Planning a wedding in Lucca and thinking about timing it with the flowering of a favorite flower? Well, for those that love the Spring, mid-April to mid-May is usually the period when all of the lovely wisteria come into bloom. This year, they seem to have come early. I first noticed the blooms on the sunny olive growing side of Lucca on April 5th. We've had unseasonably warm weather lately and this must have prompted an early bloom.

If you're planning for a wedding next year and hoping to get this dramatic flower in your wedding photos, try planning a wedding for the third or fourth week in April. You should have a pretty good chance of finding them in bloom. Many of the historic villas in the area have giant wisteria that are 200 years old or more.

One well known villa that is worth booking for its wisteria is Villa Nicoletta. Located in the heart of Lucca's wine country, they have a giant pergola completely covered in Wisteria under which a legally binding civil ceremony can be performed. The sweet perfumed scent of the wisteria in bloom alone is enough to make your wedding one to remember.

posted by gina, 2011-04-13