We love smaller weddings, and elopements in particular. There is a completely different awareness in couples who have already lived a few years together, or who make the decision to give love a second try. I find these occasions particularly moving, maybe because I am one of those couples!”
Jo Bertolino, Founder, Tuscan Pledges, Italy
Wedding celebrant Jo Bertolino is based in Florence, where she established her company, ‘Tuscan Pledges,’ over 22 years ago. With a dedicated team operating throughout the region, they now conduct ceremonies across Italy, bringing their expertise and passion for creating memorable and personalised experiences to couples nationwide…
C&B: “Jo, you have carved out a wonderful career in Italy, what inspired you to become a wedding celebrant?”
JB: “I’m a translator and interpreter, and while working for a translation agency, I conducted interpreting for legal weddings. One couple asked for a symbolic ceremony; therefore, I created a small script, which I now keep as a memento. I loved holding their ceremony so much that later the same year, I ended my job at the agency and created my own company. Holding ceremonies runs in my family, as my father was a Protestant minister and my mother is a lay preacher; that said, I must specify that our ceremonies are not religious. If anything, they are spiritual, and most of all, they work around the idea of symbolism and rituality…”
C&B: “What makes a wedding in Tuscany unique compared to other destinations?”
JB: “Tuscany offers magical landscapes, stunning castles, majestic villas, ocean view venues, history, and museums, all within an hour and a half drive from any Tuscan airport. I consider myself lucky to live here; I was born near Rome but moved to Florence when I was 19, so Tuscany is where I have lived the longest. That doesn’t necessarily make me what you’d call a ‘true local’, but it works out to be an advantage because I can still see the beauty this area offers as though I were seeing through a foreigner’s eyes, and not just take it all for granted…”
C&B: “You mentioned symbolism and rituality earlier; how do you approach customisation for each couple’s wedding ceremony?”
JB: “Our goal is to write scripts that are as personal as possible, and since we need our couples’ help to do that, we send them a questionnaire, asking each of them to reply to the questions separately. Most couples are eager to start working on the questions and almost always comment on what a great exercise that was for them! Putting feelings into words is not the easiest task, but it truly gives you a sense of your love for someone when you sit down and do it. Some couples comment on how they cried tears of joy during the process and thank us for giving them the opportunity!”
C&B: “How do the local traditions and cultural elements of Italy influence the ceremonies you officiate?”
JB: “Until just recently, all the weddings in Italy used to be held in church, so rituals were purely religious. The only true Italian ritual is the tossing of rice or grain as the couple walks out, symbolic of fertility and rich harvests. That’s why we suggest including a ritual that, albeit not local, still adds importance to the rite of passage that is getting married. I truly believe we are missing a lot when we don’t include rituals in our special moments, as they help us understand the value of what we do and leave deep marks in our memories…”
C&B: “When you are first approached by a couple, what is the process for working with them from the initial consultation through to the actual ceremony?”
JB: “I usually start with an initial video call, and then I put the couple in touch with the appropriate celebrant on the ‘Tuscan Pledges’ team who will hold their ceremony. Since the beginning of this wonderful adventure, the business has expanded considerably, and including myself, there are now nine of us, each of the celebrants having been fully trained by me. Our celebrants speak several languages so that we can cater to Italian, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, and, English couples.”
C&B: “What is the best advice would you give to couples of any nationality who are considering a destination wedding in Tuscany?”
JB: “My best advice would be for them to have a professional celebrant hold their wedding ceremony. Some of our couples opt for a friend or a relative to hold their ceremony, believing that someone who has known them forever will be able to create a more personalised ceremony. However, I think that friends and family should be invited to weddings as guests and should not be given the responsibility to perform a service that only a professional has been trained to offer. We are trained to speak in public and are not embarrassed to present ourselves before all the assembled guests; although we may find the moment moving, we will be tactful. We know how to address our couple and their guests, and we coordinate with the musicians to make sure words and music do not overlap and that there are no awkward silences in the ceremony. Finally, we can convey the solemnity and credibility that a friend or a relative wouldn’t be able to transmit, because they have always been seen by the couple and their guests in a completely different role that does not quite carry the gravitas the situation requires…”
C&B: “In your opinion, what are the most important elements of a meaningful wedding ceremony?”
JB: “Needless to say, we would love to be able to persuade our couples that exchanging personal vows before their guests is a beautiful gesture, and that including a ritual is meaningful; but we need to respect our couples’ personalities and wishes. We may offer ideas, but ultimately, it will be our couples’ decision, not ours. If our couples decide to exchange their personal vows privately, and just exchange ring vows, we recommend opting for more elaborate ring vows. We usually send samples to our couples, and through the years, we have noticed that most couples select the more detailed version…”
C&B: “What final suggestions would you make regarding the venue and ensuring everything goes according to plan?”
JB: “For couples getting married in Italy, I would recommend that they always ensure their venue has a Plan B to accommodate any adverse weather conditions. With the assistance of the wedding planner and the florist, they can be confident that they’ll love Plan B just as much as their original plan. It’s so important to trust the vendors; they possess the expertise necessary to ensure the happiness of the couple, which is always their ultimate goal!”
CONTACT: http://www.tuscanpledges.com
