Wedding Planner in Italy: How to Choose the Right One

It’s one of the biggest decisions behind your biggest moment.

But with so many possibilities, choosing the right wedding planner in Italy can be almost as daunting as planning the wedding itself!

To help you cut through the crap shoots and make the right decision, we’ve put together a brief check-list of qualities you should look for when hiring your Italian wedding planner. 

Work with someone who listens to you

It’s your big day, and it should be all about you and your wishes. But many wedding planners will try to steer you in the direction they want, towards a streamlined process that’s more convenient (and lucrative) for them.

So make sure to find a wedding planner in Italy who really listens to you: someone who’s receptive to what you say and is clearly making an effort to accommodate your wishes.

This person will play a key role in one of the biggest events in your life, so you want someone you trust, who you feel comfortable with and – perhaps most importantly – who’s easy to get in touch with.

A good mix of creativity and practicality

A wedding planner should be creative, passionate and enthusiastic.

So look for a professional who’s up to date on all the latest trends, who can offer cool outside-the-box suggestions, and isn’t afraid to explore any crazy ideas you yourself might have for your fairy tale wedding in Italy.

However, you don’t want someone with their head in the clouds.

This is the person who will have to make sure every last detail is accounted for, coordinating numerous vendors and services: it’s a complicated process that needs to run like clockwork when the big moment arrives.

Therefore, make sure your wedding planner in Italy is also extremely practical, organized, detail-oriented and with a good track record of delivering on promises.

There’s no substitute for experience

The say that “practice makes perfect”. So if you want a perfect Italian wedding, hire a wedding planner who’s had some practice!

You will find that an experienced wedding planner almost seems to know what you want before you can even say it.

They already have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t, and can steer you in the right direction with your decisions.

Besides, this is a country that has a bit of a reputation for inefficiency and organizational fiascos, so make sure you find a wedding planner with excellent problem-solving skills: someone you can trust to quickly resolve any issues that may pop up along the way, including the dreaded last-minute disasters (where’s my cake???) that can make a rookie planner freeze in panic…

Think about it this way: in a business where word gets around quickly, one or two unhappy brides can put your whole career at risk.

So when a wedding planner has been around for a while, it’s a pretty good indication they know what they’re doing.

After all, unless you’re Zsa Zsa Gabor or King Henry VIII, chances are you won’t spend much of your life planning weddings.

But for your big day, you might as well find someone who has!

Find someone who has great connections

The flowers, the colors, the amazing decorations, the breathtaking place settings, the cake that will make everyone’s jaw drop… and also the photo booth, the cocktail bar, the perfect lighting for your first dance…

In your mind, you can practically see it: your dream Italian wedding.

But now you have to execute!

And in order to make things as spectacular as you envision them, a wedding planner must have the right connections.

And LOTS of them! Of course, anyone can talk the talk. So when choosing a wedding planner in Italy, ask to see their full portfolio of venues and vendors, to be sure they aren’t really just working with the same few places or people over and over again. 

Choose a wedding planner who is actually based in Italy

Last but not least, your wedding planner in Italy should be local.

There are many international agencies that offer wedding services all around the world.

This may sound good in theory, but what it really means is more middle men and a more standardized service.

Which, for you, will translate to less control over operations, higher costs, more difficult communication and a more “pre-packaged” wedding experience.

Instead, find a wedding planner who is based in Italy: someone who really knows the area, the venues and the vendors, and who can custom design a truly unique wedding in Italy, tailored around your taste, your wishes and your expectations.