Friday, August 8, 2008

Grazie | Thank You

We are grateful to everyone who helped us have a wonderful wedding weekend in Pantelleria. In particular we would like to thank Rosario and the Di Fresco family for helping us organise such a large event in the middle of the busy summer season. Not only did they host our wedding dinner at their hotel, our dear friends contributed beautiful gifts such as the wedding cake, fireworks and DJ.

We feel enormous gratitude also to Pierangelo, Marinella and Andrea "Catapulce" Giacalone. They were angels who helped us thwart a number of near disasters the day of the wedding and remained supportive and calm during our bouts of pre-marital stress. Grazie.

The following individual's artistic touches contributed to the magic.
  • Invitations and menus: Max Trombacco & Roberto "Sensation" Sensidoni
  • Flowers: Paola & Anna

  • Band: Kris & the Vito Malato Band

  • Groom's suit: Bice Tioli

  • Wedding dress: Anna Carozza
I went to Anna with the idea of an asymmetric Greco-Roman style dress using silk tulle and she made it into a beautiful, floating cloud-like vision. I recommend Anna to any woman who has a vision of her dream dress. Anna will take your dreams and transform them into reality, all with couture details. (For those women interested, my gold sandals were from Gina Shoes in London.)
We would like to also express our thanks and love for our family. Paolo's father and sisters took on a part-time job preparing our wedding: setting up and decorating the house, making the invitations possible, selecting the wine, helping us with countless details. Without our sisters Jane may have had a breakdown in the hour before the ceremony. Our siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and all of our extended family added to the joy and laughter, and even to the musical entertainment. Thank you dear parents for granting us our wish, speaking in front of all of our guests, and imparting words of love and wisdom.

And to all of our friends who came to our wedding and bestowed warm wishes for our life together, thank you.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Wedding Day: Dinner

Following the wedding ceremony and a champagne toast at home, we made our way to the Hotel Mursia for dinner. The poolside dinner at the Hotel Mursia was full of delicious Sicilian dishes, smiling guests and surprise performances. In celebration of the US Independence Day (the previous day) and of our marriage, we ended the glorious day with fireworks, cake and dancing.

Executive Chef Agostino Palmisano with one of his chefs

Antipasti buffet decorated with various flags of the world in honor of our guests

Guest book

Jane's Aunt Bohi played Mendelssohn's wedding march as we made our grand entrance to dinner.


Our fantastic band from Sicily. Kris, the singer, hails from Penna, Pantelleria.


Jane's Aunt Bohi singing Arirang, a Korea folk song, in different musical styles


Cutting the lemon wedding cake, specially made for us by Rosario's mamma

Rosario's truly spectacular gift to us

Late night dancing

...and then there were five. Unwinding after all of the guests have gone to bed.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Wedding Day: Family

Although not everyone from our large family was able to attend the wedding, we were fortunate to have family come from Italy, Korea, Sweden and the United States. We are still waiting for more photos, as there are a few family members missing from the photos below.

Some of the family: we weren't quite organised for our family photos

Uncle Byung Yool Ban, Aunt Eunhi Gim, Uncle Pierluigi Roncaglia, Papà Armando Roncaglia, Papà Jae-Hwi Yoo, Aunt Bohi Gim Ban

Paolo with his twin brothers, their father and mother: Matteo Rossi, Rino Rossi, Mamma Annette Wijkander, Michele Rossi, Paolo

Annette Wijkander, Paolo's mother

Our fathers: Armando Roncaglia and Jae-Hwi Yoo

Mariko and Joseph Yoo, Jane's sister-in-law and brother

Paolo with his sister, Camilla Roncaglia

Margherita Morigi and Camilla Roncaglia, Paolo's sisters

Paolo's sister, Giulia Roncaglia, and Alessandro Celli

Papà Armando Roncaglia, Paolo, Serra Aytun, Guido Colelli, Johnette Francourt

Serra Aytun, Johnette Francourt, Carlo, Uncle Ulf Lindberg

Paolo's aunt, uncle and cousins from Sweden: Henrik, Louis, Margareta, Frank & Daniel Edwinsson

Jane with her father and sister, Ana Yoo

Jane and her sister, Susan Yoo

Susan Yoo, Papà Jae-Hwi Yoo, Stefan Bold (Sue's husband), Jane, Ana Yoo, Paolo, Joseph Yoo, Mariko Yoo (Joe's wife)

Margherita Morigi, Camilla Roncaglia, Giulia Roncaglia, Jane, Paolo, Papà Armando Roncaglia, Serra Aytun

Jane with one of her twin aunts, Bohi Gim Ban, her husband Uncle Byung Yool Ban, and their son, Han Yong Ban

Father of the Bride, Groom and Bride, relaxed at last

Serra Aytun, Uncle Ulf Lindberg, Aunt Louise Bratt, Bill Hart, Papà Armando Roncaglia

Papà Armando Roncaglia and Serra Aytun

Jane's Uncle John Kim

Jane with her cousins, Jehee and Sunghee

The Three Musketeers? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly? The Three Stooges?