This Tuscan welcome dinner epitomizes the spirit of an opening party for your wedding in Italy. 2 days prior to their elegant wedding this international couple hosts a welcome party to introduce everyone to the some of the gastronomical delights available in Tuscany.

A Tuscan welcome dinner – great idea!

I consider a wedding abroad more of a vacation with friends and family. Most people that do attend your event often extend their trip to make a holiday out of it. Because of this it is commonplace for destination weddings to have extra events like a welcome dinner or farewell brunch.

A welcome dinner is a great idea for various reasons:

It is an opportunity to break the ice and give everyone the chance to get to meet each other.
Weddings are often one of the few occasions where friends and family all gather together. So why not make the most of it and spend more time together.
A welcome dinner can give you the chance to host a more casual event where you can relax and not have to be caught up in the whole tradition of the wedding.
If you have many people that like to make toasts or speeches, you can allow them to make their toasts during the welcome dinner. This way, on the wedding day only 3 or 4 speeches are made by those from whom you would typically expect one.
If you are passionate about food and wine then it is another excuse to over indulge and enjoy some of the local delicacies. Many choose to have a barbecue so they can experience more traditional and rustic home-style cooking.

Cocktails and Food!

Our event starts with everyone enjoying refreshments and finger food at the back of the villa. Some guests are staying at the villa, meanwhile others just around the corner. People arrive in their own time after an enjoyable day relaxing by the pool or reading a book.

With a buffet of cold meats, cheeses, vegetables, cold salads, breads, quiches, flans and more we don’t have to worry about the food overcooking so we can just start dinner when we feel like it.

Everyone enjoys the starters and appreciates the chance to try so many different things. Next fresh pasta is cooked and served and then we have the grilled meats and desert.

Quick speech and a surprise.

As the evening flows on everyone relishes the food and drink and atmosphere. Later, we have a quick welcome speech by the bride and groom. At the end of their toast they also call up the bride’s mother as they surprise her with a birthday cake.