10 tips to help you budget for your Italian destination wedding
When planning a destination wedding, it’s often difficult to know where to start! What is a realistic budget for getting married abroad and how do you ensure that you adhere to that budget? Here we offer our 10 top tips to help you budget for your destination wedding in Italy :
1. Try to book off-peak season if you can
Understandably this may not always be possible for families who want to invite children who are of school age but the cost for accommodation and flights to Italy are obviously hugely more expensive during the school holidays.
2. Avoid Saturdays
Saturday can be a very popular day to get married, however if you and your guests are in Italy for a week then why not choose a week day to get married? Saturdays generally are the most expensive day when it comes to the town hall fees and having a Saturday also makes it less likely for you to have the best pick when it comes to booking your wedding suppliers and vendors.
3. Be selective with your guest list
Most venues work on a price per head basis and the pricing difference can of course be vast if you choose to have a large wedding, as opposed to a smaller, more intimate celebration.
4. Enlist the services of a top wedding planner based in Italy
A good wedding planner will be able to help guide you towards potential savings and negotiate for you with suppliers where possible. Choose a destination wedding planner who is a specialist in that area so you know you’ll get the best deal when it comes to using local vendors because of the relationships already created.
5. Opt for an afternoon ceremony
This will mean that you only have to feed your guests once and not twice. Morning ceremonies can mean also a very long day in the hot summer sun for your guests.
6. Don’t forget to factor in the SIAE tax into the cost of your chosen musicians
SIAE is a music royalties tax that you are responsible for paying in Italy depending on the type of music you choose. Be mindful when choosing your musicians that this will need to be accounted for.
7. Choose flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding
Florists’ fees increase for more expensive flowers that have to be shipped in if they are not in season at the time of your wedding. Ask your wedding planner for advice on this.
8. Ask your wedding planner to help source items at a lower cost
Small bottles of limoncello make for wonderful wedding favours, however they of course cost a lot more in local shops than they do if sourced directly from the manufacturer.
9. Don’t purchase unnecessary decorations
Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the world so there is definitely no need to go overboard with wedding decorations.
10. Respect your overall budget
Have a realistic budget for each aspect of your destination wedding in Italy and stick to it. Set up a spreadsheet and work on this alongside your wedding planner to ensure costs aren’t mounting up without you realising.