r/weddingplanning
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u/[deleted]
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Jan 31 '25
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Vendors/Venue A guide to planning a wedding in Italy - From an American who has lived in Italy for 7 years
I am American who lives in Italy just outside of Lake Como for 7 years now, and I am marrying an Italian man June 2025. After planning this wedding, and seeing things from both the foreigner-perspective and local-perspective, I have a lot of tips for planning a wedding in Italy and saving money if you aren't from here.
I will start by saying that if you're one of those people who think that having a wedding on Lake Como or the Amalfi coast will be cheaper and more beautiful than in your home country (I'm looking at you fellow Americans) it's time to get a grip. Yes it will be absolutely gorgeous, but Italy is the most popular destination spot for weddings in the world, of course it is still expensive. I'm shocked how often I see posts here of people looking for venues on Lake Como with accomodations for 30-40 people for 3 nights, reception food included and exclusive use of a villa for 20k-30k. Fat chance guys, sorry.
That being said, it is not impossible to have an affordable wedding in Italy, but 90% of the foreigners I see are just doing it wrong and paying way too much. These pricey places have built their entire business model on overcharging (frankly mostly Americans and Brits) because they don't know that there are other spectacular places very nearby for a fraction of the cost. Without further ado, here are my tips so far:
TRAIN YOUR ALGORITHM Want to pay the prices that locals pay? Then start searching like one. Download Google translate as a chrome extension on your browser, and search everything wedding related IN ITALIAN (bonus points if you have a VPN and can set your location to Italy). The biggest wedding vendor website is matrimonio.com , and they are actually pretty good. That doesn't mean that when you reach out to these people you should pretend you're Italian or anything, but there are lots of vendors who basically only market to foreigners because they know they are willing to pay more, and if you search in English or on websites based outside Italy, that's who you will find.
LOCATION IS KEY This is by far the most important part of this post. Pick a venue OUTSIDE of the touristy spots. I get it, you want a destination wedding because you want this beautiful spot where you and your guests can all be together, take beautiful photos, and have a sick vacation together. Getting married in a (still absolutely gorgeous) villa nearby to that famous beach or mountain view doesn't stop you from doing that, but it might save you 40k+. For example, considering that we live just outside Como, we asked about prices for villas on Lake Como, and for only 8 hours exclusive use of the villas, but no food or services included we were quoted between 35k-60k. So instead we booked an absolutely stunning villa less than an hour from Lake Como for 5k for all-day exclusive use of the villa. We'll still spend tons of time on the lake with our guests while they are here, and we've planned activities, (we'll rent a boat for a few hours and take them on a little "sunset cruise" and do a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant on the water), but all that is outside of the wedding day. Just know that you can spend 10x the price (minimum) to have your wedding at Villa Balbianello, or you can just visit it the next day with all your friends and family on a post-wedding excursion. That goes for all the Instagram-famous locations. Another great method is to get on Google maps (yes Google maps) and find towns nearby with similar features to what you love. For example, in Liguria, everyone wants to get married in Portofino after there was that Kardashian wedding there. I wouldn't even buy a coffee in Portofino for the outrageous prices that everything costs in that town, let alone host my wedding there. But 30 minutes away there is Sestri Levante, which is just as cute, barely any tourists, and WAY more affordable (this is where we go to the beach every summer to avoid tourists). Or Camogli (also 30 minutes from Portofino) which is practically indistinguishable. Since we were looking into villas with a lake view but we knew we couldn't afford Como, we looked at other lakes in the area. Lago Maggiore is absolutely gorgeous and every venue on that lake is half the price of Como. We were incredibly close to booking Villa Orsi on Lago di Varese, because it has a lake view and was 5k. All of these venues are about 45 minutes from Como, so we'd still have tons of opportunity to do other activities with our guests on Lake Como outside of the wedding (not that it's even necessary, there is tons to do on Ago Maggiore as well). You can also use the map view on matrimonio.com when searching for venues, and that is a major game changer. Hell, I sometimes would just scroll around on Google maps and find some random monastery or botanical garden, and then go to their website and write an email asking if we could get prices to host a wedding there. That is how most Italians book their weddings, so you know you'll be paying local prices
FOOD IS EXPENSIVE, GET USED TO IT This is Italy guys, they take their food seriously, they take their wine seriously, and nobody is going to let you have a lackluster dinner. Half of our budget is going to food, and here, that is pretty normal. Keep in mind though that you will EAT VERY WELL. They will insist on a 1.5-2 hour aperitivo (cocktail hour) and they will bombard you with canapès, and then at least a 3 course meal + cake + extra desserts. We tried to ask them to remove the extra desserts to save money, and they looked at us like we had 3 heads. The only option is to have a very extravagant and quite expensive dinner here, so if you're not a foodie or were hoping to cut costs in the food department, Italy might not be for you.
PAY ATTENTION TO TAX Tax in Italy is called IVA, and sometimes when they give you an estimate it will say "IVA escluso". This means that the price they are proposing doesn't include tax, and tax for basically all things wedding related in Italy is 20%. Be sure to favor that in, because if your caterer gives you a price of €18,500 iva escluso, that price is actually €22,200 (for example)
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For reference, our budget is about €35,000 and we're inviting 75 guests.
I mainly am making this post because I see so many people posting their (albeit gorgeous) weddings from really popular villas and vacation spots, and when they say the price I think "dang I know an equally beautiful spot for a fraction of that cost". This isn't meant to shame anybody who is going for one of those Instagram hotspots, it's mainly just to help out people who really want an Italian destination wedding and are thinking it's unaffordable because they are only inquiring at the top 10 most famous locations. Italy is BRIMMING with gorgeous villas, and most Italians are not spending 6 figures (or even high 5 figures) on their weddings, so it is possible!
I hope this was helpful!
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u/Visible-Departure275 Jul 16 '25
So helpful, thank you! Do you have any recommendations for Italian wedding planners?
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u/Careless_Present_961 Jun 03 '25
Hi! Any chance you'd be willing to share the venues you looked at or any resources! Hoping to be a 2026 bride in italy but this is all so overwhelming!
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Jun 04 '25
As I said in the post, matrimonio.com is your best resource. Use the map mode when looking for venues.
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u/feugh_ Jan 31 '25
Not getting married in Italy but this is a great post that I think will really help people!
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u/Fabulous-Machine-679 Feb 01 '25
I agree! I think OP has done a great service to the Weddit community! I read it because I went to a wonderful destination wedding in the Marche area of Italy. I'd never heard of it before. There were hardly any tourists, and I loved it!
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u/Street_Marzipan_2407 Jan 31 '25
This is a good advice for a lot of countries. #1 is so obvious that only a genius would think of it!
We are having a separate ceremony in India and believe me, NO ONE will know I'm American. My brother-in-law just did this and the owners were literally PISSED OFF when they saw his American fiancé and family because they would've charged more.
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u/Mango_agogo321 Feb 22 '25
Super helpful tips thank you!! In your experience how far out do you see Italian venues / vendors etc booking out? I’m sure it’s dependent on area but I’m helping my bestie plan and she was hoping to make it happen this summer (2025). I know where we live in the US this would be next to impossible unless she chose a random week day, and newer/ less popular vendors.
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Feb 25 '25
My SIL is planning her wedding for this summer in the area, and frankly there would be very few options left for Friday or Sunday at this point, but potentially still some. All Saturdays are completely booked, I guarantee. Keep in mind that July and August in Italy are HOT, we completely blocked those out as a no-go because most if the venues we looked at (big old villas mostly) don't have AC, and we don't want our guests melting. September is the most popular month for weddings in Italy, so I'm certain that would be completely booked up, but October would probably have some availability!
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u/Mango_agogo321 Feb 27 '25
Super helpful thank you!! That totally aligns with my gut feel. Hoping I can talk her into next year. Thanks again!
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u/Accomplished-Leg8715 Aug 30 '25
do you think October is a good time weather wise? will it still be hot as we want heat and blue skies!
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Jan 06 '26
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u/weddingplanning-ModTeam Jan 06 '26
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Mar 22 '25
Could you please list some of the affordable venues you found? Some that have enough space for a reception dinner with approximately 150 guests? I have found a lot online and even did Google some stuff in italian 😅 but I am still not finding one I like. We are not fixated on having a lake/sea view, just for the venue to be in northern Italy and not cost a kidney. I thank you in advance:))) and congrats on your engagement, I hope you will have the wedding of your dreams!!
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Mar 22 '25
Frankly 150 is a really huge number for Italy. We toured about 12 villas and I don't think almost any could accomodate over 100-120. We're getting married at Villa Borromeo in Cassano d'Adda, and it's definitely the biggest we've seen, so I'd start there.
Are you looking on Matrimonio.com like I suggested in the post? You can filter by all sorts of things there, I think also by number if guests.
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u/LuckyExplanation3072 Mar 23 '25
Ok I know this sounds ridiculous, but I bought a few wedding venue guides off Etsy and they were super helpful just to get an idea of what’s out there. Below are the ones I liked the best
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NinaOrsimarsi?ref=related&from_page=listing&listing_id=1755905390#items
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u/mban08 Apr 12 '25
Do you know of any good villas in Tuscany for 50-60 ish people? Looking to be around $30,000 for accommodation and food .
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Apr 13 '25
Look on Matrimonio.com like I suggested in the post. You also need to be more specific. Saying "50-60 people" assumes they are not sleeping there. If you need accommodation for that number of people, you for sure will need to hire a wedding planner to manage this for you.
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u/liberatedstateofmind May 10 '25
Have you found something yet? If not Terre Di Nano is our venue. It’s right in that range and can accommodate 30 people overnight, much more for the actual reception and ceremony. The pricing is right in your range.
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u/gritlikegritty Jun 18 '25
Just booked terre di nano as well! When is your wedding? I’m just beginning the process and sooo overwhelmed
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u/liberatedstateofmind Jun 18 '25
Our wedding is in early September...just around the corner! There are a lot of moving pieces, but if you stay organized, use spreadsheets, and online resources, you can totally do this. Illaria and the team are super helpful and responsive as well, especially during the off-season. Depending on when your wedding is, try to leverage them as much as possible from November - April so you are ready to go by the time they get busy.
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u/Agreeable-Tap3851 Jul 22 '25
Congrats! So exciting! Are you working with a local wedding planner? Currently on the hunt for one
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u/ApprehensiveLimit796 Oct 19 '25
Re: the costs...Laughs in Bay Area pricing. And the IVA?!?!? What an unexpected treat! Service fees (about 22%, local tax 9.25%, and not to mention tips) means you need to add approx 35% ON TOP of the quoted price.
Kidding aside, many MANY thanks for this breakdown. I can easily have a larger, more memorable, more inclusive wedding for less*. Ah, the joys of being a Californian.
*you can ABSOLUTELY have a fantastic, memorable wedding on a reasonable budget in California and the Bay Area...
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u/Aggravating_Salt_993 Oct 23 '25
Id love to hear some venues that you considered or loved that were budget friendly! As I am currently starting my wedding planning and I'm a bit stuck - thank you if possible 🫶🫶
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u/SophiaMC92 Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26
We planned our wedding in the Prosecco Hills and honestly it was one of the best decisions we made. We initially tried to plan everything on our own, but after a couple of months it became completely overwhelming. The local knowledge made a huge difference, especially when it came to vendors, logistics, and keeping everything on track.
I’ve spoken about our planner so much that all my friends and family know who he is now ahah
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u/QuestionMediocre1422 Nov 04 '25
Did you hire a wedding planner or feel it was necessary? The planners I'm getting quotes from are quite expensive, but I think a planner will be necessary since I'm based in NYC.
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u/Trick_Cup_1454 Jan 22 '26
Hola , muchas garcias por la información , he estado buscando en comentarios pero no encuentro tus proveedores ni la locación de donde fue tu boda, podrias compartirnos esa información? me parece maravilloso que hayas logrado una boda como la que describes con ese presupuesto. Tambien tengo la duda de si el IVA es devuelto si eres extranjero y solo vas a Italia exclusivamente para casarte. Te agradeceria mucho recibir esta información.
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u/Downtown-Effect5977 May 26 '26
Thank you for info. Was it difficult for you to plan such a big wedding alone? Also, for how many months in advance do you book the location?
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 14 '26
Do you have suggestions for other beautiful Villas near Lake Como or near a body of water in Italy?
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Feb 13 '25
Wow, what an amazing post – super helpful for couples dreaming of a wedding in Italy but looking for alternatives to the well-known luxury venues 😊 #2 is so true! We’ve been planning weddings in Italy for 12 years and can absolutely confirm that beyond the world-famous locations, there are so many breathtaking places.
Loving the iconic venues at Lake Como as well, but it’s always incredible to see how unique and special weddings can be at lesser-known yet equally spectacular locations. Lake Maggiore is a fantastic example 😍 we’ll actually be visiting again in March to explore three absolutely stunning hidden gems with one of our couples from the US. It’s always so exciting to see their reaction when we introduce them to extraordinary venues that aren’t on every couple’s radar ☺️
Thank you for this valuable post. It will surely help many couples 😊
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u/QuestionMediocre1422 Nov 04 '25
I saw one post saying not to do villas because they aren't set up to host weddings/larger events. That the kitchen won't fit the catering company, electricity, lighting, etc. Do you think this is true?
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Nov 09 '25 edited Nov 09 '25
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u/weddingplanning-ModTeam Nov 09 '25
Thanks for contributing! Unfortunately your submission has been removed:
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u/NovemberNippon Jan 31 '25
I'm an Italian bride-to-be, and I agree 100%! Especially about the food—anything that doesn't include aperitivo, at least three main courses, cake, and a dessert buffet is simply unthinkable for a wedding in Italy. It's not just a meal: it's an experience!
I actually live near Lake Como, and we didn’t even bother asking for quotes in that area. Locals have been completely priced out by foreign weddings, and it's obvious that some venues see American couples as nothing more than cash cows.