After five days on Lake Maggiore, Jeff and I drove two hours south to Santa Margherita Ligure, located on the Mediterranean and just south of the Cinque Terra. Jeff and I immediately fell in love with this town. We were captivated by its friendly people, the warm, turquoise blue water, the evening "promenade" along the waterfront, and the plethora of amazing restaurants.

Within days, as a way to assure myself that I could return to this spot, I began imagining a "perfect destination wedding" scenario in the Santa Margherita area. While exploring the town, I discovered a 17th century Villa, just above the harbor, with a breathtaking view of the sea and village. Realizing what a wonderful wedding venue the Villa could be, I introduced myself to the staff, presented my business card, and asked permission to tour the Villa and grounds. They were pleased to accommodate my request, emphasizing that they would welcome any American couple who might want to rent the Villa for their wedding and reception.

In fact, the Villa hosts many local weddings each year and can recommend well-established wedding professionals from the Santa Margherita area.

I began to imagine the bride and groom, their families, and wedding guests here, enjoying the beauty of Italy, anticipating the wedding celebration, and being surrounded by the rich cultural experience of the day – all of which would become treasured, life-long memories. I soon realized that I was imagining myself as a wedding guest, rather than the coordinator, and enjoyed myself immensely.

I continue my reverie. The wedding day has finally arrived, with full sun, blue sky, and mild temperatures. Close to noon, I am gazing at the sparkling Mediterranean from my seat on the terrace at the front of the Villa, where the scene is set for the wedding. Chiviari chairs face the wisteria-covered arborwhere the bride and groom will become husband and wife. A harp, just to the right of the arbor, is being played masterfully, filling the air with elegant, prelude music that soon transitions to entrance music for the wedding party.

After a beautiful ceremony, while the bride and groom are posing for pictures around the grounds, the guests are invited insidethe lovely 30-room Villa and welcomed with passed champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and the sounds of Italian classical music played by a string quartet at the bottom of the marble, double staircase.

For over an hour, I roam the full expanse of the Villa, exploring the parlors, guestrooms, chapel, library, and music rooms. I savor the ornate beauty of hand-blown Venetian glass chandeliers, pillars, graceful statues, and multi- colored flooring, all made from local marble, quarried probably around the time of Michelangelo. I am particularly amazed by the hand-painted frescoes on the ceilings of each room, all done in brilliant colors, unchanged by the passing of centuries.

I am sure I will never see anything this beautiful again, but when we are ushered into the ballroom for our candlelight dinner, I have to stop at the doorway to catch my breath. Before me are 12 elegantly decorated diningtables in a room of grand proportions, totally framed by floor to ceiling mirrors and lit only by sparkling chandeliers and tall candelabra. I feel as though I am entering a fairyland castle, or a palace throne room, surely like nothing I had experienced before.

I slowly enter the room, am shown to my seat and, over the next few hours, served a gourmet, seven-course meal, with dinner music provided by a full orchestra. The bride and groom, who are royally welcomed into the ballroom and toasted by their bridal party, lead the guests in enjoying the food, atmosphere and dancing, far into the night.

As I return to my seaside hotel room, walking slowly along the now familiar promenade, I knew I would be lulled to sleep by the lapping waves and thememories of a truly dreamlike wedding celebration. (Of course, as the coordinator, I would have been the first to arrive. the last to leave and, no doubt, too exhausted after a full day of behind-the-scenes management to notice how I got back to my room!)

My destination wedding research also included visits to two beautiful, 5-star hotels, situated directly on the sea within walking distance of the Villa. Here again I found warm Italian hospitality as catering managers gave me tours of the guest rooms, many with private terraces and spectacular views of the Mediterranean. Blocking hotel rooms for weddingguests can be easily arranged within 6 to 12 months of the wedding date.

I had thought my wedding research on the Italian Riviera was complete, but not so. On our last day in Santa Margherita, the owner of our Bed & Breakfast recommended a visit to an Abbey, which had recently become an exclusive wedding venue, offering tours on only two Sundays a month.

With help from our kind host, I was able to visit this amazing 13th century Abbey, which few tourists ever discover.

Situated less than a mile north of Santa Margherita, the Abbey is built high above the sea, with a sheer drop and a 180-degree view of the SantaMargherita Bay. This location must have provided a very private and protected place for the Benedictine Monks who established the monastery because they became very wealthy and powerful in the 12th and 13th centuries. Now the Abbey is a luxurious and secluded wedding venue, rented to a limited number of couples each year.

The new owner restored the property with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and electronic equipment, but without altering in any way the opulence of the Abbey's interior. I was led through the Emperor Gallery and up the Tapestry Staircase,walking on floors of black and white marble and looking up at vaulted, hand-painted ceilings; then through the Cloister to the Renaissance-style garden, with box hedges in geometrical shapes, centuries-old wisteria, and a terrace, overlooking the sea, where sumptuous dinners are served.

I left the Abbey excited to now have two destination wedding venues in Santa Margherita, both with incredible views of the Mediterranean and interiors so rich and ancient that couples and their guests would think they were in a dream.