What makes a good Italian wedding venue?
Most people walk in to wedding planning having never had to pick a venue before… And it’s easy to get swept away by gorgeous photos of other weddings, some lovely lighting and an elegant banquet table but of course there’s much, much more you should be looking for when you’re picking a wedding venue, in another country that will host one of the most important days of your life. Quite frankly, it’s got to be perfect. And everyone’s idea of perfect is different.
Not every venue is fit for weddings. A venue may look great, or hit a budget you’re looking for but if it doesn’t have the right infrastructure, or experience of hosting weddings, it can cause things to be overlooked, additional costs added on throughout planning and of course less than that ideal, seamless day you’ve imagined.
There are obviously endless venues out there and you could spend you life finding new ones (believe us, we do!) and while there are many hidden gems. Most of the venues that are popular are so because they have this said infrastructure and wedding experience that means things flow as they should and everything is very well taken care of. This means however that there locations often come with a higher price tag.
There must be something in the middle I hear you cry and of course, there are many great wedding venues that are relatively unknown and require some digging and investigating. Our number one tip is to get a really solid spreadsheet going that has all of your key criteria, weighted in priority order and allows you rate each venue against each area (did you expect any less from us?!). Alongside this should be a set list of questions that you ask each venue, to ensure they have that experience / knowledge and set up to host your wedding.
The criteria we’d always suggest starting with is:
Location - proximity to airport, a town, ease of guests transport
Accommodation - number of beds, quality of accommodation
Services - does the location offer services such as breakfast, or have a restaurant? Is this important to you?
Price - does the price fit within your budget, or that of your guests accommodation budget? What are all the costs you need to know upfront?
Spaces available - are there unique and interesting spaces for each part of the wedding day and can the day flow in a cohesive way?
Wow factor - does it have the views you want, the specific courtyard you’ve envisioned
Supplier choice - does the venue allow you to bring in who you want to use? If they use their own suppliers, are these to your standard and your budget?
Flexible owners - the type that have a few rules because they have knowledge and experience of weddings and want to keep you safe, but allow you to do what you want to create your own personal wedding (what are the rules?!)
A nice place for you to get ready on your wedding day, full of light and enough space for you and your bridal party
If you’re lucky enough to visit your wedding venue shortlist, you’ll get a vibe and know whether it’s the place for you. Before that step, aim to shortlist just your top picks (3-4 venues max) and visit only those so that you can really hone in on the detail of each place, rather than seeing too many and getting overwhelmed with info.
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