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| David and Pam Bates. |
Our interview today is with Pam Bates who moved
from the UK to Le Marche, Italy, nearly ten years ago.
Pam reflects on life as a wedding planner in Italy, arranging Italian holidays, and
the benefits of family life in Italy.
from the UK to Le Marche, Italy, nearly ten years ago.
Pam reflects on life as a wedding planner in Italy, arranging Italian holidays, and
the benefits of family life in Italy.
First of all Pam, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview in 'Coffee Mate', our virtual coffee shop.
Thank you for having me. I'm always happy to sit and have a coffee and a chat - family life in Italy is like that!
You've been involved in a lot of television programmes and magazine interviews. Can you tell us what it's like to be a local celebrity?
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| Jasmine Harman and the UK Channel 4 'Place in the Sun - Home or Away' crew at Villa Sibillini, 2008. |
Joking apart, the programmes and magazine interviews have been incredible for us with regard to our profile, especially on the web, and they've given us a fascinating insight into the world of television and other media.
It's also brought us more than our fair share of real celebrities staying at the hotel, but this has been more from my previous work as an events manager and co-ordinator.
You moved to Italy nearly ten years ago and now run two very successful businesses, one with your husband providing Italian holidays in your country house hotel, and the other as a wedding planner in Italy.
Could you tell us what made you decide to leave the UK and choose Italy to live?
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| Who could resist living in Le Marche? |
We found our place - the Villa Sibillini - after seeing just three others, fell in love with the location, and as it was far too large just for holidays, David immediately put together a business plan for a small hotel to offer Italian holidays with a difference.
My role as a wedding planner in Italy came later as a natural wish to show off the countryside and amazing locations of Le Marche.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
Family life in Italy is an important part of Italian culture. You have a lovely family - did they all go with you to Italy?
Two of our boys were already living and working in Italy for my brother, and Georgina (then 17) decided that she wanted to come with us to set up the business. She has since gone back to the UK to be with her boyfriend, but does miss Italy and visits us often.
Our third son is a graphic designer living in London; he sorted all our publicity. We also have our 'unofficially adopted' lad who is a London fashion photographer, and he too did some stunning shots of the local area for us.
People tend to think that moving to a warm, friendly country like Italy would be an easy decision to make. Did you find it that simple?
It always seemed like the right thing to do, and I would tell everyone to have an adventure, it's never too late. The local Italian people were incredibly helpful - and we sure as hell learnt a lot!
Did you settle into family life in Italy easily?
I was lucky as I spoke pretty good Spanish when we arrived here, plus some holiday Italian – however Georgina was the star, as she has French, Spanish and Italian.
If you are sociable and you want to live abroad, I think it's essential to learn the language. I also worked in five local schools teaching English, which helped with getting to know local people too. And we made it a priority to use local shops, builders and other people not just for the hotel but as suppliers to the wedding planner in Italy business.
We wanted to be part of the local community, and we worked hard to be welcomed as part of the town. It doesn't happen overnight - you have to persevere, but it's definitely worth it in the end.
You have the most beautiful country house hotel in Le Marche. What's the best thing about running the hotel?
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| Pam and David outside Villa Sibillini. |
We also set out to be one of the best accommodations in our province and were proud when we finally made number 1 on the 'Trip Advisor' travel site within the province of Macerata - and we're currently ranked number 6 within the whole of Le Marche.
We use the hotel for hen and stag parties, and also as accommodation for the wedding planner in Italy business, and because it's a large house it gives a lovely, homely atmosphere. Brides love it!
In your experience, what makes an ideal stay for a hotel guest?
We were determined to have comfortable beds and power showers, which in our opinion make or break any accommodation.
Next you need to understand what your guest wants and deliver more than they expect. For Italian holidays warm hospitality, great food and incredible scenery are a must, and the Villa Sibillini is near San Ginesio, one of Italy’s most beautiful and historic towns, which also helps.
The last, but by no means the least, is the weather, but that’s something we cannot control, much as we try!!
You've also developed a successful business as a wedding planner in Italy with Le Marche Weddings - what do you think makes Le Marche one of the most romantic wedding destinations?
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| The bride arrived in style! Courtesy of 'Le Marche Weddings'. |
We're lucky because Italy, and in particular Le Marche, has so many stunning locations for weddings and receptions, and of course Italy has always been revered as one of the most romantic places in the world.
The food and wines are always beyond comparison as is the hospitality – Italian weddings somehow manage to integrate the formal with the informal.
Italians love a good wedding, and not many people know that many of our own wedding customs and fashions come from ancient Roman weddings. So it's lovely that everyone around tends to join in the happiness in Italy - many of the local people turn out to cheer and shout 'good luck' to the bride and groom. It makes for a very special day for everyone.
It’s also great that weddings here cost a lot less than the UK. I think a lot of people would think engaging a wedding planner in Italy would be much too expensive but it's really not - and it definitely saves all the problems with the paperwork!
So in our opinion it gives everyone involved an outstanding event to remember.
Where did you get married, and if you had your time again would you consider Italy as a good place to have your own wedding?
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My brother and our son have both married in Italy, and I can honestly say – an Italian wedding is something very special.
What do you think Le Marche in particular has to offer that perhaps other parts of Italy don't?
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| Beautiful Lake Fiastra. |
So there's the blue flag beaches of the Adriatic, the very beautiful Lake Fiastra, set amidst the towering Sibillini Mountains, tiny mountain villages, and spectacular medieval hilltop towns around every corner.
Then there's the arts, from the artist Raphael to Rossini, open air opera, theatres, places of pilgrimage such as Loreto, Roman ruins, medieval castles, abbeys, monasteries and Napoleonic forts. It's got something for everyone.
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| San Ginesio at dusk. |
And as if all of that is not enough, there's one of the largest open air clubs in Europe, wall to wall fish restaurants along the coast, and it’s the home of the designer shoe and handbag factories. We cater for hen parties for that very reason, and even brides booking through our wedding planner in Italy business sometimes ask for a day's shopping before the big event!
And, as well as family life in Italy being a big draw, Le Marche is also the largest meat-eating region of Italy and boasts the longest living recorded inhabitants in the whole of Europe - so we're quite happy to stay here!
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| A wedding in spectacular Le Marche - the perfect setting. Courtesy of 'Le Marche Weddings'. |
Go for a refill at our Coffee Mate caffè.
Wedding planner in Italy to our home page about Italian culture.
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