Italy, Venice - Hotel Cipriani and Palazzo Vendramin |
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After touching down at Venice Marco Polo Airport, a five-minute cab ride brings you to the dock, where you board a natty motorboat that speeds off down a watery highway (the driving is every bit as daredevil as its land-based Italian counterpart) leading to a city where Renaissance palaces rise up from green depths and the streets are narrow canals. Arriving by motorboat is de regueur for Cipriani guests, as the hotel is on the Giudecca, an island in the lagoon. Brown-and-white striped poles like candy sticks mark the posh little dock of the 'Cip', as it is affectionately known, where guests alight to be greeted by charming gentlemen in theatrical capes. Completed in 1958 by Giuseppe Cipriani, restaurateur extraordinaire and founder of the legendary Harry's Bar, the hotel now exudes an air of knowing luxury: you won't find any designer-led fads here. Giuseppe Cipriani's dream was to build a hotel within easy reach of St Mark's Square, yet far enough away to guarantee peace and privacy. The Giudecca provided just that, and as a consequence has attracted everyone from Orson Welles to Andy Warhol, becoming the chosen residence for many a film star during the Venice Film Festival, including Nicole Kidman. Couples considering marrying in Venice should get in touch with their local registrar, who will advise them accordingly. The main documents required are a Non-impediment to Marriage certificate, birth certificates and photocopies of passports, which must be sent to the British consulate in Venice together with the consular fee. The British Consulate will liaise with the Italian authorities. Couples need to have their wedding date and the chosen venue confirmed in writing by the Italian Consulate. Wedding blessings and receptions are available at the Cipriani, but couples must marry officially in a civil ceremony, usually at the Palazzo Cavalli near the Rialto Bridge, or have a religious ceremony in a church of their choice. In a Catholic church both religious and civil ceremonies are necessary as in Italy no religious ceremonies alone have legal status. Alternatively, civil ceremonies can also be held in a historic palace or a garden, or even on a gondola. Most couples having their reception at the Cipriani head to the Palazzo Cavalli, Venice's city-centre Register Office. But rest assured as with everything in Venice, there is nothing ordinary about this municipal building. Inside this three-storey 16th-century Renaissance gem is a series of rooms set aside for the bride and groom, including one with 18th-century stucco decoration and a breathtaking panorama over the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge. Hanging on the wall is an impressive painting entitled The Golden Wedding, painted in 1909 by the famous Venetian artist Lugi Nono. couples can arrive at this romantic palazzo - which takes its name from the Cavalli family who lived there, and was later the residence of the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper - by decorated gondola or Cipriani boat. As weddings here are in such demand, it is advisable to book at least a year in advance.
Near by is the hotel's Vin Salso vineyard (so-named because of the lagoon's salty effect on the grapes). The Cipriani's own wine, Salso de Casanova, is often chosen for weddings. The heights of extravagance are possible here: in recent years a film director had a chapel specially constructed in the gardens, reached by a passageway strewn with rose petals flown in from California. 
On the Giudecca Canal itself, opposite St Mark's Square, stands I Granai della Replubblica, or the Granaries of the Venetian Republic. This immense and lofty edifice, with an imposing wooden ceiling, stonefloor and exposed brickwork, dates back 500 years, and began life as the granary and storerooms of the Republic of Venice. Air-conditioned or heated, with a sophisticated lighting rig, it s now up and running for 21st-century receptions. A recent wedding celebration here for 450 was a spectacular affair, with candlelit Murano glass chandeliers. Guests can spill out into Cip's Club Restaurant with its water terrace pontoon on the Giudecca Canal and wraparound views of Venice: this has to be the best dining view in town. Wedding parties can have cocktails on the terrace before heading into the Granaries: bellinis are the order of the day, a refreshing aperitif of fresh peach juice and Champagne. The original hotel now contains 104 guest rooms, so there is plenty of space for family and friends to spread out. All rooms enjoy superb views of the lagoon to the south, the church and monastery of Palladio's San Giorgio maggiore to the east, or the walled gardens and vineyards of Casanova to the west. Honeymooners may want to opt for the de luxe apartment in the romantic Palazzo Vendramin, linked to the hotel by an ancient courtyard and flowered loggia. Altogether more romantic, this is a converted 15th-century residence and perhaps qualifies as Venice's first six-star rooms with prices to match. The decor was designed by the late Gerard Gallet in a Venetian style reminiscent of Fortuny, making full use of the high ceilings and carved windows. Butter service ensure you are waited on hand and foot, and breakfast is prepared in the suite every day. Most breathtaking of all, however, is the view over the lagoon to St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace. The newly opened Dogaressa Suite is decorated with original Coromandel screens, antique Chinese lamps, and Fortuny and Rubelli fabrics. The suite offers the largest sitting room in the Pallazo, a dreamy bedroom, a pink marble bathroom and splendid views over the lagoon through floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedrooms, living room (which can be transformed into a cinema at the touch of a button) and dining area. newlyweds here have the use of a secluded private garden, a wooden terrace shaded by shrubs and lemon trees and an outdoor jacuzzi. A further addition to the hotel is the Palazzetto, with five de luxe suites overlooking the basin of San Marco.
A 'Venetian Interlude' package, recommended for honeymooners, includes three nights in a junior suite with Champagne breakfasts, lunch or dinner at any of the Cipriani's restaurants and one special massage or facial treatment in the Casanova Spa. Newlyweds can take advantage of the Cipriani's 'Opera Package', with their own box reserved for them. Alternatively, marina berths are available if you feel like heading off by private yacht. As Venice lies at the top of the Adriatic Sea, newlyweds can cruise the east coast of Italy exploring gems like Rimini, or even head to the wonderful coastline of Croatia, dotted with thousands of beautiful islands, nowadays deemed one of the most fashionable cruising destinations in the world.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO GO
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PRE-WEDDING RESIDENCY published by Conran Octopus Ltd Hotel Cipriani & Palazzo Vendramin 30133 Venice Italy
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