Planning a wedding can feel pretty overwhelming at times. While couples often hire a professional to help manage their wedding plans, there are plenty of reasons why they might also opt to take on the majority of the responsibilities on their own, too. Maybe you're working on a tight budget that makes it difficult to consider hiring a professional wedding planner, or perhaps you simply love all the DIY possibilities that goes into a wedding! In either case, there are lots of details to think about. It is particularly more difficult if you're trying to plan a destination wedding, for instance a wedding in Puglia in which case you might want to consider contacting Princess Puglia.

Now with all the above said and out of the way, here are ten top tips for planning your dream wedding in Italy:

1. Consider hiring a wedding planner

   Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life and so it's important to do plan it the right way. This is particularly important if you're planning a destination wedding. Hiring a local wedding planner means not only your wedding day will go ahead as smooth as it possibly can be, but also you will be able to enjoy your day more and focus on your partner.

2. Book your wedding photographer & videographer ASAP!

   One of the main questions you might have is "when should you book your wedding photographer and videographer?". Ideally, you want to book your photographer as soon as you have a confirmed date i.e. as soon as your wedding venue is confirmed. This can often be up to 2-3 years in advance! Now, you might think that's really early and I completely agree! However, on average, weddings photographers are booked 1-2 years in advance so if you've found your dream wedding photographer, you should contact them as soon as you possibly can to book them! If you feel the same way about video as you do about the photos then you should book your wedding videographer ASAP too because all the good photographer/videographers are taken early!

3. Location matters

   Italy has an overwhelming number of enchanting locations for weddings which makes selecting one quite difficult! From the north of Italy, embroidered by the snowy Alps to the beguiling beauty of the lake region. The sunkissed terraces overlooking the stunning Amalfi coast and glittering sea, or the stunning city landscapes of Florence or Rome. There are lots of beautiful spots out there so you should really think about the location that you would like to represent your special day.

4. Think about the finer details of your day

   From wedding stationery to flowers, flavours of your cake and wedding transport, think about the finer details of your day and create a schedule to help you stay organised.

5. Think about post-wedding activities

   The final dance at the disco needn’t mean your special day is over, keep the fun going for longer with one of these amazing wedding after party ideas!

6. Remember to enjoy the whole planning process

   Being engaged and planning your wedding is a very special time in terms of your relationship with your fiancé and these are the times that you'll cherish forever. Both of you are excited about spending the rest of your lives together and are undoubtedly making all kinds of plans, so remember to enjoy the whole planning process and document the whole process. Pro Tip: consider booking a pre-wedding photography session with your photographer to keep the whole planning process fun and well-documented!

7. Guests and accommodation

   If you're planning a destination wedding, then it's crucial to think about accommodations available for you and your guests, so do bear this in mind and find something that fits perfectly with your requirements.

8. Decide who you want to invite

   Narrowing down the guest list is one probably going to be one of the most stressful parts of your planning. It’s a little more complicated than simply making a list of everyone you’d like to celebrate with for a number of reasons. There are people you’ll have to invite, others you really want to invite but can't due to venue's capacity which makes it all a difficult step! So think about this well in advance to avoid becoming overwhelmed during the whole process.

9. Create a schedule

   You can create various timelines to make the whole planning experience much easier. Perhaps a timeline for the months and weeks leading up to the wedding, another one for the suppliers so they know when and where they need to be, and one that you, yourself will need to follow (this is important). You will need a schedule that tells you when you would need to start getting ready when to leave for your pre-ceremony photos with your bridesmaids when to be at the ceremony venue, when the drinks start and what time you need to be seated by for dinner. This is your game plan for the day and having a schedule will let you oversee the plan of the day well in advance.

10. Create a seating plan for the reception

    Another difficult one! Yet this is an important one. Figuring out who is going to sit where and next to whom is a decision that you would need to make. Start by deciding on the table layouts, followed by the organisation of your guests into relevant groups. Allocate your priority guests first and then continue allocating guests to the seating plan as your RSVPs come in.