Planning a wedding in Italy from the US is an exciting endeavour, but it differs greatly from planning a States-based celebration. Complex logistics are the obvious differentiator but, as a destination wedding planner regularly planning Italian weddings for US based couples, I know there are a few other things you should be prepared for too. This is the Elegante by Michelle J guide to the reality of planning a wedding in Italy from the US, featuring 6 main things I think you should be aware of before getting started.
1: Travel Considerations When Planning A Wedding in Italy From the US
Let’s start with the most obvious one first, shall we? Asking your guests to travel transatlantically to join you in Italy for your wedding incurs both time and financial cost to them. I say this not to deter you from forging ahead with your plan (many US based couples successfully invite their loved ones to their European weddings every year!) but to provide you with some advice on how to make this as easy as possible – for you and them.
- Choose a date that makes sense. We’ll talk about the weather in more detail later, but considering a time of year that isn’t too hot in Europe is one thing to keep in mind. The other is that many or all of your guests will want to extend their trip into a holiday, and so bearing this in mind when choosing your wedding date is considered courteous. For example, selecting a date that falls close to a major US holiday may mean some of your guests are already unable to attend
- Pick a location carefully. It’s important that you and your guests can easily fly to your wedding destination from the US and to remember that, even if you choose a major Italian city like Rome or Milan, you’ll still need a connecting flight or train or road transfer to get there. We always help our couples with recommending the best flight routes for guests. For example, if you choose to host your wedding in or around Florence your guests can fly first into Amsterdam or Barcelona, before connecting on to the wedding destination
When planning a wedding in Italy from the US, one thing we can do to alleviate this travel pressure (which we implemented at T&N’s wedding in Spain) is design a ‘two-centre’ wedding. Since your guests are coming such a long way they’ll all be flying into a major hub, but your wedding may not necessarily be taking place there. Many beautiful Italian wedding venues are situated outside of cities, and the countryside landscapes are all part of the charm. Taylor and Matt’s wedding venue, Palagina, is a perfect example of this.
To solve the issue of asking your guests to embark on further long travel days immediately after landing, we can first host a welcome event in the city they originally arrive to. Everybody then travels on together the following day, giving guests a chance to relax and settle in – you can even provide transport on to the wedding location for your loved ones to take the pressure off completely.
2: Don’t Copy-Paste A US Wedding Into Italy
My second piece of advice for planning a wedding in Italy from the US is not to simply try and take the wedding you would have at home and recreate it in Italy. To be totally frank and honest, the Italians won’t understand it and therefore they won’t get it right – it won’t feel like you, and it won’t translate for your guests on your wedding day.
One area in which this is particularly pertinent is the food. An example of this comes from one of our previous US based couples who married in Florence. They had an idea of creating a smorgasbord meat station of steaks and other cuts at their drinks reception, however I advised them that this isn’t the way the Italians usually do things. This is not to say we have to follow any ‘rules’, rather that if we try to create something unfamiliar it simply won’t be right.
You are much better off embracing some of the Italian ways of doing things – after all, you chose this wonderful country for a reason! Particularly when it comes to food, the Italians really know what they’re doing – your guests will love having an authentic culinary experience, so swap those steaks for a Tuscan meat selection and enjoy every mouthful.
My job as your destination wedding planner is to help you navigate your plans, balancing advocating for you and what you are imagining for your wedding day with getting the best out of your destination country.
3: How Can We Enhance Your Guests’ Extended Trips?
Since they are travelling such a long way to join you at your Italian wedding, we always work on the assumption that US based guests will come for more than just the two to three days of your celebrations. Most of your loved ones are likely to make a holiday out of your wedding, so I always encourage my couples planning a wedding in Italy from the US to think about this:
How can we help them navigate and get the most out of their trip? What additional services can we provide to enhance the experience for them?
In the past we have helped our couples delight their guests by arranging tours, experiences and sightseeing activities for their guests on non-wedding days – wine tasting, Fiat 500 tours, city walking tours and major destination landmark visits are just some of them. We’ve brought your guests to Italy, so let’s give them the full Italian experience.
4: Work With an English Speaking Planner When Planning a Wedding in Italy From the US
It’s crucial to work with an English speaking wedding planner on your Italian wedding journey. Many of my US couples choose to work with me in part because we speak the same language, so there are no translation errors when describing your vision. The other piece of this puzzle is the importance of working with a wedding planner who is also fluent in Italian, or has someone on their team who is. At Elegante by Michelle J we’ve got you covered, with our local team member in Italy, Victoria.
With this arrangement you have complete peace of mind that I understand you perfectly, your suppliers understand us perfectly, and your vision is carried out to…well, perfection.
5: Don’t Expect US Hospitality & Service in Italy – They Have Their Own Charming Way
When thinking about things like hotels, hospitality and service, you’ll find they very much differ in Italy from what you’re used to at home in the US. I always prepare my couples for this to manage expectations, and want to reassure you that this doesn’t mean Italian service is bad in any way. Quite the opposite in fact, Italy is a very hospitable nation with friendly people and a true appreciation for life’s good things. What you won’t find, however, are so many of your big brand hotel groups where you can collect points and bask in air conditioning throughout.
In Italy you’ll find many, many more boutique properties and historic venues that have been lovingly restored and refitted to very high standards, but the Italian 5* luxury looks different to what you’ll find in the major US cities. Retaining authentic charm in these older Italian buildings is hugely important to the country, and I personally think it’s all part of the appeal. Encouraging your guests to stay in these classic Italian properties is all part of giving them the genuine experience we talked about earlier.
A major thing I prepare my US couples planning a wedding in Italy for is that air conditioning is not as readily available as you’re used to – many buildings don’t have it at all, and those that do will only fit it in certain areas. You can’t expect your wedding venue to be icy cool all day, but you probably can expect your bedroom to have satisfactory cooling at night. For this reason, I strongly advise my US couples to avoid the months of July and August – it will simply be too hot and the lack of air conditioning means you won’t be able to avoid it. When you also consider that many of our weddings in Italy typically take place outside, the heat of the day is a major consideration when planning your celebrations.
Accepting and embracing Italy for its own wonderful way of doing things is really the key to an unforgettable wedding.
6: Consider Linking Your Bachelor/ette Party With Your Wedding
In the past some of my US couples planning in Italy have chosen to link their bachelor/ette parties with their wedding celebrations. Since your guests are already travelling a long way to celebrate with you, this is not only a great way to extend the fun but also reduces the need for further travel and expense for them. Previous Elegante by Michelle J couples have extended their trips and thrown these parties a few days before the wedding, removing the need for guests to travel again for another event.
More advice on planning a wedding in Italy from the US:
As a destination wedding planner working with lots of couples from around the world on their Italian celebrations, I have rather a lot of advice to give on the matter! Here are some more articles you might find useful;
My tips on the best way to take your wedding dress on a flight.
A tour of 5 weddings we planned in Tuscany in one summer, including the weddings of T&M and A&A who came, with their loved ones, from the US.
The best European wedding destinations for US couples.
If you’re here looking for Italian wedding planning tips but you’re a UK based couple, you can find our UK-specific version of this blog HERE.