Local Italian Newspaper Covering Utada's Wedding In A Big Way

Singer songwriter Utada Hikaru(宇多田 ヒカル) (31) will be marrying her bartender fiance Francesco (23) today on May 23rd, 2014(Local Time) at Polignano a Mare in Southern Italy. On the day of the wedding, local newspaper "Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno" published a huge story titled "Super Wedding in Polignano" with the picture of the soon to be couple. The wedding is drawing huge attraction from local media.

It is reported from the local media that the attendees to the wedding are prohibited from bringing cameras to the church. The security team is on high alert and they are searching everyone before they can enter the wedding reception hall.

Media people from Japan and Italy are already gathered outside the church two hours in advance of the wedding and they are waiting patiently for the appearance of Utada.

According to "Gazzetta" newspaper, Utada landed in Italy on May 22nd. The wedding ceremony to be held at the Santa Maria Assunta Church in Polignano a Mare at noon sharp(Local Time). Afterward, they will go to "Casa Vinicola Abbazia Di San Gaudenzio" for the wedding reception, the venue was a converted monastery in the city of Fasano, the place of birth for the groom.

Utada's good friend, MIKA, a Lebanese-British singer-songwriter is schedule to attend the wedding. Utada's mom Keiko Fuji(藤圭子) passed away in August of 2013. It is said the attendance of Utada's relatives would be low so it will be mostly her close friends at the wedding.

In the same newspaper, it is reported that the acquaintance of Francesco and Utada, who works as a bartender at the Bulgari Hotel & Residences in London is sharing the detail love story of the couples. The newspaper also equates Utada as the Japan version of Laura Pausini, one of the most famous female singers in Italy.

It should be noted that the church in Italy does not allow non-Catholics to get married. So Utada has to convert to Catholicism before the wedding.

In  February of  2014, Utada made a wedding announcement on her personal site. Promptly after, Utada and her fiance Francesco left a message at official site of Utada explaining how they met each other, his being a bartender in a London hotel, and asking for privacy.




Source: daily.co.jp