“Wedding 2.0, from the menu to the dress code: here are all the news for 2023-24”, this was the title of the event organized at Villa Brasini in Rome which certainly left no doubts about the topics that would be addressed during the event . The starting point was the story ofevolution that the wedding party contemporary has undergone over time and, in fact, there have been many changes in this sense, especially considering the period from 2000 onwards.
Marriage statistics
Looking at the data, the first and most significant change concerns the type of ceremony: today it can be stated, for example, that the religious rite is definitely "out of fashion". If in 1940 98,7 percent of marriages took place in church, 1977 is certainly the year that can be identified as the beginning of the perceptible "descent" in the numbers of religious rites. Perhaps thanks to the law on divorce, since then the percentage has dropped - never to return - below 90 percent. The decline continues slowly but continuously. In 1990, religious marriages were 83,2 percent, while in 2010 they dropped to 63,5 percent. Today they are at 47,4 percent.
The escape from the religious rite is actually the consequence of a more general "escape from formalization” of the couple's relationship because marriages in a global sense are decreasing. Even civil unions between people of the same sex are decreasing, despite the recent progressive opening to inclusiveness. On the other hand, over the course of twenty years the so-called free unions they have more than quadrupled and today one in three children has unmarried parents.
And divorces? The number of divorces has stabilized after the boom due to the introduction of the so-calledshort divorce” of 2015 and a law from the end of 2014 which allowed people not to go to court in the case of consensual sex. From Wednesday 18 October, among other things, those who want to separate and divorce using a single procedure will be able to do so without problems as a result of a sentence of the Cassation who expressed her opinion on a question raised by the Court of Treviso. Until now, in fact, quick divorce had been experimented with by some courts, but opposed by others. Now everyone will have to follow the same rules and allow married couples who intend to break up to separate and divorce in "one fell swoop".
They are always the data collected (Istat) to also tell us that people get married later and later. In 2019, the average age of spouses at their first marriage - taking into consideration spouses under fifty - is almost 32 years for women and almost 34 for men. In 1980 the average age was about 8 years younger for women and about 7 years younger for men.
This data, which was illustrated during the event by the expert voice of Louis Gabriel – president of the non-profit association “consumerism” – clearly has an impact on supply and demand in the sector. It goes without saying that the changes due to the computerization of social networks and the dynamics that have been created within these networks also shape the choices for organizing the wedding.
It is no coincidence that the latest news regarding dress codes for brides and grooms are dictated by Fashion blogger and by an influencer. And this is not the only aspect regulated by online trends, because the same fate also happened to the wedding day menus, the location, the set-up, the soundtrack, the type of entertainment (both for adults and children) .
The new points of reference for wedding organisation
Anyone who finds themselves having to organize a wedding, their own or that of their clients, knows that each of these elements represents an opportunity for the spouses to transform a beautiful, but often standardized celebration into a tailor-made appointment to remember for the whole life, which accurately communicates their personalities and tastes. For this reason, the best wedding planner they turn to the dynamism of industry influencers, then shaping trends with the taste and personality of the clients.
An example of this new form of participation in the wedding business was present at the event with a stand of lights and mirrors for testing bridal make-up by Emma Moretti, luxury bridal stylist and make-up & hair artist. A QR code as a business card and direct link to immediately see from your mobile phone what this artist is capable of doing in a thousand different situations, with the possibility of staying in touch via any type of social network.
Walking around the rooms of the Villa, used as a showroom for the occasion, one's attention could then be captured by the gentle music of a violin, clearly expressed in a modern key, that of the performance of "Shanti and Son(g)s“: an astonishing mix of floral decorations, evening dresses, technological tools and female presence. This is so that we do not forget that, during the ceremony, it is important to also consider themusical accompaniment, which today really no longer has fixed points: they range from the DJ capable of playing a harp made of psychedelic lights up to the couple of artists capable of singing floor-filling disco pieces live.
That tech is now always and in any case the protagonist, even in these cases, as can be understood from the constant presence of references to online, to everything that can be done without printing pieces of paper, posters or anything else. So the tableau is online, participation is a QR code to be framed, the menu is only a section of the site specifically designed for the wedding. There are directions to reach the location of the ceremony or celebrations to be sent to the navigator, the timeline to let guests know what times and places to be, the newsletter to stay updated on the progress of the organization and finally the online wedding list.
“With this evening we wanted to anticipate the most important trends and innovations of 2024,” he underlined Edolo Ghirelli, owner and general manager of Villa Brasini, “this is only the first of a series of events that will accompany us throughout the year with the aim, on the one hand, of enhancing Villa Brasini, which has always been a master of hospitality and the organization of prestigious events, and on the other to encourage an opportunity for updating and discussion for young couples who will come into direct contact with the best professionals in the sector".
And the expense? The trend for 2023/24 fluctuates by 15.000 euros and includes the cheapest "do it yourself" solutions which are around a total expense of 15.000 euros and those with some additional consultancy from sector professionals, which reaches up to 30.000 EUR.
And it is precisely the professionals in the sector who were spoken of during the speech Annamaria Tossani, journalist, television presenter and expert on customs and etiquette, who opened a debate on the figure of the wedding planner, in contrast to those who choose to personally take care of every single aspect of the ceremony and the celebrations that follow.
In addition to Tossani too Nadia La Bella, fashion blogger and protagonist of the #BellaMa' format broadcast on Rai Due, took the floor to give her testimony of the change underway. “Only in a few aspects – she said – the protagonists of the bridal look have remained unchanged. For example, the White the quintessence of marriage remains of the bride."
After listening to the speeches, the direct experience of the music and the perpetual parade of the wedding dresses of various designers invited to the event (for example, the Atelier Ceraunavolta of Sarah Taschin), the evening therefore ended with what is perhaps the queen experience for anyone planning a wedding: the food and wine choice. Thus, the corporate chef of Villa Brasini decided to make known the latest culinary trends directly, through a tasting of a wedding menu created according to Italian tradition, but presented in a modern and original way.
There are 4 tasting areas: theseasonal vegetable garden, with autumn products elaborated in different consistencies and shapes, the fresh pasta, with a live cooking of stuffed pasta, the grid, with cooking on the embers in “Asado” style, the butcher, with a series of local selections, including porchetta.
Finally, Villa Brasini: certainly one of the most important realities of Rome in the sector: a neo-baroque style castle built in 1938 by the talented architect Armando Brasini, in the heart of the capital, a few steps from the historic Ponte Milvio district. The 500 square meter Villa, with three main rooms decorated with ancient stuccoes and frescoes, marble and fine floors, can also count on a garden of over 1500 square meters which preserves the ancient Roman style, with centuries-old pine trees and wisteria. In the past also home to a prestigious restaurant, since 2017 Villa Brasini has begun to host prestigious events within it and in a short time its successful formula, made up of luxury and hospitality in an oasis of style, it has reached 100 events per year. Among these, obviously, many weddings.
