Here's Eloping
At about 4pm each day, the orchestra at Florian’s takes a pause for a young man to propose to his girlfriend. Once she’s accepted the ring, to encouraging applause from the assembled tourists, the violins wheeze into “I Will Always Love You” yet again and the happy pair get a prosecco on the house. Cynics among us believe that the “groom” is actually a busboy, wheeled out daily to lend a bit of romance, or that the happy pair have worked out a really good way of cadging a drink. Either way, come June, here come the brides- you can barely step out of your house without falling over kneeling swains. Many couples do the legal bit elsewhere and come to Venice for the photos; there are websites offering “Elopement Packages” (contradiction in terms?) starting at 9k USD, which fill up the bridges with sweaty couples in crumpled taffeta and rictus grins posing for candid shots of another big day.