When you embark on organising your wedding, two of the first and most important things you need to think about are where your guests are going to stay and transport: i.e. LOGISTICS!
And of course, Italy offers an enormous variety of different types of venue:
1) There are some very exclusive places in which there is only a suite for the bridal couple or just a limited number of rooms in which to accommodate the two families belonging to the bride and groom.
2) There are other wedding venues where it is possible to accommodate up to 30/35 people so that would generally take care of close family and friends
3) And then there are places that can accommodate 80 to 100 people which is ideal if the couple want to organise a get-together for everyone (or nearly everyone)!
Don’t forget that most venues will require you (the couple), or someone else on their behalf, to sign a contract that will provide you with exclusivity at the chosen venue for 2 or 3 nights.
The venue will not get involved in negotiations with each and every one of your guests. Therefore, you will be responsible for taking care of the payments initially even if the guests intend to reimburse you later on. Very often, when the guests are paying for their stay directly, the couple will for open Bank or PayPal account through which all payments can be made
If the majority of the guests, or just some of them are staying elsewhere, in another hotel, for example, on the day of the wedding, the transport company that you have decided to use will be responsible for arriving punctually with all the specified vehicles at the agreed addresses in order to transport all the guests to the Wedding Venue.
Depending on the number of people involved, you can decide whether it will be necessary to hire a coach or a mini-van that can accommodate up to 9 people which will obviously allow for greater flexibility. With a people-carrier or mini-vans, guests will be able to return to their accommodation at different times. It is customary to fix a time when the coach or mini-vans will arrive at the Wedding Venue (this does depend to some extent on the parking logistics at the venue), and from then on, for the next 2 or 3 hours, they will be responsible for a shuttle service between the Wedding Venue and the various different hotels or other accommodation in which the guests are staying.
In this way, those who want to go back immediately after the cake has been cut can do so and the same applies for those who want to stay on for a quiet after dinner chat or those who want to stay on and dance the night away.
Everything really depends on the total number and variety of guests that have been invited. Obviously, even in the event that just one coach has been hired (for 50 people, for example), guests can always make their own independent arrangements and can call a taxi to take them home earlier if they so desire.
The return journey is far less complex as all the guests will be at the wedding venue.
What is more complicated is making the arrangements with the vendor for the journey to the wedding venue. Bear in mind that all the guests will need to arrive on time, prior to the start of the actual Wedding Ceremony. Really, it is only the Bride who is allowed to be a little late!
We do advise you to check prior to the wedding if any of the guests are intending to come by taxi because otherwise, the coach or mini-vans may end up waiting endlessly for these people in vain. On this purpose we advise to arrange for one person at each venue where the guests are staying to be responsible for coordinating the arrivals and departures of the various groups.
With a detailed organisation and the right suppliers, anything can be achieved and the logistics will run as smoothly. Contact us and let us plan it for you!
