In a grand ceremony at the magnificent Chiesa de Viagrande, Giuseppe Strano and Valeria Gugliermo were married on June 11, 2010. It was a magical affair that fused traditional Catholic traditions with the fun & lighthearted nature of the Catania Elephants in what could only be described as Sicilian.
Guests gathered in the late afternoon outside the towering 18th century church, flanked by a baroque town square lined with historic buildings and tall trees. There was electricity in the air, matched by both the expressions on family & friend’s faces and in the style of Italians dressed to impress. The air was warm and smelled sweet from thousands of flowers. It was the type of atmosphere that is worth jumping on a plane and flying halfway around the world to experience.
Around 5:30pm, the bride arrived in a vintage orange Porshe. The car pulled up to the curb to the shrieks of the crowd. The bride’s father was at the wheel, and the smile in the passenger seat could only be described as a little girl living out her dream of becoming a princess. Valeria leaped from the car, and her father gave her his arm as he closed her door and led up her up the red carpet to the church door. Everyone leaned in to get a glimpse of the beautiful bride, snapping photos and offering encouragement. It was a whirlwind of excitement. They made their way to the door, where Giuseppe stood waiting – a symbolic moment of passage. I have always loved the way that those two have interacted, and it just seemed so right the moment Giuseppe saw his bride for the first time on that day.
Beautiful old church adorned with flowers
As the crowd rushed into the church behind the bride and her father, the organist began “Here comes the Bride.” Hundreds of family and friends filled in the wooden pews. Valeria was escorted to the front of the church, where the couple took a seat in front of the alter adorned with thousands of white flowers.
The service was very traditional. Vows were passed, rings were exchanged, and the Italian priest delivered a long and from what I could tell, very heart-felt and personal message. I was unable to tell if he encouraged Giuseppe to “Beat the Lions” as one of his first acts of being a husband. There was an interesting quality to the event that differed from American weddings – it seemed that this service had a nice blend of ceremony and yet informality amongst the crowd.
In stark contrast to what was happening in the church, Giuseppe’s “crazy uncle” was stirring up some mischief with the Elephants outside. He had arranged for an impromptu parade to start immediately following the wedding, constructing a seven-foot tall papier-mâché Elephants helmet in the back of an old truck. There was a traditional Sicilian brass band dressed in white t-shirts and jean shorts who had their own flatbed truck to follow the helmet, and he had brought dozens of plastic soccer balls and other easily thrown objects to pelt the newlyweds as they left the church. He had parked these huge vehicles immediately in front of the church, and judging by the chorus of car horns from angry drivers, they were not pleased that the flow of traffic through the village on the one-lane main thoroughfare had ground to a halt. I couldn’t wait to see how this all played out.
Back in the church, the ceremony concluded in brilliant fashion. The couple exchanged their first kiss, and were embraced by family and friends as the ceremony ended. At this point everyone made there way outside. Giuseppe and Valeria took a few pictures, then made their way down the red carpet to the door where everyone waited outside to celebrate. Perhaps ambush is a better word. The moment they made their way out into the evening sun, the band struck up a tune and the crowd burst into applause. Confetti floated above the crowd, and suddenly the Elephants launched an attack of inflatable soccer balls! The air was filled with flying objects, and everyone went wild. I think I saw Valeria take a couple in the face, but her hockey background shrugged it off. Under heavy fire, the newlyweds made their way down the steps of the church, where Giuseppe did an interview for the TV cameras. They were then hoisted into the helmet for the parade, and the Elephants jumped into the back of the truck to lead the way. I hopped inside as well, and captured some video (next blog).
When everyone had dispersed, Giuseppe took the keys to the orange Porsche and drove away with his bride. Two thoughts filled my head – 1) What an interesting and symbolically fitting tribute for the bride to arrive driven by her father, and depart with her new husband; and 2) If Giuseppe and Valeria’s life together is to be anything like this day, then they have an incredible ride ahead!
To Mr. and Mrs. Giuseppe Strano, thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!!! We wish you nothing but Love and a life-filled with happiness!
