planning an italy destination wedding
price breakdown, vendor list, tips & everything you should know
no I didn’t get married but somehow it still feels like I did. my sister set out planning her tuscan wedding sometime last year and I’ve been her very close wedding coordinator through it all. it doesn’t help when the actual wedding planner is kinda MIA (more on that later) so my sister really got in the weeds of figuring out how to do things herself. literally. below you’ll also find she’s sharing a spreadsheet of 100+ other venues in tuscany with prices + notes she reached out to and compiled. but honestly, it might’ve even worked out for the better because every vendor ATEEEE and they were all the one’s my sister found herself.
now while the wedding was truly the best I’ve ever been to (and I wasn’t the only one saying this) - there were soooo many logistics, mistakes and planning that went into it.
2 trips to Italy for meetings, countless spread sheets, SOS messages to fellow brides to ask if they’re in the same boat as her and everything in between.
so hopefully this can be a little piece of ~peace~ for you. from one bride to another (or maybe you’re just nosey) but I think this is pretty much everything you need to copy & paste her wedding if you really wanted to lol.
my sister asked me to write this guide for all the brides in her shoes who have no idea where to start with planning an overseas wedding or are just stressed at the current pace of things, finding every vendor, DIYing the small details, expectations of what things will cost, getting everything there etc.
my sister did such an incredible job putting everything together, bringing her moodboards to life & DIY’ing the sickest welcome bag scarves, hats + bags. every detail was so thoughtful and got so much praise throughout the weekend. her name is Jessica so you’ll find any of her commentary below as “J”
we hope this is helpful, we worked real hard on trying to make this as informative + valuable + transparent as possible - if you have any more questions feel free to DM me or her!
here’s everything she’ll share:
her full vendor list
3 day wedding cost breakdown
editable templates for her menus + welcome bags + stationary + merch
logistics of planning everything from the beginning
things she wish she knew
what’s worth it or not
spreadsheet of 100+ other venues she considered (with costs)
her full wedding mood board for inspo (& vendor use)
& other tips she has for fellow brides
OK LET’S GET INTO IT!…..
vendors:
Cooking Class + Wine Tasting: @villasantostefano
Venue/Planner: @cosellicollectionvillas
Catering (Wedding & Welcome Dinner): @guidilencicatering
Catering (Pool Party): @amaontheroad
Photography: @kaylasprint
Videography: andreatortorafilms
Content Creator: @dreamerscontent
Florist: @studio.miiaevents
Bride Hair & Makeup: @weddingmuah_
Welcome Dinner Music: @trio_italiano_show
Wedding String Quartet: @valentim.strings
Wedding DJ & Saxophonist: @tastensax
Wedding Electric Violin: @jose_asuncion
Pool Party DJ: @eol_music
Bride Dress: @LeahDaGloria
Bride Veil: @kadaleyah
Bride Afterparty Dress: @fjollanilaofficial
Groom Custom Tux: @sartoravanni
misc:
etsy shop for custom swan initial napkins
etsy shop for custom dog matches
custom letters to the bride book I gifted
just to touch on the vendors - y’all know I have some high standards so I was honestly a little worried about how expectations would translate from my sisters pinterest board across seas but wow. they all crushed. it’s rare to not have a single problem with a single vendor.
J: “I love every single one of them as if they were my family. the caterer Guidilenci was truly the best decision we made out of the entire wedding process - food was a top priority for us. we trialed 4 other caterers, but immediately knew they were the ones, and wished we could have just canceled the remaining trials right then and there. they were incredibly thorough and organized, super quick and responsive (which is rare in Italy, but more on that later…) guests were telling us it was some of the best food they had on their italy trip.”
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: in Italy, the caterer is also responsible for the full table scape and seating setup. while most other caterers felt more dated, their work was so modern and cool and really brought the vision to life (actually even better)
J: "speaking of table, the FLORALS!!! “Studio MIIA killed it. we went back and forth on a moodboard to get it right, but she went above and beyond. the florals looked straight out of some mythical fantasy garden.
last note on vendors is the entire entertainment aspect of their wedding. music was probably the second highest priority after food. this group loves to party, we’re all from NYC, we love EDM (but with words & the kind you can dance to)
J: “when I tell you this felt like the best club I have ever been to. they fully transformed the room with audio, lights, a disco ball + DJ booth. the main star was the Sax and Electric Violin. these guys genuinely oozed AURA. I don’t think a single person went to bed before 2am. I don’t even drink alcohol but you could not pull me away from the dance floor the entire night. You HAVE to hire these guys for your wedding!!”
okay now for everyone’s favorite part……the cost breakdown of the wedding. this includes everything in all 3 days of festivities - the welcome dinner, wedding day + pool party. all prices are obviously subject to change & rounded to make it easier to digest. I appreciate my sister sharing this because not many do + it makes it hard to set expectations!!
cost breakdown:
~ for 60 guests