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Air and Lodging

We will officially welcome our guests on the morning of Friday, September 18th. In order to ensure attendance by as many guests as possible we have curated a selection of hotel accommodations to fit varying needs. We are pleased to provide complimentary roundtrip ground transportation for the wedding ceremony. 2Keys Travel will assist guests in securing airline and hotel reservations. Payment plans are available!! Please RSVP by May 31, 2020.

We will arrive Monday, September 14th but know many of you are planning on arriving earlier or staying later to make your trip a real vacation. For your convenience, a limited block of rooms has been held at The Minareto Seaside Luxury Resort and Villas. Although a block has not been held, we recommend The Algilá Ortigia Charme Hotel and its sister property Antico Hotel Roma 1880 because they are centrally located in Ortigia. To ensure the best possible pricing and inclusion in our group booking, we are providing contact information to our wedding travel agent and encourage you to take advantage of her services. Her packages include round-trip airfare, round trip airport ground transportation, and hotel accommodations. Whatever your travel needs may be 2Keys Travel is ready to assist you! Submit your inquiry here

You can also make your reservations independently! The City of Ortigia has many charming boutique and private rental options. Many of these properties can help arrange your airport transfer. In order to receive the best rate possible we recommend booking your hotel room before February 28th because September is a popular month for tourism in the region.

Hotel Name:

Antico Hotel Roma 1880

Address:

Via Roma, 66, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy

Phone:

+39 0931 465630

Hotel Name:

Algilá Ortigia Charme

Address:

Via Vittorio Veneto, 93, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy

Phone:

+39 0931 465186

Island of Ortigia, Sicily

We have chosen the Island of Ortigia, in the Province of Syracuse as the setting for our celebration. The island is an extremely popular place for tourism, shopping, and entertainment. We expect to have a wonderful time and make lasting memories. Click here for more information

Ortigia (Ortygia), a small island, is the historical centre of the city of Syracuse, Sicily. The island, also known as Città Vecchia (Old City), contains many historical landmarks. The name originates from the Ancient Greek ortyx, which means “Quail”. Ortygia, being an island just off the coast, was easily transformed into a natural fortress with harbors and was big enough that it could hold a significant population in ancient times. Therefore, the history of Ortygia is synonymous with the early history of Syracuse. Ortygia is located at the eastern end of Syracuse and is separated from it by a narrow channel. Two bridges connect the island to mainland Sicily.

Syracuse (Siracusa) is a historic city on the island of Sicily, the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, next to the Gulf of Syracuse beside the Ionian Sea.

The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans and became a very powerful city-state. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth and exerted influence over the entirety of Magna Graecia, of which it was the most important city. Described by Cicero as “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all”, it equaled Athens in size during the fifth century BC. It later became part of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire. Under Emperor Constans II, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire (663–669). After this Palermo overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. Eventually the kingdom would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860. In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 125,000 people. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles book at 28:12 as Paul stayed there. The patron saint of the city is Saint Lucy; she was born in Syracuse and her feast day, Saint Lucy’s Day, is celebrated on 13 December.

Excursions

We want to take advantage of every moment with our guests during this magical occasion!

Please join us for a group excursion to experience the region’s culture and language, meet new people, explore the country, try something new, snag Instagram-worthy photos and among other things… cross something off your bucket list!

Sicily is the largest of the Italian islands, separated by the Strait of Messina and surrounded by the Ionian, the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean Seas. It is one of the pearls of Southern Italy and can be discovered, understood and experienced through a series of itineraries dedicated to areas of interest ranging from nature to history and traditions. Syracuse, located in the southeast region, and it’s isle of Ortigia, offer rich cultural experiences, beautiful cliffside vistas and extraordinary archaeological vestiges.

The excursion is optional and details regarding costs will be determined based upon the excursion of your choosing. (Please see the descriptions of the excursions below.) Click here to RSVP by May 31, 2020.

Mare Nostrum Tour

History and Nature Tour

Hidden Ortigia Tour

Etna and Wine Tour

The Sweet Proposal

Two stories…one ending!

Her Version…

Amidst a night of slumber after a long day of motions, objections and sentencing she was disturbed from her rest. A voice, both tepid and resolved, whispered to her, “Babe, wake up. Come with me to the living room”. She struggled to open her eyes. The room was dark and she was greatly disadvantaged without her contact lenses or eye glasses. She sluggishly asked why and was again beseeched to follow. It was either pure love or the fact that she didn’t have her wits about her that guided her away from the comfort of her hybrid mattress.

Led by a tender hand, she navigated the dark spaces of her childhood home to arrive at an alarming ring of fire. Taken aback and shocked into a state of circumspection, she called on the one name she’d been faithfully taught to rely upon. She uttered aloud, “Jesus!” Again the voice again asked her to do something. This time it was to step into the center of the ring of fire. She contemplated the salvation of her soul in light of what appeared to be a pagan ritual, she wondered whether the parquet floors with high gloss finish would soon be set ablaze, and she thought to herself, “What in the world is happening?” It was either pure love or the fact that she was sure the worst outcome wasn’t possible – damnation of her soul – that raised her feet across the threshold of fire.

The voice uttered two more requests. The first, “Trust me and close your eyes”. Having taken soo many risks already, she begrudgingly acquiesced. She heard nondescript rustling but managed to keep her eyes closed. The next question brought relief from the anxiety she had been feeling for the longest three minutes of her life. The voice gently said “open your eyes”.

The most brilliant vision she had ever seen was before her eyes. She was overwhelmed with joy, excitement and ultimately relieved of all disquietude. Sharif was on bended knee with a hand extended, holding a precious stone. He was done with requests and now posed an offer. His offer was eternal love and devotion. She finally said yes without hesitation!

His Version…

I had been ring shopping for quite some time. Given the highs and lows of trying to search for the most gorgeous ruby ring that she wanted I finally came upon the perfect one. I planned on proposing to her at her family reunion which was two weeks away and kept the ring in my bag to prevent her from accidentally finding it. For the next week I would occasionally take the ring out at my desk and look at how marvelous it was.

During the week….I began pondering, “What if I lost the ring in transit at the airport? Or if the ring is stolen somehow?” It was a Wednesday evening and once again the ring sat on my desk as I looked at it…..I felt like it was goading me somehow with its crimson red sparkle. Then…….something came over me and I said yeah let’s do this now.

I began looking around for items to support my cause. Luckily we had a myriad of candles which I lit in a circle on the living room floor. I said to myself, “Self, we gotta do this quick before the house catch fire.” I put some of our favorite songs on in the background then went to call upon my sleeping beauty. It was 11:30pm.

I said, “Babe……..Babe……..wake up.” She was quickly annoyed that I was waking her from her slumber and asked if it could wait till the morning. But I was persistent and finally convinced her to come to the living room. Jeanine came into the living room and saw the ring of lit candles and was immediately alarmed. (Jeanine wears glasses and she didn’t have them on so I could only imagine how a circle of candles looks when your vision is blurry.) She asked, “Why is there a ring of fire on the floor?!?! What’s happening right now????” I tried to reassure her that there was no incantation or pentagram on the floor. She exclaimed, “Do I have to invoke Jesus?!?!” (This is supposed to be a romantic moment but I’m laughing hysterically at this point.)

I asked her to step inside the ring of fire. She exclaimed once more, “Why do I have to step in the circle?? OF FIRE?!?!” I reached out to her and finally coaxed her in. I asked that she close her eyes. She immediately said, “WHY DO I HAVE TO CLOSE MY EYES?? WHATS HAPPENING?!?!?!” (It was a hilarious moment and I’m trying not to chuckle or make it seem as if she’s being led into a practical joke.)

She closed her eyes and I conjured what I felt from the heart off the cuff. I don’t remember the precise words but it went something like this:

“Jeanine, its’ been a wonderful time loving you. Our love inspires me to grow, do more and be more. You came at a time when I had given up on love and I thank the universe each day for us happening upon each other when we both weren’t looking. All the moments of my life have led me to you and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you and my light only shines for you……….you can open you eyes now.”

I was on one knee with her ruby and asked her to marry me and she promptly said yes.