Picture the scene: saying “I do” surrounded by your favorite people, with the sea as your backdrop under the endless Italian sunshine. But how to plan a destination wedding that makes everyone’s heart flutter… without running into the most common wedding mistakes?
Paolo Cicognani and its team are here for you – both to warn you and to support you. Planning a destination wedding in Italy is a serious thing: make sure you don’t get caught off guard!
Common wedding mistake #1: ignoring the bureaucracy
A lot of couples dream about tying the knot in Italy with a romantic ceremony, but don’t know a lot about the specific regulations they have to follow.
If you’re wondering how to plan a destination wedding, you should always consider bureaucracy – unless you only want to have a symbolic ceremony. But if you wish for a fully legal wedding, then we at Paolo Cicognani – as your wedding planners – can support you with the requirement of all the documents and procedures, that could be tricky otherwise… especially when planning from abroad!
Common wedding mistake #2: choosing the wrong location
There are so many options in Italy that it won’t be easy to choose the right wedding venue, especially if you’re not very familiar with the area or if you can’t make an inspection because of the distance.
Besides considering if the venue is easily accessible from the nearest airport and whether it works within your budget or not, here are two more things that you should always keep in mind.
Guests’ number and management
A common wedding mistake involves falling in love with a venue without knowing if it’s big enough to host the reception or to accommodate all of your guests. Sure, it’s not 100% necessary to have all of them sleep in the same place where the celebration will happen but – believe us – that would make things way easier both for them and for you.
If you’re inviting 100 guests and the venue of your dreams can only accommodate 25, of course you will need to allocate everyone else in different structures in the surroundings. Not to mention that you will need vans to transfer them before and after the wedding, and probably a marquee for the reception. Choosing a venue that can host all of them would be much better, and can turn out to be cheaper too!
What happens in case of bad weather?
There’s no answer to a question such as “How to plan a destination wedding blessed by idyllic weather?”. Yes, Italy is often sunny – especially between May and October – and your wedding planner can suggest you the best time to get married based on the region you prefer… but truth is that no one can assure you that the weather will be perfect.
This said, you might as well pick a wedding venue that offers a good backup plan and can host your reception indoors, in case of rain. Don’t worry, there’s plenty to choose from: why not start getting inspired by the finest locations in Tuscany?
As you can see, there are many details to consider: that’s why it’s always better to get in touch with a wedding planner that knows your preferred area and can provide you with a swoon-worthy selection of settings that meet – and exceed – all of your needs.
Common wedding mistake #3: not valuing your guests
Wherever you live, if your dream is to get married in Italy with your family and friends make sure you tell them well in advance. We at Paolo Cicognani suggest you to send out your save the date at least six months before the wedding day.
Even better: if you want to help them organize their trip and find accommodation, set up a wedding website to give them all the essential information they might need. Everyone will hugely appreciate it!
And yes, we know it, you want to offer them a complete and unforgettable experience. But don’t run into one of the most common wedding mistakes: filling up their schedule from the first moment to the last one.
Always consider that they had a long trip to reach you in your chosen destination, and they might need a bit of time just to unwind and settle. You can plan a few excursions and activities to share – for example: did you know all of the disparate things you could do in Emilia Romagna? – just don’t overdo it. Relax with them, and enjoy every instant of it.
The biggest wedding mistake: planning by yourself
Maybe you’ll think that we’re biased, but trust us: there’s nothing harder than planning a destination wedding by yourself. You don’t want to ruin the most important day of your life because of some mistake that could have been avoided, do you?
So all you have to do is find a trusted wedding planner, who knows the best vendors of the area – speaking of which, they will also need to have a meal and a reserved spot during the event: never forget that. We at Paolo Cicognani are willing to put our knowledge at your service, reassuring you if necessary, supporting you for sure throughout the process that will bring your dream to life.
How to plan a destination wedding with no mistakes, then? Allow us to overreach ourselves: the only way is to have a professional plan it for you, together with you. Get in touch with us and we’ll organize a bespoke, memorable wedding – a day that you and your guests will cherish forever.
