Sabrina and Craig – UK- Wedding ceremony in Tuscany, Cortona

Thank you so much Julie for helping to make our wedding day the most amazing day of our lives!  It was everything I dreamed of and more; the castle was idyllic, the food was amazing, the string quartet were breath-taking, it was quite simply a magical day.  We have had so many of our friends and family tell us it was the best wedding they had been to and will remember it always.

The day was perfect for us; our ceremony in Cortona was perfect and thanks to you we managed to personalize it too.  The reception and meal were exquisite and delicious and our party afterwards was just SO much fun!

Thank again for answering all of our questions, dealing with all of our needs and for being our Wedding Planner.

We hope to see you again soon as we will definitely be coming back to Il Borgia or Monteluce, maybe for an anniversary party!!!!

Love Craig and Sabrina

Louise and Chris – UK – Wedding ceremony in Tuscany, Cortona

In April 2010 we began our search for a wedding location in Italy. We came across the Il Borgia website and were instantly intrigued by the stunning looking castle and surrounding castle grounds. From our very first correspondence with Julie Palombaro (Castle wedding co-ordinator) we were very impressed. Any reservations we had regarding getting married in a foreign country, language barriers and legalities were short lived. This was totally down to the professionalism and attention to detail that Julie provided us with.
Following several emails we decided to visit Il Borgia Castle the year before our planned wedding day. This allowed us to meet Julie, view the beautiful castle and get a feel for the surrounding area. It also helped us decide on which town hall to have our ceremony at, sample the amazing wedding breakfast menu and meet the florist. Throughout our trip Julie was always available to meet up and discuss any issues such as accommodation for guests, transport, car hire, flight information etc. On this visit we got our first view of the beautiful castle and Julie gave us a detailed tour of all the rooms and castle grounds at a leisurely pace. This tour and Julie’s wonderful manner helped us confirm our decision to book this enchanting castle set in the trees above Lake Trasimeno for 3 days in September 2011 for our wedding. A month after arriving home from our trip to Italy our wedding plans were in full swing. During the months to follow, Julie was always only an email away if we needed to ask any questions  and always responded promptly. Julie provided us with options for a photographer, wedding cars, music on the day and night, florists, hair and make-up, transport for guests, absolutely nothing was overlooked. This made us feel completely confident with her and we never doubted her ability to provide us with day of our dreams.When it came to money matters, we made structured payments to an Italian bank account without any problems. We always knew where we stood and how, when we needed to make the next payment. We were given a set price for services that we had chosen and these did not change or have any hidden costs. The financial side of things couldn’t have run any smoother.We flew into Rome, 6 days before our big day, very excited. Julie had arranged for hair and makeup trials 2 days before the wedding and even attended them both to act as an interpreter as we do not speak any Italian. Nothing was too much trouble leading up to the wedding, Julie even arranged for the wedding dress to be steamed at a local cleaner.
The day before the wedding we moved into the castle along with 12 of our excited guests. The evening before the wedding a meal had been prebooked by Julie at a fantastic local restaurant in Passignano. This was the perfect way to relax with friends and family before the big day. Transport was also arranged to and from the restaurant for all the guests by Julie. On the day of the wedding, Julie and her team of caterers, stylists and florists arrived early at the castle and began transforming it into our stunning wedding venue. The pre-arranged coach arrived on time and also stopped enroute to Cortona town hall at a local hotel to pick up the additional guests (40 in total). The magnificent Bentley was the perfect choice of wedding car and didn’t disappoint. The ceremony at Cortona Town Hall was both personal and romantic. Julie was our interpreter for the whole service, but at this point she felt like an old friend. Following the service the guests were transported back to the castle whilst we had beautiful photographs taken around Cortona and then back at the castle grounds by Alex Gritti. The day continued flawlessly with an amazing wedding breakfast set in the castle gardens, before moving down to the pool area for our evening reception. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to travel to Italy and experience an Italian wedding. To this day they still reminisce about our perfect day and enjoy sharing memories such as the string quartet at the castle, the amazing wedding cake and evening reception by the candle lit pool which resulted in many guests having a midnight dip.Each part of our day was perfect in every way and we wouldn’t change anything at all. We could not have done this without the help, guidance and expertise of our wonderful wedding planner Julie.
Thank you so much, Love Chris & Louise

Jane and Rob – UK 

We can not thank Julie enough for all her hard work to make our wedding in Italy way more perfect than we ever imagined possible. From the start we didn’t make it easy for Julie as we were living in Australia whilst planning our big day in Italy. We had many e mails going back and forth, including a couple of long phone calls to go through details which really helped us get organised. As we were living at the other side of the world both sets of parents went out to visit Il Borgia to help us understand and see what was there and Julie showed them around on both visits.
Il Borgia was really the most beautiful setting and we still have family and friends saying to us now that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. Julie’s fantastic easy going manner makes for a relaxing day and nothing is too much trouble- Julie helped us organise whatever we required and was always quietly working hard in the background to deliver the best without any fuss or bother. Every little detail of the day was thought through and the florist Julie recommended done the most amazing job I was heartbroken to leave the flowers behind afterwards.
We started the day with an amazingly, special ceremony in Perugia town hall then it was back to Il Borgia for the most amazingly yummy antipasti and sit down meal for around 50 guests -and again many guests are still raving about how fantastic the food was. The standard and quality of food, wine and service achieved for around 50 people with the space the caterers worked in really was superb. We ended the evening with a good old boogie by the pool with a bar (as it is a private venue you can party all night if you want to!) What we loved about Il Borgia and our wedding in Italy is there are so much flexibilty and with Julie you can plan exactly what you want for your special day however big or small, formal or relaxed. Unlike many venues in the UK where you have many restrictions on what is included in many packages.
Not only was Julie Palombaro a fantastic wedding planner she has now become a friend who we will always keep in touch with. We have fallen in love with Italy and will definitely go back to visit our friends at Borgia.

Sophie and Edward -UK 

Thank you so much for making our wedding day as amazing as it was. It was everything we could have hoped for even more.

We had a fantastic week living in the castle and the wedding was by far the best day of our lives. We will remember it (and you) forever.

Lots of love Ed and Sophie xxx

Hilary and Michael – Chicago, USA

Dear Julie,
We cannot begin to thank you enough for all that you did to make our stay at Il Borgia and wedding spectacular.  Planning a wedding at a distance could have been a very stressful process, but you immediately made us feel at ease, answering all our questions (sometimes more than once) thoroughly and promptly.
From the moment we arrived everything was perfect.  The castle and grounds were stunning, with comfortable rooms and beautiful sunsets, it was an amazing experience.  All the vendors that you picked were wonderful, from the photographer, to the cooks, florist, quartet and caterer.  The food was fantastic, absolutely the best meal we had during our stay in Italy.  All of our guests had a wonderful time and were in awe of how beautiful everything was.  You went above and beyond, helping us and our family and friends with travel plans and accommodations before and after the wedding…even some Italian language lessons too!  Every detail exceeded our expectations.
You truly are the best wedding planner and a wonderful person; it shows in the great care you took to ensure that every detail of our wedding and stay were perfect.  We will never forget our time at Il Borgia and our dream wedding and everything you did to make it possible.  It was an unbelievable experience that we and our guests will cherish for the rest of our lives.  We could not have chosen a more perfect setting for our wedding.
Thank you again for everything.
Michael and Hilary

Diana and Fabian (Michigan, USA) 

Dear Julie,
Fabian and I would like to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication toward putting together our dream wedding at the Il Borgia Castle. Every element of the wedding from the ceremony to the cocktail hour to dinner exceeded all of our expectations. We have had so many people tell us that our wedding was a wedding of a lifetime and will be an event most will never forget. You assembled a dream team of professionals to cater to our every need. Each person we came across was acutely focused on the details that were important to us. We will always consider the Il Borgia castle and our time spent in Umbria as some of the most memorable times of our lives. Thank you for making our dreams come true!

Marie Rose e Omar – San Francisco, California

Omar and I are so grateful for Julie’s expert orchestration of our wedding day. We consider ourselves blessed to have had the privilege of working with someone who translated our vision with such style, grace and professionalism. Every detail exceeded our expectations and our quests were thoroughly impressed with her talents. We sincerely thank Julie for making our wedding day dream come true!

Lisa and Nick -UK – July2010 

A truly amazing wedding day and an unforgettable holiday
Il Borgia castle is, without a doubt, the most perfect setting for a wedding and we could not have wished for a more perfect day.  People are still telling us (three months and several weddings later) that it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to!Julie organised everything to perfection and we cannot thank her enough.  Being in different countries and speaking different languages could have made organising a wedding difficult, but Julie made it so easy for us and never tired of answering our endless questions.  On top of the wedding, Julie also organised a wine tasting tour to Montepulciano for 36 people and a pizza evening down at a local pizza restaurant – Il Giardino (delicious pizzas!).
We didn’t have to worry about anything at all on the day – it all ran like clockwork and everything was in place to make sure we, and or guests, arrived on time and had fun – hair, make up, flowers, caterers, photographer, transport etc was all organised.
The food was outstanding and surpassed all our expectations.  The appetisers in the woods looked and tasted amazing and there was so much food that some of our guests were surprised to learn that we were also having a four course meal… It is safe to say that everyone loved the food and the wine – even the fussiest members of the family enjoyed it.
We ended the day with a disco and bar by the pool and partied into the early hours.  The whole set up looked stunning, the cocktail barman made some great cocktails and the DJ played all our favourite songs.  Needless to say, everyone ended up in the pool so a lifeguard is a must!Our only regret is that we didn’t have enough time at the castle so we’ll have to plan another holiday to Il Borgia!

Ruth and Stuart (Linlithgow,UK) 

We hired Il Borgia castle and Monteluce Apartments (for our guests to stay) for a week in July 2010 and asked Julie Palombaro to organise our wedding locally in Perugia during that week with a reception back at the castle. The planning was made very easy by Julie with most of it done by email and one weekend in Italy to see all the venues, pick the menu, flowers etc. all in one go! Julie made the process really very stress free as we knew we could rely on her to get what we wanted sorted for the day. The caterer and florist that Julie recommended were brilliant and did exactly what we asked for. All our guests said that the food was the best they had ever had at a wedding and I have to say the caterer did us proud. The castle as a venue for a reception cannot be beaten we chose to move guests around as the day progressed. We returned from the civil ceremony in Perugia to have antipasti and prosecco in the woods (and the kids swam in the pool to cool off) then as the night came in we transferred to formal sit down tables around the side of the castle where citronella candles were lit all around the grounds and rose petals scattered on tables. The pool with its small bar then became the bar and dancefloor for the rest of the evening. Apart from the basic costs of the castle and the apartments (along with costs for all the marriage documentation) you can make your wedding as expensive as you like and Julie does not apply any pressure for you to do anything you don’t want to do. If you want it simple that is what she will organise for you. There are a number of beautiful locations you can have the civil ceremony in Perugia but the ex-chapel in Perugia we chose was stunning for a small-ish wedding (around 50) with beautful frescos and an amazing back drop outside overlooking Perugia….wonderful for photos. The ceremony is short but lovely and (other than not having the keys to get in at the beginning ;)) it all went very smoothly with Julie acting as translator which made it far more personal. All in all we had a fantastic day/week and would recommend it to anyone wanting a wedding abroad with friends and family around for a whole week/few days to just enjoy the moment for as long as possible. Our friends and family loved the apartments and the stunning view and a few of them definitely fancy going back for a holiday as do we! Ruth & Stuart

Jo and Mark (UK)

4 months after our wedding we still think about what an amazing day and night we had celebrating our wedding at Il Borgia.  Having struggled to find a venue that stood out from the crowd in England our friends stumbled across Il Borgia whilst holidaying in the area.  You would think that organising the most important day of your life abroad would be a stressful experience but it was quite the opposite.  Julie made everything so easy and all of the suppliers she works with are second to none and really care about making your day perfect.  We chose Cortona Town Hall because it gave us the ‘typical Tuscan town’ experience, the drive up to the town hall through the winding roads was something very special.  The service was so emotional and special – much more than a civil service in England.  The soprano and string quartet played through the service and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room!  The meal and party back at the castle was simply the most perfect experience and all of our guests are still talking about it now.  Mark and I watched the sun rise over the lake whilst drinking champagne – the most romantic end to the most perfect day, we just didn’t want it to end!  Thank you Julie for making our day the most special experience, your dedication and taste is second to none and you should be very proud of your castle and wedding service.  If anyone is considering booking their wedding here and having reservations we say do it….trust us, you won’t be disappointed!  Jo & Mark xxx

Allura and Jeremy San Francisco, California

Well, it was a “proper castle.”  Having booked everything sight unseen, as time drew closer we began to wonder about our choice of both venue and wedding planners.  In short, we couldn’t have been happier with the wedding day. So many aspects went superbly:We loved the caterer- from the first tasting he was warm and willing to work with us to ensure we had the best possible menu for us and our guests;The flowers were beautiful; the planner was very helpful with everything from the legalities of getting married in Italy to ensuring that the hairdressers understood our detailed instructions;The string quartet was amazing, right down to pausing in-between courses so that people could toast and give speeches.  We even had an opera singer!  Our wedding in Italy was an unforgettable experience for us and our guests. 

Lynda and Tom Jersey-Scotland 

After 10 years in the waiting and all the talk of just going somewhere quiet, just the two of us, our son and a couple of friends and getting married on the quiet…… who would have thought we’d end up having a fairy tail wedding at a Castle in Perugia, in such beautiful surroundings, with over thirty guests!  We’re so glad we changed our original plans, we loved the rustic charm of both the village and the castle, it was so up our street!  
It was lovely to have all our family and close friends their to share our special day.  The extra entertainment for the evening was a great surprise for everyone.  The belly dancer was a great success, everyone was impressed with her and quite a few tried to join in which was really funny to watch!.  The children loved the clown, who kept them entertained until they were all ready for bed, and then he went on to entertain the adults!  I was a bit nervous when Tom joined with in the fire poi, although the though of the Groom’s kilt going up in flames was an entertaining thought to most! lol!
We would like to thank you again for all you help organising our special day, it was certainly one to remember and all of our guests had a fantastic holiday at the village and enjoyed our wedding day very much.
Needless to say, we also appreciate the help you gave us organising our Hen and Stag parties, both of which were a success by all account, although the boys had the worse hangover the next day!… serves them right too! lol!Wishing you good health and fortune for the future.
With Love, Lynda & Tom

Graham and Colette UK

We had a dream wedding at Il Borgia.
After asking family and friends to come over to Italy to share our wedding it was definitely worth their journey. Our friends and family stayed with us at the castle and in Monteluce and everyone agreed the location was stunning. Staying in the castle with friends for a week is something we will always  remember.
There were plenty of things to keep everyone entertained throughout the week from exploring the region, to relaxing round the pool and playing tennis. Passignano had plenty to offer too. The famous boat race and the celebrations that accompanied it took place while we were there, the restaurants are great, especially  Pescatore where Carlo the owner treated us like fiends.
We had heard that getting married in Italy would be difficult but Julie took care of all the documents and translation, leaving us to enjoy a stress free week with family and friends.  The breathtaking cathedral Santa Maria in Cortona surpassed all our expectations.  The accompaniment of the soprano singing throughout the ceremony added to the magic of the day. The food and surroundings made the reception a perfect end to a perfect day. We had a clear idea of how we wanted our wedding to look, we emailed Julie pictures we had cut from wedding magazines and she made them all a reality.
Julie helped us with everything throughout our stay whether wedding related or not. Julie is an excellent wedding planner and we couldn’t have asked for more.

Graham & Colette.

Bevin and Heather (United Kingdom – Canada) 

Thank you for a wonderful week spent at the gorgeous Il Borgia Castle with family and friends who gathered from 3 countries to celebrate our wedding.  Your attention to every detail from the tasty hog roast at the castle on the night of our arrival, to the bachelorette party aboard party boats to an island for dinner, to the Tuscany wine tour by coach was exceptional.  The highlight was the most beautiful wedding in Italy we could have only imagined.  While the groom and his party toured Umbria on rented Vespas, the bride and her party spent the day being pampered by the hairdresser, manicurist and makeup artist.  The wedding was truly a fairytale wedding captured in detail by the photographer.  The beautiful setting for the wedding ceremony at the Cortona Town Hall, and fabulous catered dinner at Il Borgia castle, accompanied by the marvellous string quartet provided a perfect day.  The DJ played music into the late hours as we enjoyed cooling off in the pool at the castle after a hot July day.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.  We cannot imagine a better setting than Il Borgia castle and the Monteluce villas for a gathering of family and friends to celebrate a special occasion and make new friendships which will last a lifetime.  Our family and friends from Canada, England and Australia will never forget our wonderful experience.  Thank you for being with us every step of the way.  We can look back on our entire week as a perfect, relaxing and stress free week.
Best wishes, Heather and Bevin.

Rachel and Ross SCOTLAND 

Firstly, thank-you so much for the perfect wedding.  It was everything that we had imagined and more. Julie’s organisation of the entire week and her help was truly fantastic and we feel that she went above and beyond.Even before arriving in Italy, Julie answered all questions promptly and no request was too difficult. The moment we arrived at your castle it was as beautiful as we had remembered and the view from the top of the castle simply breathtaking.  Indeed, our families were simply speechless at the beauty.Our welcoming meal was delicious and we all had a fabulous time. A perfect start to a perfect week.We spent most of our week meeting up with friends and family and relaxing by the pool.Before I we knew it it was our wedding day. Many people commented that I seemed very relaxed on the day and all that was down to Julie. Throughout the day she was there to translate and finishing the organisation. Everything was done for me and all I had to do was sit and be pampered!
The town-hall where we were married was beautiful and even more awe inspiring than your photos could give it justice.After the ceremony, the apertizers in the woods were amazing.  Our guests loved the various tables and immense choice that was to be had.
The tables for dinner looked fabulous – exactly what I had dreamed of. The 6 course dinner simply mouth watering and everyone is still talking about the food! Our HUGE wedding cake can’t even be described! It was just delicious! I still can’t believe how big it was.
The sting quartet were amazing – when the singer started to sing the hair on the backs on our necks stood on end. SImply fantastic. The pool also looked amazing. And we loved the crepes and ice-cream.
I still can”t believe how late we were up until! But we had so much fun dancing the night away!
Our guests are still talking about how great our wedding was and how much food there was!
It was more than I imagined as a little (and grown up) girl. It is a day that we will always remember and we are so grateful to you for helping us achieve it.We look forward to returning to the area.
Rachel and Ross 

Beth and Mark (Boston, USA)

Dear Julie,
Mark and I wanted to once again express our deep gratitude for the amazing personalized attention that
You gave us.  Your attention to detail was the reason our wedding was beyond our expectations.
The food, the wine, the flowers, the excursions …all were outstanding.
Our family and friends are still raving about the affair.
What makes it even more amazing was how little direction you needed from Mark and me.  With the new baby, new house, construction etc.  Our wedding really got very little of our energy, but you filled in all the gaps, providing us with information, direction and expertise.
The Borgia Castle, the wedding, the entire experience was truly magical.
Thank you. Beth

Rebecca and Peter UK

I wanted to say thank you for absolutely everything. We really couldn’t have asked for more for our wedding, it was a real fairy tale.  Il Borgia is absolutely beautiful, but really, it couldn’t have been possible without all your efforts and experience, and vision.  Thank you so much, and I love having the photos – they bring back all the memories of such a magical day.  It seems just like a dream that couldn’t have been better.

Thank you again,
Rebecca and Peter

Katrina and Ryan SCOTLAND

Arranging a wedding abroad could have been full of difficulties but Julie made this the wedding of our dreams which both we and our guests will never forget.  Nothing was impossible from helping us to organise a “traditional” Scottish wedding in Italy to organising a vineyard tour for 30.  Julie did everything with a smile.  She was on hand for our entire stay and went above and beyond what she was expected to do. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, both we and our guests had an amazing time.  The castle looks amazing in the pictures but it is so much more jaw dropping in real life.  Try to arrive during the day to experience the full “Wow Factor”.

We filled our days lounging by the beautiful pool, sampling the local food and drink and visiting local attractions.  The only problem we had was that a week wasn’t enough.  Before we knew it our wedding day was upon us.

Our caterers arrived and began setting up then our florist with our beautiful flowers and whilst we prepared in the castle, Julie ensured our guests were looked after.  We had a beautiful ceremony at the castle which was beyond anything I could have imagined as a little girl dreaming about my wedding. Then we went onto the buffet in the woods followed by an extravagant eight course dinner that our guests are still raving about.  All the time this was accompanied by a string quartet playing classical music.  Initially I wasn’t sure about this thinking it was a little formal but I am so glad I did.  The music was the perfect backdrop to the wedding. After this we moved down to the pool which was decorated with candles.  The bar was set up and a local DJ played our favourite tunes (that we had previously emailed to Julie).  We partied until the early hours and an adventurous few ended up in the pool. It really was the perfect wedding and I don’t think anything in the UK could have compared.  We wouldn’t have changed a single thing.

Thank you for everything Julie,

Katrina & Ryan

Jasmeen and Tomasz UK

Finding a place to get marry abroad is not easy as anyone who has tried will know. Since we both wanted a fairytale castle wedding, we were looking at several locations across continental Europe, but could not find anything which we would like within our budget.  Once we found Julieʼs wonderful venue abroad we decided to visit it. Julie and the castle made a great first impression that we stopped looking at other venues after that. Working with Julie during the whole year leading up to the wedding was a wonderful experience. She responded to any questions we had almost and was always ready to suggest improvements to our ideas.  Julie’s dedication went to the extent that we were even able to call her in China where she was in holiday, when the groom was not sure whether he was taking all the right documents on the day he was going to Italy. To be honest, it is difficult to believe that someone can put so much love and effort into your wedding. We arrived at the castle 4 days before the wedding and had the greatest time relaxing prior to the ceremony. The staff working for Julie were all really friendly and the food prepared by the cook was just incredible.  The beautiful weather and the romantic atmosphere created by the castle made it seem as if we were on honeymoon already. The amazing wedding day that Julie made possible for us will always remain in our hearts. We could easily write a book about it here, but we will keep it short. The staff working for Julie on the day were very professional and we had an amazing wedding. The make up girls and hairdressers did a great job with us. The Photographer and the Videographer were quite discrete, which permitted them to get some very natural pictures of us.  There was a large quantity of excellent food and the wedding cake was just unbelievable. Julie put in an incredible effort on the day itself. From finalizing last details with us during the day, to guiding our guests to the town hall on the bus, to managing the wedding long into the night, Julie was with us every step of the way. Julie has by far exceeded our expectations and we are very happy that we found her. This was one of the happiest days of our lives and we highly recommend Julie and the Castle if you want to have an amazing wedding that you will never forget.

James e Stacey

All I can say it is worth every penny the castle itself is out of this world in fact you are in you own little world if the truth be told. The castle is privately owned by the Palombaro family and is run by Julie (she is the daughter) and you could not meet a nicer person if you tried she arrange everything for our wedding, food, flowers etc. She truly is an amazing person and nothing is to much trouble. Basically I would recommend the castle to anyone who wants to get married abroad, the castle can also be booked just for a holiday. We were so taken with the place that we are considering booking again for a holiday as the week we had it for the wedding we didn’t really spend all that much time there as we were going to the florist and the town hall that we didn’t really have time to appreciate the place. But it is a must in my book..

Tania and Paul UK

Dear Julie, Thank you so much for organising our wedding and our stay at Il Borgia castle. Having planned it with you for over 18 months we had very high expectations of our time out there – we can honestly say that every part of it exceeded our expectations!  What brought that home to us the most was the comments from all our guests, who all said the food, venue and general atmosphere on the day made it the best wedding they had ever attended. Our time at the castle was amazing, and spending a week there with friends and family around made the whole experience that much more special than just seeing everyone on our wedding day.  Everyone else who stayed there (and at the other venues you made available to us) thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we all felt able to relax and treat it like it was our home.  Particular highlights for us (apart from the view) were the swimming pool and having bbq’s in the courtyard in the evening. Thank you for everything you did for us and our guests throughout the week – providing local information, booking restaurants, translating and helping out which any random queries we could think of. Most of all thanks for everything you did organising the day itself.  We would never have been able to do anything like that without you there to plan and arrange everything.  From the moment we arrived we felt that it meant a lot to you that everything went perfectly, and nothing was left to chance or too much trouble.  That was so reassuring it meant we enjoyed our entire time out there, and also of course meant the day was such a success. We will never forget our time out there – we know our wedding at il borgia castle was a unique experience and we will never go to another wedding like it. I hope at some point we get a chance to return and stay there again – we would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of getting married or just looking for a fabulous holiday! Best wishes Paul and Tania

Laurel and Philip (USA)

Dear Julie,
thank you so much for all of your help for our wedding this summer. We never thought that organizing a wedding in Italy would be such a simple task.  You took care everything and made sure everything was perfect.  This allowed us to relax and enjoy our time at the castle. We honestly cannot think of better place or a more perfect way to celebrate our marriage.  Thank you again for everything!  We look forward to seeing you soon! Laurel and Phillip

Joanne and Mark UK

Hi, my name is Joanne Heyes. My husband and I are newlyweds, having just been married at the Town Hall in Perugia whilst staying with family and friends in the Il Borgia Castle for the week. We are still reeling from the whole experience  – and it was an experience, a whole adventure not just a wedding!

We didn’t actually visit the castle or meet Julie until the wedding week, which some people may think is a bit risky. I have visited Umbria before, and have sampled the restaurants and soaked up the architecture so I had faith in the Italian way, but we wanted to be pleasantly surprised and start the week off with a brand new view.

Everything turned out brilliantly. Upon arrival we were totally blown away by the beauty of the place, having somewhere like that to run around in and enjoy for the whole week was really liberating! The wedding day itself was out of this world. I know it was my wedding but all my guests were equally amazed! I have been a guest myself at many weddings in England and the standard of food and service is pretty basic compared to the banquet provided here at Il Borgia. I kept thinking this can’t be for us! We played our parts in what felt like a beautiful wedding play, watching a series of magical moments unfold before our eyes.
We had an exceptional time at Il Borgia and wish we could get married there every year. The whole process from enquiring about the castle to waving goodbye was made easy with Julie’s help, and she was always on hand to answer questions at any time. Her charming manner and good grace were the icing on the cake as it were.
Unfortunately it had to end, but we will always cherish our time at the castle and are content in the knowledge that we made the best choice.

Jo

Joanne and Ian UK

Every girl grows up dreaming about their wedding day, for me I had always wanted to be married in a castle. Never once did I ever really think it would happen. Il-Borgia surpassed anything I could have imagined, it is a truly stunning place, and a magical setting for what was the perfect wedding day.
We stayed at Il-Borgia for a week, with more family and friends staying at the Monteluce Villas. Through the week we had fantastic BBQ evenings at the castle, we even had a hog roast the night before the wedding to welcome all our guests, which Julie organise for us. It was a great way to get everyone to know each other and all the kids loved racing around the castle playing together.

After spending 5 days site seeing and relaxing the big day arrived, Julie organised a fantastic hairdresser for me and all the bridesmaids. I was lucky enough to have a sister-in-law who is very clever at arranging flowers, so Julie arranged for the local florist to deliver just flowers the day before.
Then my car arrived, which totally took my breath away, my mum and Julie had been emailing each other for weeks in secrete and had ordered a beautiful car all the way from Rome. (Thanks mum, Thanks Julie). Ian and Simon (the bestman) arrived at the town hall in style to, Julies mum had a classic mini, which she was kind enough to lend us. The idea behind this was the film The Italian Job.
Julie organised the timing perfectly, even down to calling our driver on the phone to let us know everyone was inside the town hall and that we could arrive in the Piazza.
Not only can she organise all this, she also translated for us at the service. The string quartet played the most wonderful music, even as I walked into the ceremony the soloist sang Avia Maria. The photographer captured the most fantastic pictures throughout the day and into the evening and the food was beautiful from the buffet reception by the pool to the five course meal served at the front of the castle. The tables were decorated beautifully and the ambiance of the evening was so special and something we will never forget.

Julie is a brilliant wedding planner, who goes out of her way to make every detail perfect. She is a truly lovely person and she has become a good friend. We thank you Julie from the bottom of our hearts for making our day more amazing than we ever could have imagined.

Ian & Joanne

Heidi and Stuart Rice (UK)

“The wedding day fulfilled our expectations in every way. Obviously the castle was a stunning venue and this was complimented by the views of the lake, to the exquisite catering. The whole day was beautifully planned and enjoyed by everyone”

Stuart and Heidi

Richard and Sharon (UK)

Where do we start ? When we had set our hearts to marry in a fairytale castle our first port of call was the internet – window to the world….. We were amazed to find that the first venue we discovered was “Il Borgia ” and it was love at first sight ! We contacted Julie, who from the start was a complete godsend  and ( by the way – I promise she hasn’t paid us a penny to say any of this :-))) She made us feel completely at ease right from the start with excellent communication and advice, ever ready to explore opportunities from our “wish list” and accomodate our requirements and ideas. It has been almost two years now since we initially had the good fortune to find Julie Palombaro, who we now consider to be a very dear friend. She has supported us through very tumultous times when my father became seriously ill, leading to cancellation and postponement of the first date we set and cancellation of the second when tragedy struck and my father was taken away from us. We were totally devasted……….Julie was absolutely incredible in re-organising everything at&n

Mark and Kay – UK

Wedding ceremony and reception at the Borgia Castle

As far as the castle and wedding goes ” what a wonderful time we had from start to finish. I would always recommend going to see the castle and location first but that is only to meet Julie and start the organisation of your wedding properly. From that point on and certainly for us, Julie takes control from there- nothing was too much trouble and in spite of us being in England we never once were concerned that our special day would not go according to plan. Upon arriving at the castle the week of our wedding, everything was set up for us to have a memorable week.Our time at the castle with friends and family was a week that we shall all never forget and with trips out to Pisa, Florence and Rome adding to the experience and to happy memories. The day of our wedding was perfect in Perugia, the wedding celebrations back at the castle beyond expectations- thank you Julie for making our wedding a perfect one. We have since been back to see this castle and to see Perugia for a nostalgic visit- its a place we shall return to time and time again”
Mark and Kay Clough

Mimi and Michael – Seattle, USA

It was truly an incredible experience from start to finish and one that far surpassed our expectations. Julie’s help was invaluable; she hand-picked the suppliers from flowers to music, helped with guest arrangements, acted as a translator, and in the end even stepped in to perform our ceremony! While our relationship started as “coordinator-client,” we parted with a deep friendship. Il Borgia made for an amazing destination. Its central location afforded everyone a variety of fantastic day trips throughout Umbria and Tuscany. And the friendly staff welcomed everyone home with delicious meals served with incredible sunset views. When we arrived home from the honeymoon, many of the wedding guests had written to express their gratitude for inviting them to share in this unique Italian experience. In fact, there are already demands for a five year anniversary “reunion!” To top it off, the entire week only cost what a typical country club would have charged us for half a day in the US – making it one of the best decisions we made.

Laura and John – New York City, USA

We spent a wonderful week at the castle and held our wedding for sixty guests on the grounds. Julie arranged all the details of the wedding – wonderful caterers, florists and photographers. The wedding was perfect and we highly recommend it.

Christine Seattle, WA, USA- 

When I saw the photos of the Borgia Castle I thought it would be a fun place for our wedding. I never dreamed it would be so amazing in real life! Julie and his family were truly wonderful in helping us plan the wedding from alar. She founded with the help of her twin sister a fabulous catering, thè photographers, and even a musician. My expectatìons were far exceded, and we had the most fairytale wedding ever! The Palombaro family had organized everything perfectly. My husband and I didn’t have to worry about anything. We had 50 guests (friends & family) join us for the week. Julie was able to accommodate all of the extra guests with their conveniently nearby Monteluce farmhouse. The guests were utterly thrilled with the charm and beauty of the farmhouse and the castle. The professional wedding photos turned out so beautifully that I had to have two volumes of wedding albums! Of course, the castle and its grounds were so picturesque, that I really did feel like a princess on the wedding day. I would highly recommend this lovely place to anyone thinking about having a wedding in Italy. The whole week was truly magical. The cooks at the castle were simply wonderful and extremely helpful with all the guests coming and going throughout the day. I wouldn’t have done it any differently and I know that it will be as memorable to our guests as it will be to us. Infact, everyone is al ready asking us when we’re planning the reunion at the castle! Perhaps on our fifth year anniversary we’ll meet at the Borgia Castle. It is definately one of my most favorite places in the world. I can’t possibly thank Julie enough!