How much does a wedding in Italy cost? If you are considering getting married in Italy, you are surely looking for an answer to this question. After so many years working as a wedding planner, here I am to give you a real breakdown of the wedding costs you’ll need to budget in for your dream destination wedding in Italy.
Wedding ceremony in Italy cost
First of all, you need to decide which type of ceremony you want to plan.
It could be a civil wedding at the Town Hall, or a church wedding, or a simple symbolic wedding, with no legal value. Prices for the different wedding ceremonies can be unexpected.
When planning a church wedding ceremony, many couples think the stunning churches in Italy are extremely expensive. In fact, apart from a few special churches, the fee is set by the local Dioceses and can be as low as Euro 270.00, as it happens in Rome, for example, plus an offer for the priest who will officiate the ceremony.
A civil wedding ceremony can be more expensive. The Town Hall’s fee for non-resident is usually fairly high and subject to change without notice. In Rome, for example, this has increased significantly over the last few years, and now starts at Euro 1,392.00.
A symbolic wedding ceremony with no legal value will save you all the paperwork costs and hassle and give you the chance to make the most out of the wedding venue you are also renting for the wedding reception. In this case, the price will depend on the reception venue chosen. And you should then consider the fee for a celebrant, which can be approximately euro 500.00/800.00.
Wedding reception in Italy cost
The main part of the wedding budget will be allocated to the wedding venue and the reception, in particular food and drinks served during the cocktail hour, the dinner and the afterparty.
Rental fees for wedding reception venues can start at euro 1,000 for smaller venues, usually hotels, where you do not have exclusivity of the whole place, but just a section. For villas rented exclusively, you can spend from euro 3,000 up to 20,000/30,000, accommodation excluded.
For food and drinks, including the cocktail hour and served meal with possibly a desserts buffet at the end, do not expect to spend less than euro 150.00/160.00 per person.
Of course, the final cost will depend on the number of guests and type of menu chosen, fish always being more expensive.
The open bar, usually offered after the wedding dinner, can be fairly expensive. This is where costs can really differ, according to my experience. You can expect to spend a flat fee of euro 2,000 for some 80 people, up to double that price, depending on the venue or bar company hired. Some venues, especially hotels, can offer the option to pay on consumption, but that’s not the general rule.
Extra services for a wedding in Italy cost
The main extra services you’ll need for planning your dream destination wedding in Italy would include:
Photographer and Videographer – prices vary based on the professional you’ll choose, length of service and whether or not he/she is locally based. You can consider a starting cost of euro 1,500 for a basic package up to 3,000-4,000 or even more. Picking a locally-based photographer and videographer will save you travel and accommodation expenses, so it might be a very good idea.
Flowers – this service can vary considerably depending on the décor chosen. Asking for the flowers in season, hoping to cut costs will not make much difference. The main cost is the actual manwork, the arrangements rented, and the actual quantity of flowers. A bouquet all roses will certainly cost more than a bouquet with just a few roses and mainly greenery. You can expect to spend euro 4,000-5,000 for a symbolic wedding with 80 guests, including bridal flowers, ceremony arrangements and reception florals.
Transportation – if you want to travel in style, pick a vintage car and consider euro 500,00 as a starting cost for a Beetle, for example. Alternatively, you could opt for a simpler, yet classy Mercedes for some euro 400.00. Being a destination wedding, you’ll definitely need to consider transportation for the guests, unless the wedding venue also offers accommodation for all the guests. If the wedding venue can easily be reached by taxis or uber, you could simply plan transportation for the guests back to their hotels after the wedding. If the wedding ceremony and wedding reception are taking place at two different venues, you should ideally plan transportation between these two locations. In some cases, you’ll be able to rent large 50-seaters which are more convenient, and spend some euro 500.00 one way. Late night service will cost approx. 20% more.
Beauty services – HMUAs charge an average of euro 600.00 for bridal hair and make-up (some including trial, some charging extra for that), and euro 200.00 for each guest.
Music – so many options here! For the wedding ceremony, you could opt for a single instrument (euro 600.00) or a string trio (euro 1,500). For the wedding reception, you could hire a DJ for the whole day (euro 1,000) or live musicians, with bands applying very different costs (from euro 2,000 at least). In Italy, you should also consider the tax applied by SIAE (Italian copyright collecting agency) which varies depending on the type of music played and number of guests (budget some euro 400.00 for this).
There are some other extras you might want to consider, such as stationery, lights and audio system, fun activities for the guests during the wedding (a live painter, a photobooth, etc.). Don’t forget to allocate part of the budget to these services as well.
In the end, how much does a wedding in Italy cost? All in all, you should consider euro 500.00/1,000.00 per guest, depending on the type of wedding and geographical area in Italy.
A wedding planner like Dolce Vita Weddings, who’s been in the wedding business for a long time, will prove fundamental in helping you pick the most appropriate venue and the most reliable suppliers, offering a good quality-price ratio for your destination wedding in Italy. So drop me a line and let’s make the most out of your wedding budget.