Italy Wedding Planning: The Ultimate Guide for Weddings
[Essential Info + Guide You Need to Know About Your Italy Destination Wedding or Elopement]
Selecting the Right Destination Wedding Suppliers Can Make All The Difference
Beautiful backdrops, boat rides on glistening lakes, aperitifs and aperol spritz? Italian weddings are becoming increasingly popular because of the glamour and fairytale charm they exude. Italy is renowned for its amazing food, wines and spirits and its scenery and architecture, perfect for those wanting a luxurious, glamorous wedding. But how do you even begin to plan a luxury wedding in Italy when you don’t live in the country?
A beautiful Italian wedding doesn’t come without a lot of planning, especially if you’re planning from a different country. There are so many questions and queries… What’s the best region to get married in? What are the best venues? How do you find the best vendors? Are there any rules and regulations? How difficult will it be to arrange travel and accommodation for all your guests? Planning a big wedding can be stressful… But we’re here to help every step of the way for those wanting to plan a luxury Italian wedding all the way from home, where-ever that is for you!
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Think about your location
There are so many amazing parts of Italy to get married in, here are some of the most popular…
The Amalfi Coast, Positano & Sorrento: With small towns dotted along towering cliffs above glistening blue sea, windy roads and orange groves you’ll experience nothing other than first class hospitality and scenery in these regions as they boast some of the best hotels and restaurants steeped in tradition. If you want a balcony overlooking the sea for your ceremony or a party in a historical villa or a luxurious hotel then you’ll have no problem finding enough suitable venues in this region.
Tuscany & Florence: Are rolling hills, flowers and vineyards a must in your wedding checklist? Tuscany & Florence are a must if so. The Chianti area has some of the most stunning landscapes for your dream Italian countryside wedding. But that’s not all that’s on offer, you’ve got a stunning coastline, natural parks, and gorgeous markets and museums for the days surrounding your wedding celebrations.
Venice: What could be better than a magical city that is floating on water? Venice is such a romantic city and has some beautifully iconic spots such as the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, the Isle of San Giorgio and Sospiri Bridge for some stunning wedding photos.
Lake Como: Arguably one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy, Lake Como’s beauty never gets old and is a firm favourite for couples wanting a wedding full of glitz, glamour and charm. Make sure you find a villa to have a Hollywood style wedding on the lake surrounded by views of the Alps, lush greenery and glistening waters.
There really is something to suit every couple when planning an Italian wedding so really have a think about the non-negotiables for you and your partner and do a bit of research together to narrow down your favourite areas.
Consider a wedding planner
It’s always good to have a helping hand… When planning your wedding, having a wedding planner to help make your dream wedding day come true and help you achieve your vision can really take a whole host of stress and strain away from you and your partner.
Having a professional on board means you’ll have expert help designing your wedding from the vision and details all the way through to the planning and management of your wedding day, weekend or however long your celebration may be. Wedding planners will be in the know with regards to the best locations, when is the best time to get married in what region, the best vendors, transport options and how this will all fit into your budget. They’ll also be on it with asking the venue important questions regarding music licences, catering, vendors, back up plans and rules that you might not even think to ask.
How do you find the right wedding planner? As international wedding photographers and filmmakers, we have been part of SO many love stories and worked with some amazing wedding vendors. If you’re wanting the perfect luxurious Italian wedding then Coleen McKay and Hannah at Conifer Events are two of our best recommendations with experience in creating bespoke weddings worldwide. Coleen and Hannah are both luxury wedding planners and cater for couples looking for a first class service to ensure you have the most wonderful day.
It’s a strategic decision if you really want to make sure your wedding day is everything you want it to be and leaves you and your partner time to really enjoy the whole process, you only get to do it once together after all.
Be clear on your vision
You’re most likely having an Italian wedding because you’ve started your research and discovered beautiful videos, images and montages that show just how beautiful a wedding in Italy looks like! So you’ll more than likely have an idea of your vision and how you want your Italian wedding to look and feel.
Grab a pen and paper and write down every element of your wedding that you can envisage. This is the first step, imagining what your wedding day is going to be like. What area of Italy do you want to get married in? What kind of backdrop do you want? What will your dress look like? Do you have any ideas for decorations and flowers? What kind of entertainment do you want - DJs? String quarters, a jazz band? How many guests will you want? Anything you can think of that you know you and your partner want, jot it down.
Deciding on a ballpark figure for a budget is also very useful, that way you can aim to stick within that region and if using a wedding planner they’ll know exactly where to go, who to work with and what to do to ensure you’re spending within that region.
Legal Requirements
Getting married in Italy can feel somewhat complicated as the government requires a range of legal documents and as Italy is a predominantly catholic country, not all religions are recognised. Therefore, most US couples tend to have their legal ceremony at home before they jet off to Italy and then have a symbolic ceremony in Italy.
If you want to legally get married in Italy you’ll need a couple of documents:
Proof of Identity
Birth Certificate
Evidence of any previous marriages
Nulla Osta (Affidavit) & Atto Notorio
Declaration of Intention to Marry
All documents officiated outside of Italy must be legalised for use in Italy and must be translated into Italian. When planning your wedding, hiring a wedding planner can be really beneficial during stages like this as they’ll be incredibly familiar with the process, exactly what you need and when you’ll need to organise all your documents.
Accommodation & Transport
These are two very important things to think about. Accommodation for yourselves is one thing but then where will your guests stay. Does the venue you want have enough space for everyone, or will they require separate accommodation and if so, is there accommodation nearby? Consider the amount of guests you’ll be having and be sure to find a location where everyone can stay and comfortable.
Transport is another big one to think about, especially when guests are travelling from such far ends of the earth! You’ll need to think about flights, when you and your guests will be getting flights (you’ll most likely fly before your guests in prep for the big day, so make sure people are organised with their flights and accommodation) and you’ll also need to think about transport to and from the airport as well as the wedding venue and other activities you might be planning.
Having a wedding planner can be super beneficial at this stage, getting people from one side of the world to the other can be difficult depending on your number of guests and a wedding planner can really help take some of the stress away and deal with all the logistics.
Plan the celebrations
It’s not all about the wedding day (although this is obviously very important) but your guests will most likely be staying for a few days so really take the opportunity to celebrate your wedding over the weekend or however long you are there for. This is why destination weddings are wonderful, because your celebration isn’t over within a day, you can really make it last and create some wonderful memories with your nearest and dearest.
Consider if you want pre-wedding celebrations and post wedding celebrations. For pre-wedding celebrations you could have dinner and entertainment the night before with intimate speeches for those who might not give speeches at the wedding? Think aperitivo on a rooftop bar overlooking the landscape at sunset. You could even do a dinner cruise with delicious Italian food, wine and music - but nothing too crazy the night before the big day.
Post wedding brunches are a must, again… there’s nothing like food to cure a wedding hangover. Unwind on a terrace with a fresh breeze, brunch and reminiscing what a great night was had. Once everyone’s heads are feeling fresher you could go sailing for the day, try a cooking class or if you're near the coast, have a relaxing beach day and BBQ.
If you choose to have a wedding planner, they’ll be able to help you craft the dream three day wedding celebration for you and your guests to ensure you make the most of your time whilst you're in Italy.
Send your save the dates
When you're having a wedding halfway across the globe, organisation is key, so be sure to send your wedding invites out early. The earlier the better in this case. That way people will be able to prioritise your wedding and that will make sure you’re surrounded by everyone you love. Once they know the dates and location people can book their vacation time off, book their plane tickets and get it all for the best price.
Now wait for the RSVPs to roll in and let the fun begin…