Behind the scenes on a hot summers day....

Apart from the administrative side to organising weddings and arranging viewings for weddings next year, there is a lot more that takes place here at The Italian Wedding Planner!

Photo by Stacey Syverson

With the temperature in the mid 30's ( hitting 90oF) outside and hotter still inside! Stacey is doing a fantastic job sticking on labels to mini bottles of olive oil favours ready for one of our upcoming weddings.

The candle holders are being washed and packed; a list is being made for a trip to Ikea to buy all the candles for the wedding this weekend; ribbon and tulle is in the box and everything is ready to decorate the Fiat 500's and the venue! 

I am just waiting for the heat to die down a little before I head out to hunt for the perfect tree for the table plan to be hung from.... 

I know, we have seen table seating maps  hung from trees before... only this time I don't want to go for the normal twigs I want to bring in a real tree and afterwards I shall plant it in my garden and always think of this lovely couple getting married this weekend... But and there is a small 'but' it must fit inside my Taxi as I will have to transport it to the venue and there is not the budget for transport....

Maybe if I use a tree every now and then and plant it afterwards, one day I will create an avenue of past bride and grooms to remember... 

How much does a wedding in Italy cost?

  What is the average budget for a wedding in Italy?...  It maybe the unromantic part of getting married but it is the most important element towards your wedding day.

Getting married in Italy does not always mean saving money, you will probably spend the same as you would at home. The difference is the quality you will receive for your money!

What it comes down to is you are just about to spend a chunk of your savings, so lets look at ways to make your money go further!

1. Research

Do as much research as possible on everything that you plan to spend money on and only use reputable firms/individuals for all your wedding needs. The Italian Wedding Planner is the only wedding planner in Italy, (to our knowledge and we have asked a lot of our suppliers to confirm this) who do not work on commission! Wedding planners who do work on commission can cost you up to 20% extra on everything from the florist to the venue! I totally disagree with this and the practice of mark ups and guarantee that we pass all the savings on to you!

2. Bank charges

You’re likely to get charged a foreign transaction fee every time you pay the venue, photographer, caterers and so on. High street banks often charge £25 or more just to transfer your money, and banks can also charge commission and take overseas delivery charges. By setting up an overseas bank account, and transferring your money in one go, you will incur less transfer charges, getting a better exchange rate and can make payments locally.

3. Fix your exchange rate

 Using a foreign exchange specialist can allow you to lock into an exchange rate for up to two years, so you can accurately budget how much things will cost. By doing this you won’t have to worry about rates worsening as you book the different elements of your wedding.

4. Using your credit card

 Be aware that credit cards can incur a transaction fee when paying for/booking venues or if paying for a wedding planner etc. Additionally, they can be even more costly when paying suppliers as they can charge commission and offer a poor exchange rate.

5. Hidden fees

 Watch out for extra costs involved when choosing a destination and/or venue such as document translation fees.

6.Check the small print

Most contracts will be in Italian, ask for them in English or get your planner to go over them with you.

 If you choose to arrange your wedding through a company/wedding planner, it’s also vital that you check the small print carefully. Check exactly what is and what is not included in the price.

7. Don’t forget the budget

 Set a budget limit and try to stick to it. This will help ensure costs don’t spiral out of control and you don’t overspend on the essentials or splash out too much on those luxurious extras.

8.Order your currency

You are getting married in Italy, the quotes you will be given are all in euro, please if you are paying suppliers in cash, do not turn up in Italy with dollars! I know that sounds so silly but trust me I have seen this happen! It is near on impossible to change large sums f money in an Italian bank with out a bank account. Please if you are paying in cash make sure you have ordered your euros at home to pay the suppliers in Italy!

Also remember your guests will probably require currency if they are travelling overseas for your wedding. Make sure they don’t get ripped off with charges and poor exchange rates; ordering currency before the wedding, for home delivery or branch collection, will mean their money goes further.

Jenny Packham Brides

A Jenny Packham bride radiant in the Tuscan sunshine...

Many congratulations Peter and Kate who were married last Saturday near Siena....

With friends and family arriving throughout Thursday and Friday we were able to squeeze in a trip to the town hall on the Friday evening to complete the legalities.

Kate is a stunning bride and with the opportunity to wear two wedding dresses, she rose to the challenge!

Arriving at the town hall in a London Taxi!

Her first wedding as the state official at the town hall of Castlefranco di Sopra translated by Kelly Hayes The Italian Wedding Planner

 

With Peters parents on the balcony

Kate and Peter kept it to a small group of family for today's celebrations before going in to Loro Ciuffenna for dinner and then on to a local bar to watch the world cup!

My Taxi waiting to collect the hairdresser and make up artist plus a couple of friends of the bride and groom arriving at the train station.

The 19th June 2010

On the way to the church in a London cab!

Rose petals waiting at the foot of the stairs to the Church.

Kate looking beautiful in Jenny Packham and her amazing pair of Jimmy Choo sandals!

Prosecco greeted the guests as they came out of the church...

Back to the villa

Keeping it simple white on the green lawn the stunning marquee greeted all the guests

With Tuscan cigars for the men and white pashminas and bottles of olive oil for the women the setting was set...

A Tuscan feast!

A mix of vintage vases and postcards decorated the guests tables

Whilst some guests enjoyed a game of giant jenga...

Others took the opportunity during cocktails for  40 winks!

The swing band played and after the meal the guests let their hair down at the mojito bar...

The groom and his best man

My team of photographers and vidiographer being boys checking out the equipment...

Parents of the groom having a wonderful time while the rest of the guests danced till 0600!

Italian weddings... Curiosities and superstitions

The Italian wedding planner

Italy has a very long history and with every region maintaining their own traditions there are many to choose from should you wish to incorporate some in to your wedding day in Italy.

The veil

The bridal veil not only hides her from her husband but more importantly protects her from evil spirits.

                        photo by Edoardo

The Groom

The groom carries a bit of iron in his pocket, also to defend against the "evil eye"

                         photo by Marco

Tying the knot

                  Photo by The Italian wedding planner

Bridesmaids and groomsmen

The bridesmaids and groomsmen, present because ancient Roman law once required 10 witnessed at any wedding, dress quite like the bride and groom in order to confuse... you guessed it: jealous evil spirits.

                                                                                  photo by Sim

Walking to the church

If the groom does walk the bride to church, she should leave, right foot first, from her front door, and the community should throw challenges in their path, such as a broom (she should pick it up, proving herself a good housewife) or a crying child (both bride and groom should prove themselves good potential parents by comforting it). If they meet a pig, their luck will be bad, but a black cat will bring good fortune. A funeral bespeaks ill, but sunshine or a rainbow forecasts fortune. The bride and groom might be confronted with a sawhorse, double-handed saw and a log; they must show their true spirit of partnership by sawing the log in half together. (Sometimes this is done between the wedding and the reception.)

                 photo by Joanne Dunn

Wedding favors

Today, the tradition of wedding favours has evolved to  giving thoughtful gifts, but traditionally in Italy each guest would receive five sugar coated almonds (Italian confetti) as a symbol of health, fertility, wealth, joy and long-life.

Why almonds? A Greek legend tells the story of a young man called Demophon, who fell in love with a Tracian princess, Phyllis. Before the marriage ceremony Demophon is informed that his father has died in Athens and he must return for the funeral. He promises to come back by a certain day but cannot return until three months later.

By this time Phyllis is sure that she will never see her lover again and hangs herself. The Gods, touched by her love, transform her into an almond tree. The desperate Demophon offers a sacrifice to the almond tree, declaring his undying love. In response, the almond tree blossoms.

Therefore the almond came to symbolize impetuous

                                              photo by Joanne Dunn

Bridal flowers

In ancient times bouquets were made with herbs and spices, because it was thought that strong smelling herbs would ward off and drive away evil spirits, bad luck and ill health. Garlic and chives were also popular for the same reason. During Victorian times, flowers took on an additional significance, due to the fashion of the flower language.

The Bouquet or Toss Bouquet

The bouquet was considered a symbol of happiness. Today the practice of tossing the bouquet is a derivative of throwing the garter. The single woman who catches the bouquet is believed to be the next to marry.

The night before the wedding

 The bride should wear green for good luck; green has long been the color of fertility!

                                                     christian louboutin

Why the bride stands on the left

Brides stand on the left because in ancient times grooms used to capture their bride by kidnapping her. If the groom had to fight off other men who also wanted the same woman, he would hold his bride-to-be with his left hand and fight with his sword in the right.

                                                Photo by Edoardo  

Days of the week to get married...

Monday for wealth.

Tuesday for health.

Wednesday the best day of all.

Thursday for losses.
Friday for crosses.

Saturday for no luck at all.

Sunday, in ancient times was the best day for getting married because most people were free from work.
Despite this rhyme most couples prefer to marry on Saturday.

Italian wedding feast

 It may consist of more than a dozen courses and was, in ancient Rome, preceded by the breaking of a loaf of barley or wheat bread over the bride's head! (Perhaps this showed who THOUGHT he was the master of the house, but then, there is the famous Italian saying, "La moglie e' la chiave di casa!" (:The wife is the key of the house.") The guests gather up the crumbs for good luck and to help the couple become fertile; the evolved into the gifting of guests with pieces of wedding cake, and some still believe that one who sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under the pillow will dream of his or her future spouse.

                          

                                                    photo by Edoardo

Over the threshold

The groom must carry the bride over the threshold so waiting evil spirits will miss their last chance to capture her.

photo by Edoardo

Beautiful wedding photography in Italy

Photographers...

Almost as important as the wedding itself, quality wedding photographs help your memories last a lifetime. Long after the ceremony is over and as you spend the rest of your lives together, you'll gaze fondly at the pictures taken on your wedding day. You'll want photos to share with friends and family, to display in your home, and to fill your wedding album which you may share with future generations...

Since photographs are such an important and lasting keepsake, you want them handled well. With such an important occasion as your wedding, you cannot afford any slipups, mistakes, or mishaps. Poorly taken wedding photographs are not just a disappointment; they can ruin your chances of revisiting the many beautiful details of your wedding day, long after your memory has begun to fade.

Over the years we have composed a list of wonderful photographers. We like to create a TEAM with solid and trusted partners and all the photographers we recommend have a long and successful relationship with us: we enjoy their friendship as much as we love their photos!

Photo by Sim

Kelly Hayes The Italian Wedding Planner

I have lived and worked in Italy since 2004. I set up the business in June 2005 and have rapidly increased our profile in the wedding industry here in Italy not only by hard work, but mostly by being so passionate about what we do.

I started by thinking about why I wanted to jump off my career path in the UK. And the conclusion I came to was that I had lost the passion for what I was doing.

Then I thought about what made me feel passionate – and I decided that anything to do with people and organising really excited me. Anything to do with weddings appealed to my romantic side and anything to do with Italy makes me happy.

I had seen friends, colleagues and associates rushing around like mad things planning their weddings and not always getting ‘stuff’ done. I heard so many people complaining there just weren’t enough hours in the day. And I also noticed that people getting married in Italy found it a minefield of paperwork on top of the stress of dealing with Italians and their unique quirky ways!

I knew I couldn’t physically make the day longer, make the paperwork go away or make the Italians work faster. But I could offer practical help. Someone to do everything for them, organise things, make things happen; someone who they could trust 100% and who had a passion for getting things right – first time, every time; someone who was not going to put mark up’s on the quotes but who would be honest with them and work to organise their wedding as if it were my own.

With a father who was an executive head chef and mother a florist, I feel as if I have grown up in this business, managing 'on-the-day' is what I have done my whole life. My passion for the designing and planning never dims; add to this, my cheeky side and my outspoken and honest nature...and you can be sure I get the job done with ease and a smile. My team and I excel at it... it gives us a buzz. And so the ideas develop…

We believe every wedding is unique and it is for this reason we do not offer ‘wedding packages’. We help the bride and groom achieve a wedding day that is as unique as they are. 
 

As a wedding planner it is not about my personal style, it is about being able to recognise the style, tastes and wishes of any prospective couple and bring them into being. Consequently my styling may sometimes be very traditional; other times I may style a wedding in a modern and contemporary manner. If I had to sum up my preferred style for a wedding I would say: elegant, simple and timeless.
Italy the perfect backdrop for your wedding all year round...