My fiancé and I are planning a civil ceremony somewhere in Tuscany next year. It would only be the two of us.
A wedding planner just quoted me 6000 Euros for a civil ceremony in Florence, including assistance in paperwork, 2 nights in a hotel in Florence, wedding dinner (excluding wine), photography, make-up, hair, flowers, transportation and wedding coordination.
This is much more than what I want to pay but I have no idea about how much these things cost over there. Can anyone give me some idea?
We are getting married in Siena in September, just the two of us, so quite simple.
We have decided to do the planning ourselves, so far everything has gone quite smoothly.
To give you some idea of what things costs, our costs are as follows:
Civil cermony in townhall: 260 Euro Photographer (2 hours): 600 Euro Translator for cermony and registring the papers before cermony at townhall: 120 Euro Witness (2): 50 Euro
Good luck with your planning.
Posts: 16 | Location: Sweden/Netherlands | Registered: 06 May 2004
Best wishes to both of you, it certainly looks as though someone's making a lot of money for "organisation". I have no contacts in Tuscany, however, the membership here very friendly, no doubt someone can help you to organise it yourselves. Have a happy life George S.
Posts: 47 | Location: Francavilla D'Ete, Le Marche, Italy | Registered: 07 March 2004
6000 Euro sounds a bit on the high side. Are you dealing with someone here, or someone based in Tuscany?
Have you done a google search? Maybe try, getting married in Italy, Italy Weddings or something to that effect. I know there are a few organizations that offer that service. I've seen their websites, but do not know about prices. It doesn't hurt to shop around.
I can't remember the exact fee but getting married in Florence is much more expensive than in Siena and it is much more strict as to which days foreigners are allowed to do it. Get some quotes from other wedding planners (Tuscan Touris who I have used before)as well as get a detailed quote (€500 for the hotel, €150 for the dinner, etc. etc.) so you get an idea of what each item is costing. Good luck
Thanks, everyone! I was a bit scared when I saw the price.
I did email a few wedding planners but so far this is the only one that came back with a price, which is broken down into different categories, e.g. 1000 euros for photography, 200 euros for flowers, 1500 euros for coordination,etc. And it is a company based in Italy.
Polarbjorn, I don't know if I could manage to do the planning myself but, if you don't mind, it would be helpful if you can give me some websites you are using to contact the town hall of Siena and your photographer? Also, how could I find witnesses and translators?
But you can contact by email (stcivile@comune.siena.it) or fax +39 0577 292357 in English (neither of us speak Italian). They have been very fast and helpful whenever we have been in contact with them.
When I contacted the town hall in Siena they provided me with a list of translators that work in Siena and what languages they spoke. I asked the translator to arrange to bring along one more friend as a second witness.
Photographers - I found three photographers that work in and around Florence/Siena area. The ones I found were
I am sure there are more but these are the ones I found. All around the same price category.
As for flowers - I hope that I will find some nice florist that can make me a simple bouque when I get there (anyone know of a good florist in Siena?).
Best of luck.
Posts: 16 | Location: Sweden/Netherlands | Registered: 06 May 2004
Ronald and I had our wedding in Sicily, which is cheaper than Florence. However, we had a party for around 90 guests in a fantastic place http://www.principedibelmonte.it/ - the people running it are very nice and the garden and the place absolutely beautiful. So, even if it is Florence 6000euros for two nights just for the two of you sounds quite a bit!
There are expenses like photographer,make-up, flowers, dinner, etc that can really vary depending on what you want. This goes for Italians as well. I will ask some friends if they know of a good contact in Florence for you.
Anyway, for the price they are asking, you could arrange the paperwork directly with the Town Hall before coming and, then, spent two/three weeks in Florence arranging for the flowers, the make up and the photographer for the same price!
Our wedding in Pienza September 2002, civil ceremony, help with paperwork and translation of documents, photographer Stephano Nannucci for before during and after the ceremony black and white photos and ALL the negatives (that NEVER happens in the US),photo album with 60 photos, transportation to the ceremony, flowers, meal with wine, champagne and wedding cake for 7 people at La Buca della Fate in Pienza after the wedding was around $3200 USD. Hair and makeup can get very expensive in Italy, at least a lot more than the US. I had my sisters help me out. The amount of people attending also brings the price up. We found our own accomodations. We used Ben Singleton at Italyweddings and were very pleased. Tante Auguri e Buona Fortuna.
As many pointed out, prices can drop dramatically if you do your homeworks. You will bascially need someone to take care of the technicalities of bureucracy, but since you are not coming along with a bunch of friends, you can do most of the other stuff on your own. If you were planning a big verimony, than the 6,000 euro would be a good price, but wiith the two of you alone it is... Exaggerate! You don't actually need someone to book a hotel for the two of you, you can book by yourself a suite in some multistar hotel for the first night, and a cheaper hotel (or B&B) for the following nights. The aftercerimony meal will basically be for you and your husband; you may invite the witnesses to that meal or invite them for another occasion (they have been kind, after all ^_^). A good meal in some top-end resturant may cost 60-100 euro per person, and since there will be 2-4 of you, you don't need special arrangements, just book ahead of time for the required number of people. If you want a special cake, you can order it from a good pastry shop and have it delivered at the restaurant you have chosen (first talk to the owner and tell him that you are going to have a special cake toat needs to be kept in a fridge etc.: it is common, in such special occasions, to bring a special dessert from "home"). A wedding-like cake for four people may cost 20-30 euro (including delivery, or you my get it from the shop and bring it to the resturant before the marriage). A good hairdresser will have your hair and make-up fixed the morning of the cerimony for 60-80 euro. And consider parading in your wedding dress and bouquet across Florence on foot: it will draw a lot of stares and smiles.
Thanks again! Now I am feeling better because I know that there must be other way out!
I am still waiting for the reply of other wedding planners. I will see what they say.
Actually, I am thinking of a simple ceremony in a Tuscan town, not exactly Florence, although I do not rule that out completely. I do not know why that wedding planner only provides me with a file based on Florence. And I did not ask for accomodation.
Meanwhile I will have a look at all your suggestions/websites/information. They are very useful.
HI Maxi, I lived in venice for about 2 years and met some people that are now my friends that organizwing weddings in italy. you may want to contact them at www.veniceevents.com. the owners, and my friends, are jayne and lindsey. i believe they can help you with tuscany as well. please tell them i said "hello"
While I did not stop searching for options and possibilities, I am still waiting for the wedding planners as well as the town hall of Siena to answer me.
Yes unfortuinately many people forget about business when they go on vacation and this is vacation time here. For the comune of SIena, wait until after the Palio onthe 16th as things will be back to "normal" then. For the planners. Send another email or call.
Clients went to a wedding in Positano several yeas ago, and this was the company the couple had used; note there is a link on this website to requirements for getting married in Italy.
I arranged my daughter’s 2002 wedding in Florence using a wedding planner. She, my daughter, was very happy with the event. I could select which services that we wanted the planner to provide. Keeping in mind that the US$ was stronger, we paid US$1,900 for:. -All document coordination -Photographer -Wedding carriage -Ceremony -Flowers -FABULOUS wedding dinner for 8 in a beautiful palazzo
About the hair dresser, the morning of the wedding, my daughter, who ususlly gets up every morning at 5:30am, over slept and in a panic, ran to her hair appointment without a wallet, ID, money…nothing! They did a beautiful job on her hair and make-up then she couldn’t pay. They said, no problem catch us later. When the wedding and dinner was over, we went back to the salon on the way to our hotel to pay them. They were so tickled that she came back and that they got to see her in her gown. All of the patrons in the salon clapped and had huge smiles; Italians really love weddings don’t they. I really think they had written off the $$.
Posts: 28 | Location: Florida | Registered: 13 June 2002
Sally, thanks for the website. I will have a look. Do you know if your clients were happy with that planner?
CAS, can you tell me which planner you used for your daughter's wedding? I think that the incident of the hairdresser is really something to remember. It has become part of their romantic memories.
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