How to plan a 30k wedding in Italy right now
Photo: Studio Chloe David
Weddings take all shapes and sizes and here at La Lista we’re proud to support couples planning weddings with budgets from 20k-500k.
As prices have risen so much in recent years, we have so many of you asking if it’s possible to get married in Italy for 20-40k. The answer is yes but you have to be selective in what you want to include in your day (including your numbers of guests) and be savvy with your spend. There are tactics and ways to plan that will ensure a budget is kept to…. and maximised.
Let’s break it down…
The 30,000 euro wedding budget.
The biggest factors in making the budget work are going to be:
Your venue (and charging guests back to stay here)
Your guest count
Your catering choice (and price)
Your organisation
Set a clear budget
Be realistic from the start. You need a line by line break down of everything you need in your wedding and what it might cost. Then see where you may have to compromise. This should be done as a first step in planning.
Priority vendors
Establish what’s a priority for you. We imagine food and drink will be high on the list, alongside guests experience and the venue setting itself.
Plan holistically
To make a budget of 30k work you need to go all in. For us that means getting ALL your vendor quotes before making any bookings. You need to know what things literally cost (and the quality of those things meet your needs) before you make a single decision. Otherwise you risk getting further down the line and having either disappointment over quality or over spend.
Research, research, research
There are so many vendors out there, at all price points. Hunt hard and you’ll find the the styles and prices that work for you. Or hack it and save yourself some time direct with Lucy….
Avoid mistakes
They are costly and they can be hard to spot. They usually come in the form of not having clear deliverables or contracts from vendors upfront, extra unknown costs and booking the wrong vendor. When working to try and get prices down, being careful with negotiation is a must. There is such a thing as under paying, which can lead to bad or low quality service if a vendor has to cut corners to make a budget work.
You don’t have to DIY it alone. Side-step the overwhelm and make informed decisions with an expert planner by your side.
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She’s planned hundreds of Italian weddings from £20k - £500k budgets and wants to help you.
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The Budget
Start with the basics, then add and tweak around what’s important for you:
Venue - 12,000 euro (almost fully reimbursed by guests staying with you, whatever this price is but make sure your guests will pay what you’d need to charge)
Catering - 10,000 euro (for 50 people)
Ceremony - 800 euro (celebrant or town hall fee, may not apply)
Bar - included in catering cost
Photo - 2500 euro
Video - 2500 euro
Music - 3000 euro
HMU - 1000 euro
Decor - 8,000 euro (this doesn’t go far these days, look for florists with no min spends and check transport fees)
Music tax - approx 400 euro
Transport - 800 euro (assumes many guests are on site)
Co-ordinator - 1500 euro
Other event catering x 1 - 3500 euro
Assumes wet weather spend is not required
Clothing and travel - TBA
*TOTAL - 34,200
We always advise having a buffer and would consider reducing planned spend to acccomodate an over spend somewhere in your priority list.
*prices given are real rates in Italy for 2026 weddings from select vendors. Vendors range hugely in price and these price points limit the options available. Always check contracts, testimonials and existing work before booking.
Let’s do this together
DIYing your wedding can be overwhelming and while there are many helpful opinions and advice out there, nothing compares to our team who are planning Italian weddings every day, whilst building La Lista’s epic network of vendors and venues.
We don’t know it all but we know a lot and we exist to share it with you and support you in feeling calm through this Italian wedding planning journey. Join us and over 200 other brides.
Our Founders and Wedding Planners Lucy and Danielle.
Photo: Ray Sawyer
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