The island of Sardinia is captivating and often has people falling in love with it. It is often said of Sardinia that it gives you the same kind of homesickness that some people get when they leave Africa.
It happened to me. I fell in love with the island a long time ago; when I first met my husband and found out he was from Sardinia. Later, when I visited the island and got to know it better, thanks to him, I was forever spellbound and gave in completely to its charm. So much so that I decided to move there.
We decided to marry in 2010 in Calasetta, where we organized a very simple wedding with a civil ceremony. It was officiated in the Tabarkina language in the splendid Sabauda Tower with a few friends and good cheer. Other wedding couples opted for the suggestive small church San Maurizio or for an outdoor ceremony in setup for the occasion. We offered a simple buffet starting with Kas’kà, the typical tabarkino couscus made with meat and vegetables and, of course, a delicious meringue wedding cake. The bombonnière were small bread shaped hearts handmade by elderly woman from Sant’ Antioco, the so called ”bread of the spouses”.
However, real Sardinian wedding ceremonies preserve very antique traditions. These traditions go from the bride’s wedding dress topped off with a white veil often covering a red headscarf, the elaborate costumes decorated with beautiful gold filigree jewelry, to the nuptial procession headed by a cart (traccas) pulled by flower adorned oxen. Finally, the dispensation of “grazia” by the bride’s best female friend who tosses wheat grain and colored flowers for good luck.
In ancient times, the parents of the bride would not participate in the wedding ceremony in order to stay home and prepare the nuptial banquet. Only the mother waited for the bride on the doorstep of their home and blessed her with water for good luck.
These ancient weddings, which follow archaic traditions, mixed with paganism and Christianity, can be seen (and possibly even officiated, with advanced booking) in Santadi, where the tradition of the Mauritano Wedding (“Sa Coia Maurreddina”) has been kept and is now at its forty- seventh edition.
However, even modern weddings can be organized in Sardinia by specialized wedding planners in any of the suggestive locations on the Island, with buffet on the beach or seaside, in a luxurious hotel, on poolside, in an agritourist restaurant, on yacht and of course in anyone of the ancient churches, towers or castles for a unique and unforgettable ceremony.
Elisa Mocci of “Elisa’s Wedding Dream”, is recommended by “Elle” magazine as one of the leading Italian wedding planners working in Sardinia; you can visit her website where you will find a large portfolio of weddings celebrated on the seaside, on the countryside or on a yacht, whether you prefer a shabby style ora luxury style.
Paola Repetto Consoli is also a confirmed wedding planner that dedicates a whole section of her website to Sardinian locations. She offers wedding plans in the summer/beach version or Christmas version and a wide range of possibilities for romantic couples, lovers of traditional styles and good taste.
