Julie,

Jenny and I had been planning on getting married in Italy for over a year – initially we were looking at somewhere in the Lakes to the North. Having contacted various organisers in that area, without any real success or making any progress, we were becoming disillusioned and frustrated, and thought that perhaps we would have to compromise start looking at getting married back home – it was proving to just be too difficult to get going. However, by complete chance we came across Julie at a wedding fayre just round the corner from where we live – and we were amazed to find that Julie also lived about 5 minutes for us! We had a quick look over the brochures and literature that Julie has, and had pretty much decided there and then that we would ask Julie to help us. By the morning after, we have two very detailed e-mails from Julie setting out the options available to us – totally different from our previous experience with the organisers we already attempted to make plans with. The decision was really quite simple then, and is one that we have never regretted. Julie is always available and ready to help - whether it be creative ideas or practical suggestions – and is able to control what is obviously a very stressful time. The village of Santa Maria di Castellabate is breathtaking – apart from the stunning scenery, the beach and (of course) the weather - we were always well looked after by the locals: from being serenaded by waiters in restaurants, to randomly playing guitar with the mayor one evening, from being welcomed with open arms by the Baroness of the Torro Perotti to Domenico (make sure you try his ice creams!) and the waitresses at the Anchor Bar. This truly is a special place to get married. Julie, with her knowledge of the local area and business, is also able to ensure that any trips or nights out can be planned with ease. Julie arranged a boat trip for us all so we could see more of the coast and it transpired that the owner of the boat was a professional diver who had discovered a number of Roman artefacts on the sea floor. We also asked that Julie arrange Stag and Hen nights before the wedding. The guys ended up going for a BBQ at Il Cenito, with the girls going to the Belvedere at Castellabate (if you decide to go to the Belvedere, make sure you don’t eat before so there’s enough space for one of the steaks!) Both places were fabulous and both parties had a special night to remember.. We got married at the Torro Perotti which was put simply stunning. I can only suggest you look at the pictures Julie has to get an idea, but even they probably don’t do it justice in all honesty. We could not imagine a more perfect setting for our wedding. Julie is more than just a wedding organiser – as you can see hopefully from the above, she goes a long way to ensure that everything is perfect for the whole time you spend in Italy, and not just the Wedding day itself.

Mark & Jenny (Mr & Mrs Alexander) July 2009, Santa Maria

Julie,

It was pure luck that we stumbled across Julie when looking to plan a wedding abroad. At first it seemed all too complicated to organize ourselves, but just over a year on from our first emails with her, we have experienced a wedding day, honeymoon and holiday which was much much more than we ever expected. I know our family and friends are still talking about it and will be for years to come. Putting ourselves in the hands of someone we never met, going to somewhere we had never been seemed a little crazy at times, but trust us when we say that Julie knows what she is doing. We were told how special this place was and it is not an exaggeration in the slightest when she says how wonderful Santa Maria & Castellabate is. We married on the terrace of the Belvedere restaurant in Castellabate where the sunsets are like no other. The views are stunning (I was truly choked!!) Julie organized everything, venue, flowers, legalities, hairdressers, music, decoration, food, the list goes on. Also our friends and families needs, on the day, before and after, giving everyone a holiday they would never forget and a yearning to go back before they had even left. She also found us the most stunning hotel for a 3 day honeymoon stay in the Sorrento area in “Relais Blu”. With a view over the islands of Capri and Ischia (again I was choked!), and more sunsets to die for. The staff there were excellent and cannot do enough for you. We used it as a base to visit Herculeum (a bit of history!) and spend a little time “by the pool”. The food was outstanding too – a great place to honeymoon and be pampered. For the wedding though we are really glad she talked us into doing it in Castellabate and not the more commercial Amalfi coast wedding. It appears a long way to go but really is worth the extra effort to journey there. Julie also found us Neil Griffiths, a Lancashire photographer, who was truly enthusiastic, fabulously talented and patient – especially with two people who never like their photo taken!!! He did an amazing job. Also Michelle who works with Julie, a special thank you too (especially for that unique wind up – we won’t forget!!) It all seems like a dream now but we have the memories and photographs to remind us of a truly special place and day in Italy. Without Julie’s help none of this would ever have happened and we would never have known about this beautiful and little known area. She goes beyond a wedding planner role and you don’t really appreciate all the personal little things she has done until it’s all over. We cannot thank her (or recommend her!) enough - she’s a special person.

Peter & Natasha (Mr & Mrs !!!)July 2009, Castellabate

Julie,

We felt we just had to write a few words to show our gratitude for our wonderful wedding in Castellabate.
It was a fortunate day when I called you to discuss possible accommodation for a wedding in Amalfi. After shedding some light on what weddings involve on the Amalfi coast and pointing us in the direction of Castellabate, our fate was sealed!
From beginning to end your expert guidance was indispensable and you really seemed to understand what we wanted for our wedding. You also really went above and beyond what we would have expected you to do, helping our guests with accommodation and with any other things that cropped up!!
Words cannot describe how much we loved our day. Every little detail was perfect, a truly magical experience that made us feel as if we were in Romeo and Juliet or A Midsummer's Night's Dream. Special thanks also to Veronica for the beautiful flowers, to the hairdressers, and to Rosanna, Franco and staff, truly lovely people who couldnt have done more for us. Rosanna made such a fantastic job of dressing the restaurant and Franco's food was absolutely to die for!!

Thanks again Julie, you were amazing and we will never forget how much you did for us,
Love, Aileen, Michael and Conor

Aileen, Michael 10th September 2008, Santa Maria

Hi Julie, Wedding planner of the year award should definitely go to the one only... Jullie Mckenzie!

It was our dream to get married abroad. We thought , where could we find somewhere romantic, exclusive and unforgettable. We had no idea where to begin, but then we found Julie!
You made all our dreams come true. It was the most amazing day of our lives and we couldn't have organized it without you! You took us through every detail step by step and you understood what we wanted and delivered so much more. Santa Maria, is the perfect Italian village, and a stunning part of the world. Everyone there was so welcoming and made our time there even more memorable.
Julie, you have found the most beautiful amazing place, which we would never have known about!
We can't thank you enough for making it all so easy and stress free!
Through all this we've not only had a great wedding planner but gained a great friend, your the best ever!

With all our love Jenny and Drew xxx

Drew and Jenny 16th September 2008, Castello, Castellabate

Julie, Thanks so much for making our wedding day so memorable and special. Castellabate was THE most amazing place to get married and we cannot thank you enough for opening our eyes and showing us this gorgeous village. Our whole stay from beginning to end was fantastic and your support the whole time we were in Italy was invaluable from getting us taxis ,booking restaurants and finding dry cleaners,sky sports,umbrellas and mini coopers it made our stay in Santa Maria all the more enjoyable. The actual wedding day was everything we asked for and more.Even when it rained it couldn't spoil the day ,running back to the castle only added to the atmosphere and gave everyone a second wind ready for the evening. The cakes in the square were fab and everyone commented on how gorgeous they were and fought over the last ones ! We really cannot thank you enough for making our wedding the best day of our lives and I'm certain we will be back to celebrate our many many anniversaries ! xxx

Charlotte and John 13th September 2008, Castello, Castellabate

Thank You Julie.
A note of thanks Julie for being our Wedding Planner. The day went amazingly well and we thank you for all your attention to detail which in turn created a truly magical wedding day for Karen and Ian. We thank you for being so helpful with additional requests such as champagne and flowers, to hairdressers, taxis, etc, We could not have asked for more from you, Thank you sincerely, Terry and Lin, (Parents of Karen)

Karen and Ian 1st September 2007, Castello, Castellabate

Julie, well what can we say? words will never be enough to describe how grateful we both are to you for making our wedding day in italy so magical. Not only did you cater to every fine detail of the wedding but your support and friendship will never be forgotten. The finishing touches and lovely surprises were most appreciated. Thank you for not only sharing our special day with us but making it the best day in our lives, lots of love always, Lee and Emma 9th August, 2007

Lee and Emma 9th August 2007, Church, Oligastro

Julie, We really cannot put into words how very grateful we are for all your hard work. You have done such a great job and kept us sane over the past few weeks. All our Love, Faye and Nigel,

Faye and Nigel 25th August 2007, Castello, Castellabate

Julie, We want to say how truly amazing the wedding was. It exceeded all our expectations and all thanks to you. It was the most moving, exciting and romantic wedding anyone of the guests had been to. We cannot thank you enough for such an amazing start to married life. From the moment we arrived you did everything - all the surprises throughout the day and the way that everybody felt was testimony to your hard work. Not only that but you organised every detail and we are eternally grateful. At no point did we feel that you were somebody we had only met twice you now we feel like you are part of our family. We cannot fully explain how wonderful you were that week, YOU made our wedding a fairytale, straight out of Hollywood. We had no idea what it would be like but everything was far and beyond anything we had imagined.. We will be back to Castellabte in the future for sure... so will be in touch, Claire and David

Claire and David June 29th 2007, Castello, Castellabate

Julie, Thank you so much for arranging such a beautiful wedding for us, it really was a day to remember way above our expectations and magical in every way.
Josh and I were overwhelmed by the attention to detail and the lovely way the day flowed. It seemed to have wonderful layers and most importantly wonderfully warm and hospitable spirit of the community of Castellabate made it all that more special.
I will never forget your kindness, patience and understanding in the build up to the wedding and the day itself. You worked so hard to make it special for us and you deserve all the success in the world with your business. Love Emma and Josh.

Josh and Emma May 6th 2006, Castello, Castellabate

Dear Julie, It's hard to put into words just how grateful, not only Chris and I are, but everyone who came to the wedding, for all that you did to make our week and wedding day THE most fantastic and memorable experience we have ever had!

From start to finish you took care of everything, down to the smallest detail, and nothing was ever too much trouble. All our friends and family have said over and over that it was the best wedding they have ever been to, and we agree. It was just beautiful! We thought that it was going to be a wonderful wedding, but you even managed to exceed our expectations.

Thank you so much for all your hard work and patience in pulling the whole thing together. It was so lovely getting to know you through the process and I know we will always keep in touch.

Chris and Cari September 3rd 2008, Castello, Castellabate