Getting married in Tuscany, Italy

Where do I start when planning a destination wedding in Tuscany?

It is no secret that starting to plan a destination wedding can be quite daunting. We wouldn't be surprised if a good number of couples were thinking "ok well, now that we have decided to get married abroad, where do we even start from?".

We had a wonderful chat with our dear friend and wedding planner Claudia at CG wedding and event designer based in Florence, Tuscany. She is going to give us a little insight on the first steps to take when starting to plan a wedding in Tuscany. In the article you will also find a mini guide to choosing a wedding planner.

We also added some extra info that we gathered through the years, we really hope this will be helpful to most of you! Anything else you need, just drop us an email, a message or give us a call. Find all our contact details HERE.

So here are the first five steps to take when you start planning a wedding in Tuscany.

1) PICK YOUR DESTINATION:

"Where do I want to get married?"

Claudia: - "When you choose to get married abroad, it is of paramount importance that you are willing to make a truly new and authentic experience and that you are willing to get married according to the culture of the country you set your heart onto" says Claudia.

"If you come to Italy and most of all to Tuscany, it means that you are in love with its unique culinary gems, you want to let yourself be surprised by the beauty of its nature, by its astounding art and history".

"Getting married abroad is above all, a great adventure!" - continues Claudia, "If this is truly your dream, then start asking yourselves: which would be the destination that best suits us as people and as a couple? Once you have the answer to this question, you can start planning your dream day!"

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2) START PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR GUEST LISTS

Once you have chosen the destination of your dreams, it is time you start putting together your guest list, or at least, a first draft.

When you start writing the list of names, think about who has had an important role in your life, who you really cannot give up on having on your day, who would simply make you the happiest person if they were sharing this day with you.

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3) THINK ABOUT HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER:

• Who, When, What and How

Claudia: - "When you get in touch with a wedding planner, the first thing you should do is introduce yourselves. It is always nice knowing a little bit of your background stories, it helps give us a first glimpse of your personalities.

When first contacting a wedding planner, you should also give at least a general idea of the period in which you would like to get married. I always advise not to get too obsessed with a specific day, the more flexible you are, the easier it is to find the perfect combination for your day.

If you can, add some extra info: number of guests (roughly), kind of ceremony you are envisioning, kind of service you are expecting from the planner".

• How do I choose the right wedding planner for me?

Claudia: - "First and most important tip, TRUST YOUR FEELING!

After you have done your research on the socials, on the web, on wedding blogs, now it is time to find the PERSON that you will trust with your wedding day. Most of the time, the relationship I have with my couples lasts more than a year and this is why it is so important to click with your planner. Pick up the phone and talk to them, it is the best way to see if you are good for each other. Nowadays there are many ways to meet even when you live on the other side of the planet, so make sure to set up a Skype call or a video call and start chatting about your vision and your dream!"

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4) HAVE A WEDDING WEBSITE

When it comes to planning a destination wedding, being able to convey all the key information (and more) to the guests it's very important. Remember that your guests will have to travel too, they will embark on a journey to be able to share a joyful and important moment with you, so a good gift you can get them, is being clear with all the info related to your day and more.

Advise them on the potential flights they can get and airports they can use. Give them a list of places in which they can stay, let them know the area, the history of the country you chose for your day, where and what they can eat, what they can visit, which activities would be nice to do. Make them even more excited about the idea of coming to your wedding! Make them live an amazing experience even on the extra days they will spend abroad!

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Let them know more about you and your stories, remember not all of them have been knowing you since the beginning, let them know how you met and share a bit of yourselves. Chances are that you won't know every single person of your better half's family and this is definitely a nice way to start bonding.

A wedding website allows you to keep all the relevant information in one place and it is extremely easy and fast to share it with whoever you need to.

5) PLAN FUN THINGS FOR YOUR GUESTS WHEN THEY ARRIVE

There are so many fun activities that you can organise for your guests. When you decide to get married in Tuscany, you can organise, for example, a wine tasting in one of the gorgeous Tuscan cantines. Or, how about a tour in one of the many historic cities in Tuscany, like Siena, Florence, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Volterra? Quite frankly, all the Tuscan cities are definitely worth a trip, or two! Or, if you are all up to learning new skills, how about booking for your guests a nice pizza making lesson? The options are really infinite!

EXTRA TIP FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Make your destination double as your honeymoon location! Well, it wouldn't be a destination wedding if it didn't take place in one gorgeous location, right? Then why not plan your honeymoon there too? Being wedding photographers based in Florence, we can assure you that Italy has EVERYTHING to offer!

You love the mountains? Well, up in the north you have the Alps and one of the best sceneries in Europe you can think of! - READ OUR GUIDE TO PLAN AN ELOPEMENTS IN THE ITALIAN ALPS -

Love the seaside? Well, it is impossible to choose the best and most beautiful region on the seaside, they are all uniquely gorgeous. If you ask us, we are amongst the biggest fans of Sicily, but then again, we wouldn't be able to choose ourselves!!

Love food? Wine? Culture? History? I don't think Italy needs much of an introduction when it comes to all this.

So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your day and remember, it will mostly be an incredible journey and discovery of your most favourite country!

Good luck and best wishes with your adventure,

Benni & Carol xx

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Benni & Carol's planning resources: A comprehensive guide to planning a wedding in Italy

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