11 things to know when planning a wedding in Tuscany

We have been planning weddings in Tuscany for years, so here are the top tips we would give our clients when planning a wedding in Tuscany.

Choosing Your Ceremony Type

1.      You will need to choose whether your ceremony in Tuscany will be a legally binding one or a symbolic one. There are many types of ceremonies that can be organised…If you want your marriage in Tuscany to be legally binding, there are now many wedding venues that have permission to celebrate civil weddings so the bride and groom can fulfil their dream of a civil wedding outdoors among the beautiful Tuscan landscape! If you would like to know which venues offer this, please get in touch with us. 

Booking Early During Peak Season

 2.      If you plan to get married during peak season (May to September), you must book your venue and providers well in advance as they get booked up very early. As soon as you have a date, make it a priority to book your dream venue. However, there isn’t as much pressure to book the town hall as most of them can only be booked 6 months in advance. Just remember to pop it in your diary!

 Considerations for an August Wedding

3.      If you are planning an August wedding, know that many Italian businesses close during this month, so make sure this isn’t the case for any business involved in the wedding. The 15th of August is a bank holiday in Italy, and Italians don’t work that week, including most of the wedding providers. Also, note that it can get very hot in August, so consider more airy and shady venues for the hot summer months.

 The Role of a Wedding Planner

4.      Hiring a wedding planner will make the organisation of your wedding much easier. Make sure they have knowledge of Tuscany and Italian customs, laws and regulations. They will act as your proxy with your venue and providers. A professional wedding planner will have selected the best wedding providers and can suggest different ones depending on your budget, style or requests. And, of course, they will help you with the language barrier.

 Tailoring Your Wedding Experience

5.      Traditional Italian weddings tend to be held during the day and won’t run into the evening or involve a band or any dancing so be sure to check that your venue will allow late nights, live music and a dancefloor if this is something you are planning.

 Communication Expectations

6.      You might be surprised by the time it takes suppliers to reply. In Italy, it is more acceptable to take more time to reply to emails or return calls, but by no means does it show a lack of professionalism or interest. So, you may need to show patience and use your wedding planners for support and help following up.

Venue Visits and Vendor Meetings 

7.      Make sure you visit the wedding venue and meet some of your vendors in advance. When you visit the venue, you will be able to get a feel for the place and imagine how you would like to organise the different spaces.

 Dress and Shoe Choices

8.      Keep your venue in mind when choosing your dress and shoes. Remember, you will have to fly with your dress, so a big dress might be less practical, and you may need to walk along cobbled lanes or uneven ground to reach the alter so platforms might be better than high heels. Make your guests aware of this so they choose appropriate footwear, too.

 Appointing a Point of Contact

9.      You will need to appoint someone as the FAQ person or port of call for guests to go to with questions. Your wedding planner can be used as the reference for all questions; you could also ask the venue owner or manager. As a last resort, it could be a friend but should ideally be someone who knows Tuscany and speaks Italian. This will be a new place for most of your guests, so they will probably have lots of questions about the areas, where to buy things, how the wifi works, etc…etc…As you will be busy with many other things, it is good to have another point of contact.

Choosing a Local Photographer

10.   Choose a local photographer as they will be in the know about the best photo ops and will have the experience of the best areas and times to take photos, particularly in cities like Florence or Siena. Most photographers in Italy speak English, so language shouldn’t be an issue.

 Embracing Seasonal Elements

11.   Best to go seasonal – Tuscany offers wonderful seasonal produce, so it is best to include those in your menu as well as your flowers. It will make your wedding banquet and floral decorations fresher and even more delicious, and it will save you some money.