Your wedding day will be one of the most time-consuming and challenges tasks that you’ll ever undertake – if you’re choosing to get wed abroad, you can double (if not triple) the stress! For couples who are considering saying, ‘I Do’ in Italy, you might want to think about hiring a helping hand to ensure your destination wedding is how you’ve always imagined it.

Italy promises one of the most beautiful corners of the world for your big day but that doesn’t mean planning your celebration here is going to be easy! Factor in language barriers, time constraints and not having the local knowledge required to plan the perfect day – an Italian wedding planner will make your life a lot easier.

When you work with a planner, you should feel secure knowing that they are aware of all the legalities and logistics of getting married in Italy, as well as feeling like you are the right fit for one another. To help you along the way, we’ve put together a few handy questions that you should ask your potential destination wedding planner. It’s time to take note!

 

How much experience do you have as a destination wedding planner?

It is definitely worth finding out how experienced your potential destination wedding planner is, how many years of experience they have and if they are “official planners” with a VAT number. This will help you to feel at ease, knowing that your big day is in safe hands and every eventuality will be under control. You don’t want any wedding hiccups, after all!

What destination wedding planning services do you offer?

Usually, you will be able to find this information on your destination wedding planner’s website but don’t be afraid to ask them in a little more detail. Enquire about the specific services on offer – do they collect décor? Do they plan the honeymoon? Is the service all inclusive?

Do you have a list of recommended / preferred suppliers to work with?

During our time as luxury wedding planners in Italy, we have worked with some of the country’s most prestigious professionals. We are fortunate enough to have a selection of fabulous suppliers at our fingertips so are able to recommend and advise if you are seeking help – however we are also happy to work with vendors of your choice. It is important to understand who your potential destination wedding planner works with. This is also a great opportunity to get an idea of their knowledge of the local wedding industry and their relationship with fellow vendors. It will also give you an idea of flexibility surrounding suppliers.

Have you planned a wedding at this venue before? 

Here at Paolo Cicognani, we’ve worked at a whole host of jaw-droppingly beautiful wedding venues in Italy and pride ourselves in knowing the venue inside out, as well as their staff. We only recommend venues that we know offer a first-class service to our clients, so we believe this is an incredibly important question to ask a potential destination wedding planner.  But we want to highlight that we do a huge number of site inspections to be sure we cover every single detail. So, if you trust us and like our styles, it is not so important if we have already hosted a wedding at THAT venue! What matters is that we share the same philosophy!

Can I see some of your previous weddings you’ve planned?

Ask if you can see a few of their previous weddings. From this, you’ll be able to gauge whether or not your style aligns with one another and you’ll have a chance to see the level of luxury on offer. Along with having a peek at their portfolio, spend some time speaking with a couple of brides they worked with in the past.

How does your contract work and how do you charge?

It’s time to talk about the nitty gritty details – contracts and payments. This is something your destination wedding planner should be clear about from the very start. Ask about how they take payment – do they take a percentage of the budget or do they charge a flat fee? It is vital that you are absolutely clear on how the payment process works to ensure a seamless and stress-free experience.

 

If you’re searching for an Italian wedding planner to help you create the destination wedding of your dreams, please do get in touch with us at Paolo Cicognani. We can’t wait to hear more about your big day!