Tvoi Event
A wedding in Tuscany is rarely put together in a couple of months: the best venues and vendors are taken early in the season, and some formalities simply take time. For a wedding with a full guest list, about a year is a sensible horizon, while a small ceremony can be organised much faster. Below is a plan counted back from the wedding date. It shows which decisions come first and which can safely wait. The timings are approximate and depend on the season, the number of guests and the venue, so check each stage against your own date. If you have less than a year, the order stays the same and some stages simply overlap.
12 to 10 months ahead: date, region and venue
Start with three decisions that shape everything else: the approximate guest list, the season and the type of ceremony. Only then does it make sense to choose a region: Chianti and Val d'Orcia suit a countryside wedding among the hills, Florence and Lucca a city wedding, Versilia a wedding by the sea. Decide early whether you want a legally binding ceremony or a symbolic one, because the paperwork depends on it. Then draw up a short list of venues and see them in person, ideally in the season you have in mind. Ask about capacity for the ceremony and for the dinner, an indoor space in case of rain, rules on music and finishing times, and whether guests can stay nearby. A venue is secured in writing: until there is a contract, the date is not yours.
9 to 7 months ahead: vendors and a heads-up for guests
Once the venue and date are fixed, book the people whose diaries fill up first: photographer and videographer, musicians or DJ, a host, the florist, and catering if it is not part of the venue's terms. In high season the best professionals take their Saturdays long in advance, so postponing this stage is a risk. At the same time, send guests a save-the-date, especially those flying in from abroad who will buy tickets early. Shortlist a few hotels and villas for accommodation and find out right away whether guests will need transfers. For a small wedding these steps are simpler, but the order is the same: first the things that cannot be replaced at the last minute.
6 to 4 months ahead: menu, look, styling and documents
This is the time for the menu tasting and for agreeing the concept: colour palette, seating, the style of the ceremony and dinner. A good menu relies on seasonal produce, so hold the tasting in the same season or discuss substitutions in advance. The dress, the suit, a make-up and hair trial also belong to this period, allowing time for fittings and alterations. If the wedding is a legal one, now is when to ask the comune and your consulate for the exact list of documents. Papers issued abroad usually need an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation, and that takes time. The exact list depends on citizenship, so rely only on what the official bodies tell you.
3 to 2 months ahead: invitations, programme and logistics
Invitations with the details (place, time, dress code, how to get there, where to stay) go out about three months ahead, with a reply date that leaves a margin. Draft the programme of the day with timings, agree it with the venue and the vendors, and work out the seating and any dietary requests, keeping children and older relatives in mind. Settle the travel questions separately: pickup at Florence or Pisa airport, shuttles between hotels and the venue, the return at night. This is the most underestimated part of a countryside wedding: taxis are hard to find in rural areas in the evening, and without transport booked in advance guests are left without a way back. Give guests one clear information sheet with the timetable.
The last month: confirmations and a rain plan
A month ahead, check the final guest count and confirm with every vendor the arrival time, the unloading point and an on-site contact. Run through the ceremony and agree who does what on the day. The final seating plan and menu, with allergies and special requests, go to the venue in writing. Also agree the plan for rain or heat: where the ceremony will take place, who makes the call and by what hour. For an outdoor venue the decision is usually taken on the morning before or on the day itself, so the people carrying it out must have everyone's contacts. Check any permits for music, fireworks and late finishes as well, since they depend on the municipality and the venue's rules.
The wedding week and the day after
In the final week nothing significant should change. Check the weather forecast, hand the rings, documents and accessories to one responsible person, and leave a margin for each step of the morning: hair, make-up, getting ready, the photo session. One person should run the day and talk to the vendors, so that the couple do not have to. After the wedding a few tasks remain: return anything rented, receive the photos and video within the agreed time, pay the final invoices and, for a legal ceremony, collect the marriage certificate and, if needed, legalise it for use at home. It is better to think about this beforehand, so you do not hunt for the right papers after you have left Italy.
Planning checklist
- Fix the date or season, the guest count and the type of ceremony
- Choose a region and secure the venue in writing
- Book the photographer, musicians, host and florist
- Send guests a save-the-date and shortlist accommodation
- Hold the menu tasting and approve the styling concept
- Ask the comune and the consulate for the list of documents
- Draft the day's programme, the seating plan and guest transfers
- Agree the rain plan and name who makes the decision
Let us build a plan around your date
Write to us through the request form or on WhatsApp with an approximate date and guest count. One coordinator will lead you from the first call to the last guest, and you receive a fixed written estimate before preparation starts.