What you wish you had known before wedding planning
Planning an Italian wedding is far from easy (sorry to come at you with that fact from the off!) But on the flip side, they are THE most sensational weddings! There’s a hell of a lot to know and you can’t possibly know everything when you start. Let’s run through what we wish every couple starting Italian wedding planning could know – so you don’t go wrong.
Budgeting is by no means the romantic part of wedding planning but without proper forecasting in this area, to put it bluntly you are going to massively struggle with every part of the wedding and likely you’ll be left massively disappointed with your actual day.
A staggering large number of couples skip this important stage, proceed in booking suppliers but then get to a point where the money pot is dwindling and they still have so much to organise. Don’t let this be you! Have a clear budget from the start, don’t bury your head in the sand and your decision making will be more fun and free throughout.
Your venue choice really will make or break your budget. It is time to make sensible, well-considered decisions. It’s not simply whether it’s got the looks but the personality too!
You will need to consider:
• The number of people that can stay and what you charge them
• The cost of transporting guests from local accommodations
• What is your wet weather plan
• The suppliers you must use (whether the venue has a specific list)
It is integral that you do the work to get the right venue and you clearly and fully budget for the specific venue before booking. Each venue will offer a very different budget.
Don’t let those sunny-skied insta shots fool you into thinking it’s gorgeous weather throughout the summer. Sorry to burst the bubble but it does rain in Italy and you need to be prepared mentally physically and financially and have a contingency.
We are not being dramatic, Lucy from Wiskow & White planned a lot of weddings this summer and says ‘almost every week from May to October there was a threat of rain at 80% of the weddings. And without a contingency plan in place at every one, the couples would have been in absolute worry hell.
Having an Italian wedding is a huge undertaking. Do not under-estimate the time and money that will go into making your dreams a reality. Do some research, check in with other wedding couples - past and still planning (you can do this through our private couples Facebook group) to really decide whether this is for you before you jump in.
Whether you use a planner or not, this is a project which comes with a lot more guest management than doing a wedding at home. Even with a planner on board saving you a shed load of time, you still have to review plans, make hundreds of decisions, pay suppliers and produce things like the table plan.
Photos from top: Red on Blonde, Paola Colleoni, Red on Blonde, Studio Chloe David, Selia Photography, Lenny Pellico
Planning a wedding is an emotional rollercoaster at times. So the team you have around you really will make or break this experience for you. This goes beyond just planning a wedding, your relationships with your venue and wedding planner will affect your emotions probably on a weekly basis. If they are great, then you will be flying high, but if you are having to chase and battle for things to get done then you will be feeling the stress.
Your planner and venue are without a doubt a huge part of your wedding planning. If you have a planner, you will likely talk to them extremely often and they will affect how you feel about your wedding. They ultimately control who you work with and how your suppliers are communicated with which can affect the entire vibe of your wedding day. Pick wisely.
This is inevitable with any wedding but when you are due to fly out away from home you need to get beyond organised early. Shopping, packing, the panic about how to travel with your wedding clothes etc is all part of sorting your sh*t out ahead of time.
• Write a list with deadlines and stick to them
• Be in control of your guest communications and avoid those last minute interuptions and stresses
• Delegate when you can
They might seem huge at the moment, but we promise, you won’t care about most of the details on the day, especially if you trust your planner and your supplier team. By the time it rolls round to your wedding you truly will not care, even if it rains (!) because you will be surrounded by the most amazing people and experiences.
• How your guests feel – if the accommodation is nice, if they are well looked after – and this is all down to your decisions: choosing the right venue, arranging transport and organising food
• The flow of the day – a personal pet hate is any awkward moments on a wedding day and you will feel these. If people don’t know where to walk, if the music isn’t played at the right time, if the vibe is high and then it gets interrupted by the cake cutting. Make sure you have the right team behind the scenes orchestrating all of this and pre-plan these moments or the 'in-between moments' of the day
• How you gel with your suppliers – if it turns out you don’t like your photographer, you’re not going to have a nice wedding day. Pick wisely and put the work in upfront to get this right
• That you’ve paid everyone in advance – you do not want to be thinking or talking about money on your wedding day
• How well you’ve briefed your suppliers – proper briefings are key to the success of the wedding day
Need to ask 101 questions? Or do any of these points sound familiar? Our private Facebook community is an incredible place to ask questions and get answers. Come on in and join the conversation.
