How to Book a Wedding in Italy – 5 Tips From A Wedding Planner

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Being surrounded by phenomenal scenery, with the warm sun on your face and delicious Italian aromas in the air. Booking a wedding in Italy is a dream come true.

However, planning a destination wedding in Italy may seem like a steep hill to hike to make this a reality. But we are here to help your dreams come true! When booking your wedding in Italy, there are a few key steps that you need to consider:

Top five steps for how to book a wedding in Italy:

  1. Find a local wedding planner
  2. Set a realistic budget
  3. Find the best location
  4. Come up with your theme
  5. Execution and final decisions

1. Find a Local Wedding Planner

A bride in a wedding dress looks out at the city, representing the dream of an Italian wedding destination.

When you first start looking into how to book a wedding in Italy, it is imperative to have a local wedding planner that is on the ground and that you trust. A good wedding planner is an extension of you.

They will need to understand your needs and your desires. They will make decisions on your behalf when you are unable to, so you must find a planner that gets you and that you work well with.

A local wedding planner will help you exorbitantly when booking your wedding in Italy. They have spent their careers building strong relationships with reliable vendors and they will know the ins and outs of what you have access to with your budget, ultimately giving you a bigger bang for your buck.

Not only will having a local wedding planner help you save money and keep within budget, but they will also be able to give you access to venues and vendors that are not publicly advertised and have restricted access to.

A local wedding planner can help you book your wedding in Italy and make it a reality as they have the experience and know each step required.

They will be able to take an enormous amount of pressure off you and allow you to enjoy your time as an engaged couple.

Finding a planner may seem daunting as you are giving up some of the control of your day to someone else, but it will be so worth it.

Here are our top three steps in picking the perfect planner:

  1. Look at their portfolio – Look if they have done events similar to your style and to the party size you estimate your wedding to be. Also take note if they can cater for different religions and cultures if that is something you want as part of your day.
  2. Read their reviews – Of course, every planner will say they are the best, but hearing couples reviews who have worked with them in the past proves their reliability and will hopefully put you at ease.
  3. Schedule a meeting – Sitting down and having a conversation with potential planners will be the final tell if you will be able to work together.

For more information on wedding planners and if you need one, click here.

2. Set A Realistic Budget for your wedding

A wedding ceremony taking place at Italy, characterized by sophisticated decorations and a stunning outdoor environment.

Once you find your perfect, local wedding planner you can rely on, it is important that you sit down with them and have a frank conversation about how much you are willing to spend.

This is one of the most important steps when looking into how to book a wedding in Italy – and is vital as this will dictate all your decisions moving forward.

Having a set budget allows you to work with your planner in dividing and prioritizing what you want to spend on and where you can cut back, for example, what type of entertainment you wish to have.

Breaking down your budget will allow you to see each section of your wedding and help manage expectations of delivery. Your segmented budget will help your planner propose ideal venues that fit your budget and meet your taste.

3. Find The Best Location

A scenic wedding ceremony in Italy, highlighting a lovely outdoor space decorated with flowers and a stunning arch for vows.

When it comes to booking a location for your wedding in Italy, this should be one of the first steps tackled. Venues are often snapped up quickly and availability is scarce. It is imperative that you reserve and book a venue as early as possible.

The availability of the venue may also affect the date of your wedding, so if you can not be flexible with your dates booking the location months in advance is a must.

This may seem overwhelming but this is the exact moment you need to lean on your planner for support. They will have the contacts and the knowledge of when venues will be available at the most competitive price.

Working with and sharing your expectations sincerely with your planner will also help them find a venue that suits your style, party size, entertainment and most importantly budget.

The best location for you and your partner will be able to cater for your needs and not bust the bank. And lucky you, to book a wedding in Italy with the top wedding destinations in the world finding the perfect venue will be a joy as we are spoiled with choice in this beautiful country.

4. Coming Up with Your Theme

A table set with wedding invitations and two fans, illustrating a theme for booking a wedding in Italy.

Now the fun begins!

Another important step when you start looking into how to book a wedding in Italy is coming up with your theme. Once the budget and venue have been ticked off the list you can work with your planner to start visualising how your venue will be laid out and transformed into your perfect day.

A professional wedding planner will develop bespoke mood boards for you; curating all your colours and textiles to develop your theme.

If the space is large or hard to imagine how the layout will work; your wedding planner can draft mock-ups and wireframes of how tables, lighting and floral arrangements will be placed. Doing this allows you to see all available options and use the venue most optimally without the cost and all the labour.

When coming up with your key colours and theme there are a few things that can help you create cohesion throughout:

Firstly, develop a theme that works in harmony with your selected location, use the surrounding landscape to inspire your creative decisions. Bring in natural elements to pull in your theme and make it flow through the venue.

Be respectful of where you are and give simple nods to the location. You could do this simply by adding olive branches in your arrangements if you were in Tuscany or make a statement with bold, bright ceramics local to the Amalfi region.

Secondly, curate a theme that is natural and genuine to you as a couple.

  • Do not try to recreate a Pinterest board.
  • Make something special to you two and your union.
  • Incorporate elements of your relationship and things that you love.

You can do this simply through your stationery choice, your favourite colours or a nod to how you met. By adding these quirky elements that are authentic to you, it will make your day that more memorable and special.

5. Executions and Final Decisions

A beautiful wedding scene at Italy, featuring stunning floral arrangements and a charming outdoor setting.

Lights, camera, floral, food and action… Once you tackle the first three steps in booking a wedding in Italy, the fun of creating it and seeing it come together is euphoric. Making the final decisions or what florals to include, the lighting set-up and what food to serve your guests is all just the cherry on top.

Booking a wedding in Italy should be a joyful experience and a chance to delve into the culture.

Take advantage of your wedding planner’s knowledge to curate an unforgettable day for you and your guests. The same is true with the vendors you collaborate with; ask your florist their suggestion on ideal flowers for the day, as well as your caterer for traditional flavour profiles.

Booking a wedding in Italy will be one of the most special things you do in your life. This country of pure love and passion will be the perfect start to your chapter as newlyweds. We would love to be a helping hand in writing that chapter. Please feel free to schedule a free consultation with us here; to help you book your dream day and make it a reality. Or read more about how to plan your luxury wedding in Italy in 12 months.

Italian Wedding Planners – Do You Need One?

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Italy is one of the most desired places on planet earth to get married. The culture, landscape and cuisine ooze romance, making complete sense to have your destination wedding in Italy.

However, most couples hum and haw about the necessity of having a local Italian wedding planner for their big day.

Facts and fiction of having an Italian wedding planner:

Fiction – having an Italian wedding planner is a waste of money.

Fact – Having a local wedding planner guarantees your wedding stays on budget.

Fiction- My family and friends can be my wedding planner Fact- It is wise to have a local, professional wedding planner Fiction – A planner only knows how to do their style.

Fact- A professional Italian wedding planner will bring your ideas to life.

Fiction – All a planner does is make things pretty.

Fact- Planners do make things gorgeous but, it goes far deeper from pre and post celebration planning, legal documentation to family counselling, a wedding planner will help you through it all.

A bride and groom pose happily in front of a beautiful fountain, showcasing their love during an Italian wedding celebration.

Is an Italian wedding planner a waste of money?

Many couples believe that a wedding planner is a luxury and an added cost to their wedding budget, but that could not be more wrong. Every couple deserves a wedding planner for their big day.

“A wedding planner helps couples save money and time while providing peace of mind on their wedding day.”- Shutterfly Community.

Having a wedding planner will ensure that you have access to all the local deals and vendors. Italian wedding planners spend their careers fostering trusted, meaningful relationships with events vendors. Meaning that you not only have access to reliable vendors that will deliver the highest possible quality, you get them at the most competitive price.

If you went directly to the vendor, they would charge you their top price for their service. Having a local wedding planner negotiate contracts for you saving time and money. They know the cost of delivering that service and will be able to deliver it at the best price.

Experienced Italian wedding planners will also know what they are doing. They most definitely have planned more weddings than you! They will know the common mistakes to avoid, helping you dodge costly errors.

Planners know where to cut costs and what is necessary, they can advise against impulse buys or splurges of money and keep a tight belt on the money bag.

Why having a local wedding planner is a good idea:

Engagements and weddings are exciting and family and friends often wish to be as involved as possible. A lot of the time, couples will recruit friends and family to help plan and organise aspects of their wedding day.

This is wonderful to have such support but it can often get muddy. Plus, this is a celebration and none of your guests should be working during the festivities.

Senior Italian Wedding Planner is making the event perfect

Having local Italian wedding planners is optimal for a couple of reasons:

  1. They know the land far better than anyone, they have scouted venues and have the connections at hand.
  2. They speak the language. Having a destination wedding in Italy, you may not speak fluent Italian, having a planner that can be the middleman between all parties will be a huge help. Lastly, they have the experience working with other local Italians and you will benefit from these relationships.

Do Italian wedding planners only produce their style events?

It is true that Italians and Italian wedding planners are very proud of their style and believe that there should be a sense of Italian flair if you are to wed in Italy. However, this is your wedding and a professional wedding planner will help bring your vision to life.

When it comes to styling and decor a planner is merely there to help in decision making. You want your day to be perfect and it can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing every aspect of your wedding from colour palette to menu selection.

Your planner will walk with you through every choice and help break down each choice. With perfectly curated Pinterest and mood boards – bringing a space to life with accurate digital renderings of layout options and designs.

When selecting a wedding planner it is important to go through their portfolio of past events to see if they have a similar aesthetic to you. Read the reviews of past couples to see their experience working with that particular Italian wedding planner.

A person skillfully ties a bow on fabric, emphasizing the artistry involved in Italian wedding planning.

What does a planner do?

It is assumed that all a wedding planner does is make things pretty, although it is true that they make your day picture perfect it goes far deeper than that. A planner manages every aspect of your wedding including everything between layout and decor to scheduling and legal paperwork. A good wedding planner is hyper organised, having lists on lists, meticulously planning every detail. Some wedding planners even act as counselors, keeping the couple calm while helping to manage family and friends.

Your planner will schedule and coordinate the entirety of the celebrations. Including pre and post-wedding festivities, like rehearsal dinners and brunch the following morning. Working on a tight time plan and making sure everything is synchronised and runs seamlessly.

When having a destination wedding, it is ideal to have someone on the ground, overseeing every aspect. Your planner will become an extension of you, being your eyes and ears on location. Your wedding day is considered the most important day of your life. It can be difficult to give up any control over your wedding day; that is why it is so important to find an Italian wedding planner that you trust, someone experienced and reliable.

Having a wedding planner manage all the nitty-gritty planning of the day takes huge pressure off the couple and allows them to have more time to enjoy their engagement and the wedding day and less time stressing about planning.

What Italian Wedding Planners Offer

When looking for a planner, look at what packages they offer. It is ideal to find a wedding planner that can deliver a comprehensive package. Meaning you can then tailor to your needs for how hands-on you wish to be in the planning.

Finding a wedding planner that has an array of services means they will be able to make your day unique to you, with elements you would not have thought were possible initially. A good Italian wedding planner will deliver the perfect Italian experience of good food and drink, music, entertainment and beautiful settings.

Italian Wedding Planners are set up Wedding table decorated with golden chairs, white candles, flowers and glassed bulbs

Get A Planner That Does It All

VB-Events has years of experience in all things Events, offering multiple services that span across all forms of celebration. Notorious for luxury wedding packages, including the planning of rehearsal dinners and post-wedding brunches. They have experience planning birthdays and corporate events including, fashion shows and sophisticated soirees.

VB-Events has been working with couples from all around the world, planning their destination weddings for years. Start the journey now – schedule your free consultation today.