<BR>See! for every unpleasant poster, there is someone like cmt or Sherry or the other nice people on this thread! <BR>There is still hope!!

Just be aware that the Italian postal system may not be the most reliable - out of 10 postcards I mailed from there 2 never arrived...you don't want to risk offending 20% of your guests now do you?

<BR> <BR>I thank you all (ok, most of you ) for your kind replies. I'm thinking we'll probably go with making our own postcards and will use images from the old ones we find online maybe even. <BR><BR>Regarding the postal service from Italy, the last time I sent a postcard from the Vatican post office it took literally 2 days to get to the US. <BR><BR>The posts today have renewed my faith and, yes, I'll try and grow a thicker skin. Anybody know a good tailor for my thicker skin suit?

Hi, E!<BR>You can actually make neat post cards from digital photos of the two of you enjoying some Italian scenery or an outdoor cafe! People would really enjoy receiving them too. As for getting a jump start on the addressing: I also used sticky labels - either hand addressed or a computer print out. Then you'd have the list ready for your Xmas list too! I found this particularly helpful when I was expecting my babies. Got all the address labels ready before I even had the birth announcements!<BR>PS. I think you were actually quite calm for a bride-to-be. Enjoy your wedding and your trip!

<BR> <BR>Thanks, Me2. Of course, I'm a calm groom-to-be...but my bride-to-be is also calm.

Congratulations, Ernie!<BR>I love the idea of having a picture of you and your new bride taken in Italy and then reproduced, written on, and sent, when you return home. <BR><BR>I personally think you may find more entertaining things to do while there. <BR><BR>And, you could easily superimpose a journal entry over a photograph to give the card a nice touch. <BR><BR>Good luck, and have a wonderful wedding, honeymoon and marriage! <BR><BR>PS I was in Amalfi last March and couldn't think of a better place to spend some time with a sweetheart. <BR>

If your trip takes you to Rome, it would be very beneficial to mail your postcrads from the Vatican. Their mail system is infinetly more reliable then the Italian system. I sent 30 Christmas cards from Rome recently &amp; all 30 arrived within 2 weeks. When I have used the Italian postal service , about 15% of my cards never arrive. Also the delivery time, mailed at the same time has been from 3 weeks to 2 months.<BR>Enjoy your wedding &amp; honeymoon !

LOL! The whole concept of theme weddings is a riot. I guess getting married isn't enough of a theme. And would a celebration of &quot;peasant Italian&quot; include the crushing poverty that drove many from the south of Italy to the U.S.?

Sorry I can't help. I've been to peasant American and peasant French weddings but never to a peasant Italian wedding.

Obviously sera is from Europe or smallville USA.

<BR> <BR>The wedding not be themed as much as the reception. <BR><BR>There will be sunflowers and wheat grass as the flowers, Italian wines will be on every table and the food will be served &quot;family style&quot;. <BR><BR>We wanted to celebrate our heritage.<BR><BR>No, we won't be stomping grapes or tending fields. And we won't show photographs of starving Italian peasants. We will, however, be celebrating the love and harmony that many of my family has described to me over the years.

Congratulations, Ernie!<BR>I love the idea of having a picture of you and your new bride taken in Italy and then reproduced, written on, and sent, when you return home. <BR><BR>I personally think you may find more entertaining things to do while there. <BR><BR>And, you could easily superimpose a journal entry over a photograph to give the card a nice touch. <BR><BR>Good luck, and have a wonderful wedding, honeymoon and marriage! <BR><BR>PS I was in Amalfi last March and couldn't think of a better place to spend some time with a sweetheart. <BR>

<BR> <BR>Thanks, Gigi.

Rather than sending postcards, choose a photograph that you think is appropriate, and have it made into notecards at Kinko's or another similar service. Make sure that the size of the card fits an envelope size--i.e. choose a packet of envelopes and specify a card that will fit in it. The cards cost about $1.25 a piece, possibly less if you do a bulk order.

xxx:<BR><BR>Despite being not at all offended by the idea of a &quot;Peasant Italian&quot; wedding (at best I can say that it would not meet my taste), I am quite offended, as an itlaian citizen, by your observation about our economy. It is true that tourism plays a part to Italian economy, but this is by no means our man source of wealth. In case you do not know, Italy is one of the main industrial countries of the world, if the tourism would suddenly disappera from our peninsula some cities would be crushed (Venice on top of all) but the main body of the country (and of its economy) would still be almost untouched.