3 Pro Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding in Italy

Written By Melanie Tindell

Do you have your heart set on a romantic destination wedding in Italy? It’s an absolutely gorgeous country with lots to offer for couples who want to invite their guests and tie the knot on the coast, in a vineyard, at a historic villa, or in the city. 

Italy has it all! And while it’s wonderful to have options, it can also make figuring out what you want a bit challenging. 

At Oak & Honey, we’ve planned a couple of destination weddings in Italy, so we know what it takes to pull off your perfect big day. Today we’re sharing our 3 best tips to help you make the planning process a little easier!

Location, location, location


Our first tip: Research the area where you want to host your wedding 

Where you choose to host your Italian destination wedding is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Unless you’re intimately familiar with the area, we recommend starting with some serious research to make sure you understand the customs, regulations, and available options. 

Don’t just assume that you can get married in a beautiful, historic church. Do your research and find out what’s required first. 

This step will save you from being disappointed and will also inspire new ideas or possibilities you never even thought of!

When you work with an experienced destination wedding planner like Oak & Honey, we can help with the research step, ensuring you don’t run into any snafus or unexpected roadblocks in the planning process. 

How many people will you invite to your destination wedding in Italy?

Our second pro tip: Figure out the guest list size as soon as possible.

Will you have an intimate destination wedding with only a few close friends and family or are you inviting 200 to join you for your big day? 

There’s no right answer – it’s your wedding day! – but the size of the guest list will determine the venue you choose. 

When thinking of numbers, it’s also best to keep general invitation stats in mind. For a regular wedding, we plan on 60-75% of guests to accept the invitation and attend. 

But for a destination wedding, that number drops to around 50-70%. These are just general stats, so your numbers may look different based on how many people you invite and how excited your guests are to visit Italy! 


The Italian destination wedding experience

Pro tip number three: Determine the experience you want to offer guests.

Do you want to plan and execute an entire week of sight-seeing and events for guests in the week leading up to your wedding or focus on entertaining everyone for a day or two before your big day? 

Once you know the type of experience you want to create for guests, as well as what you want to pay for or have guests pay for themselves, you can start making an itinerary that aligns with your expectations. 

There are so many incredible things to do and see across Italy! You can still infuse you and your partner’s interests and personalities in the things you choose. 

Do you love watching F1? Maybe you can visit a Ferrari test track!

Is cooking your favorite hobby? Arrange an Italian cooking class for everyone! 

Your destination wedding should still reflect you as a couple, just as a traditional wedding would. 

Want help planning your destination wedding in Italy?

We’re pros at Italian weddings! At Oak & Honey, we’re all about taking the stress of wedding planning off your shoulders so you can enjoy the process and be fully present for your dream wedding.

If Italy is your dream destination, we can help you choose the right location, find the perfect venue, and take care of the overseas planning and details. 

Reach out and let us know if you’re dreaming of an Italian destination wedding. We’d love to help! 

Melanie Tindell
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