Wedding Planning Services & Pricing

Yes — and most of my clients do exactly this. Venue tours via video call, mood boards online, vendor introductions via video, digital contracts, and regular check-in calls. I am your eyes and ears in Italy. A pre-wedding site visit is optional — many couples arrive a few days early as their first in-person Italy experience.

12 to 18 months for peak season (May–October). Popular venues and June/September Saturdays can book 2 years ahead. For smaller groups or off-season weddings, 6–9 months can work. Start earlier than you think you need to — your first-choice venue is worth protecting.

Elly Events specializes in celebrations from 25 guests with a starting budget of $50,000. Mid-size weddings (50–80 guests) typically run $70,000–$130,000. Larger celebrations up to 100 guests are planned on request. All figures include venue, catering, flowers, photography, music, and full coordination. I work within your real budget — no upselling.

Italy has costs that often surprise U.S. couples: IVA (VAT) at 10–22%, the mandatory SIAE music fee, official interpreter, municipal permits, overtime charges, transport, tent or rain plan rental, and setup/breakdown fees. I present a full breakdown before you sign anything — zero surprises.

There is no fixed venue fee — the cost depends on how many days or hours the property is exclusively yours, and which events are planned on site. A single-day rental (ceremony + reception) is priced differently from a full buyout covering a welcome dinner, the wedding day, and a morning-after brunch.

Many Italian villas double as boutique hotels or estate residences: your guests can sleep on-site, with room rates typically €150–€400 per room per night, billed separately from the event fee. The venue rental itself ranges roughly from €3,000 to €20,000+ depending on region, size, prestige, and duration. I provide a full line-by-line breakdown before any commitment — nothing bundled, nothing hidden.

Yes — I welcome and fully coordinate external vendors. Budget for their travel and accommodation; verify professional insurance covers international work; check equipment import rules. Work permits may apply in some cases. I integrate all vendors into the master timeline so they arrive ready.

With 14+ years working in Italy, I maintain a trusted network of backup vendors in every category — florists, photographers, caterers, musicians, drivers. If something changes, a solution is ready before you notice there was a problem. I also recommend event cancellation insurance for international weddings.

A wedding planner — my role — manages the entire process from the first call to the last dance: vision, vendor selection, contracts, legal documents, budget control, logistics, and being your advocate throughout. You hire me once and I carry everything.

A coordinator is on-site support staff, typically hired for execution on the day itself. Their job is operational: managing arrivals, cueing ceremony moments, keeping the timeline, directing venue staff and vendors on the ground.

I bring in one or more coordinators as additional staff when the scale or complexity of the wedding requires it. Their fee depends on their specific duties and the number of hours on site — typically €400–€800 per coordinator per day (8–12 hours). For a full wedding weekend with a welcome dinner and wedding day, I plan coordinator coverage separately for each event. This cost is always included in your full budget breakdown before you commit to anything.

U.S. citizens can enter Italy for up to 90 days without a visa. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond travel dates. Guests from other countries should check Italy's entry requirements for their nationality. I prepare a custom guest travel guide covering all entry details and logistics.

I coordinate airport transfers, hotel room blocks, wedding day shuttles, boat transfers (Lake Como, Venice, Amalfi) and accessibility arrangements. Each guest receives a custom Italy guide — travel logistics, local restaurants, sightseeing, and a full day-by-day wedding weekend schedule.

Not at all. I handle all communication in Italian — venues, vendors, officials. The ceremony is conducted in English or bilingual. Many of my couples have guests who speak no Italian whatsoever. They arrive as tourists and leave as people in love with Italy.

May, June, September, and October are the sweet spot — warm, golden light, comfortable temperatures. July–August is spectacular on the Amalfi Coast and Lake Como. Winter weddings (November–March) are growing in popularity: lower costs, no crowds, cinematic atmosphere. Tuscany in November is extraordinary.

Every wedding I plan has a fully documented backup plan — agreed at contract signing, not the week before. Most quality venues have covered terraces, indoor salons, or tent options. You always know exactly what your celebration looks like in either scenario.

Absolutely. Open bar — spirits, cocktails, wine, prosecco, beer — is available at virtually all venues. I specify the exact bar format in your catering contract: aperitivo hour, cocktail service, dinner wines, and late-night bar. Nothing is left ambiguous.

Yes. I coordinate every dietary requirement in advance: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut and dairy allergies, kosher-style, children's menus. Everything is confirmed in writing with the caterer before the final menu is locked — nothing improvised on the day.

Plan on €60–€120 per person (roughly $65–$130), depending on format and venue.

Casual dinner at a local trattoria or agriturismo: €60–€80 per person — 3 courses, house wine, relaxed atmosphere.
Seated dinner on your villa terrace or private restaurant buyout: €90–€120 per person — service staff, wine pairing, light décor included.
Add €15–€25 per person for a cocktail hour before dinner.

The welcome dinner is negotiated as a separate contract from your wedding day catering. Most couples with 40–60 guests budget €4,000–€9,000 total for the evening. I handle both contracts and align them so nothing overlaps or conflicts.

This is one of the things that sets my service apart. I plan the complete experience: welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner, wedding day, morning-after brunch, group tours, transfers, and honeymoon itinerary. Many couples turn the wedding into a 4–7 day Italian experience. If you want every day to feel as special as the wedding itself — I plan all of it.

Yes — Italian venues operate under national and local noise regulations that set limits on outdoor music. The exact curfew depends on the specific venue, its location, and the municipality's current ordinance. Some properties allow music later indoors than outdoors; others have fixed end times tied to their operating permits.

I verify the exact conditions directly with each venue and confirm them in writing before any contract is signed. If a late-night dance floor matters to you, that becomes part of the venue selection criteria from the very first shortlist — not a surprise discovered after you have already fallen in love with a location.

Every shortlist starts with a structured brief: your vision, guest count, preferred regions, accommodation needs, ceremony type, and real budget. I then match these against venues I know from direct working experience — not online listings. Each venue I recommend has been vetted personally for quality, reliability, contract fairness, and the specific combination of what you need. You receive a curated shortlist of 3–5 venues, not a catalog of 50.

The choice is extraordinary: Tuscan farmhouse estates, Amalfi clifftop villas, Lake Como waterfront properties, medieval castles, working wine estates, Baroque palaces, restored monasteries and convents, private island venues, and contemporary luxury hotels with private grounds. The right venue type depends on your vision — intimate garden ceremony or grand estate celebration, rustic and romantic or architectural and dramatic. I help you define the type before we search.

I conduct a live video walkthrough with you, covering every space you would actually use: ceremony area, cocktail terrace, reception salon, bridal suite, guest rooms, and arrival approach. I share floor plans, real wedding photos from events I have attended at that venue, and honest notes on what works well and what requires planning attention. After the walkthrough, I provide a written venue profile so you have everything documented to compare against other shortlisted venues.

The most common issues I find during vetting: the venue lacks overnight accommodation for your full guest count, forcing guests into multiple hotels far from the property. The catering is tied to a single external company with limited menus. The ceremony authorization from the Comune is not in place. Access for elderly guests or delivery vehicles is difficult. Or the contract contains liability clauses that would be unacceptable by U.S. standards. I find these issues before you fall in love with a venue — not after you have signed.

Exclusive use means the entire property — grounds, rooms, and all facilities — is yours and your guests' only for the duration of your event. No other groups, no shared dining rooms, no strangers at the pool. For most destination weddings, exclusive use is strongly recommended: it defines the privacy, the atmosphere, and the flexibility of the day. Some venues offer it only as a full property buyout (all accommodation included); others offer exclusive event use without requiring you to fill every room. I clarify the exact terms and total cost before you commit to anything.

Absolutely — and knowing your region narrows the search immediately. Within Tuscany alone, there are meaningful differences between the Chianti hills, the Val d'Orcia countryside, the Florentine estate belt, and the coastal Maremma: different landscapes, travel distances, costs, and atmosphere. The same applies to Amalfi, Lake Como, Rome, and Sicily. Tell me what drew you to that region and I match you with venues that deliver exactly that.

From initial brief to confirmed booking, typically 3 to 6 weeks. The process: couple brief → shortlist of 3–5 venues with written profiles → live video walkthroughs of 2–3 finalists → contract review and negotiation → deposit and confirmation. The timeline depends on your date flexibility, venue response times, and whether any require in-person municipality authorization. I manage every step and keep you informed at each decision point — no waiting to hear back on your own.

When two venues are comparable on vision and atmosphere, the decision usually comes down to four practical factors: accommodation (can your guests sleep on-site, or will they need transfers?), catering flexibility (preferred vendor or in-house exclusivity?), contract terms (deposit structure, cancellation policy, rain plan), and total cost at your exact guest count. I prepare a side-by-side comparison for both venues and present it clearly. Most couples find the right answer quickly once the emotion is paired with the actual numbers.

To begin the venue research formally, we sign a Preliminary Venue Research Agreement — a short document that defines the scope: I contact up to three venues on your behalf, verify their availability for your dates, request full technical specifications (catering terms, accommodation, permits, rain plan), and deliver confirmed findings to you in writing.

A prepayment is required to activate the service. Within 24 hours of payment confirmation, you receive a structured venue questionnaire — your answers shape every decision from this point forward. This preliminary phase is the most important investment: you learn what is actually available and what it truly costs, before committing to anything further.