co-ordinator and discuss all details and see places suitable for their wedding” she said.

“Once we have a very clear idea of the couple’s requirements, we start sending ideas and suggestions. Most of this can be dealt with via email and telephone calls. Once the couple have decided on the date and where, we then check availability of the date and book the ceremony, the venue and the hotels. Once the ‘big stuff’ is in place then we start looking into the details and building a full quotation with the services the couple decide they want to book through us. We do as much or as little as people prefer – some couples want to be in full control, some couples like to have local knowledge and advice, but importantly we never ‘take over’. It is their wedding day.

“When the couple have agreed on all their services, with deposits paid and a wedding contract signed, the bride-to-be can concentrate on the pleasurable side of shopping for her wedding dress, bridal shoes, accessories etc. and enjoying the preparations knowing the organisational side is taken care of.

“With the final countdown to the wedding, we double and triple check all the arrangements, ensuring all documentation is correct and dealing with any last minute extras or ideas. Table plans and menus are re-confirmed with the venues, flowers are ordered, photographer and musicians know where and when they start and finally we have a Wedding Day plan showing how the day will go so that everyone knows what is happening – ‘planned to perfection’ or as near as is possible to be ! Obviously there will always be little things we can’t account for, such as the weather, and having a second plan is always a good idea.”

FACTFILE: Venice Events, 1827 San Marco, Venice, Italy, tel (0039) 041 5239979, Fax (0039) 041 2777435 , website WWW.veniceevents.com, email info@veniceevents.com