Budget Breakdown: Ravello, Italy
Italy Coast Wedding Recap - October 2024
Hi Ladies!
I wanted to share some details from my wedding in Italy this past October. A year ago, we decided on a destination wedding. Being well-traveled and nature lovers, we were very particular about the landscape we wanted for our big day. We aimed for a location that offered vacation options for guests and was relatively accessible. Early on, our planners sent us various venue options from Sorrento to Amalfi, and we ultimately chose Ravello for its stunning coastline views and unique architecture. I’ll share some detail photos below, but here are some tips & tricks we learned along the way:
- We opted for a full wedding planner, which cost us about the same as partial planning on the East Coast. It was worth every penny since we gained access to their network of vendors. Although this sometimes limited our options, I didn’t want the added stress of vetting vendors in another country.
- Planning in Europe moves at a different pace. We contracted our planners a year in advance, and they essentially went silent over the summer (peak wedding season in Italy). Things may happen more slowly, but everything still got done, and it turned out beautifully.
- We loved our planners, but I’d recommend interviewing yours to ensure your visions align. I shared a color palette and completed a detailed flower design survey, though we never saw mood boards or sample bouquets. Despite that, the flowers turned out beautifully, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the bouquets for the first time!
- You may not need to tip in Europe, but remember that VAT can add 15-25% to your budget, depending on the EU country. And don’t forget the currency conversion when budgeting!
- We flew in our photographer and HMUA, as we felt more comfortable with someone we knew.
- Another reason we chose Europe was that we felt the quality of what we received for the euro was higher than what we’d get for the dollar in the U.S. This is relative, and you can certainly have a beautiful U.S. wedding, but for us, the value felt greater overseas.
With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of our biggest expenses and what we got for each:
Welcome Dinner: $7,000 - Pizza party with five pizza selections served family-style and one dessert. We covered all drinks at cost. + $350 on Italian Millefoglie.
Wedding Day: $78,000(USD), 40 guests ~ $1,950/pp
Venue Fees: $37,000 - Food & Beverage, Venue Fees, Lodging.
Photographer: $16,000 - 2 Photographers, Travel Fees, and 10 hours of coverage.
Florals: $10,900 - 1 Broken Arch, 6 aisle arrangements, 2 pedestals, mono flower + tealight @ aperitif tables, 15m arrangement for reception, 2m arrangement for sweetheart table, 1 Bridal bouquet, 5 bridesmaids bouquets, 5 boutonnieres, 2 wrist corsages.
Planner: $8,500
Additional Rentals: $3500
Musicians: $2,700 - 3 hours of live music for Ceremony + Apertif
Transportation: We did not cover transportation for guests but a 7 person van would be about $310 one way for anyone who is curious!
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Misc Costs not included in Wedding Event Budget: $10,000 - Dress, rings, etcetc.
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Regrets: I'd like to preface this with the fact that if I did it over again, I wouldn't have changed a thing - BUT I've seen some people mentioning that you should get the videographer.. well.. *get the videographer!* I do wish we would've done a photographer + videographer combo, the next day everything feels like a dream and videos or short clips make it feel real again and help provide closure to the emptiness caused by the extreme lack of stress from wedding planning. Luckily, a dear friend captured some high-quality, candid video clips, and I ended up creating a fantastic homemade reel that I’m truly happy with!
Ravello Disclaimers:
- As I was reminded by a fellow attendee - NOTE: Ravello has a colony of cats that are protected by the town. They freely roam the city, so if you have a deathly cat allergy perhaps reconsider the location. Otherwise they're all friendly and you can pet them and they're really cute. We had a momma cat + 3 babies watching our first dance!
- There are two ways to drive up to Ravello from Naples: from behind the mountains and up or along the coast. As pretty as along the coast sounds, the winding roads and the steep elevation gain are a recipe for light headedness. The former method is still pretty nauseating but not as bad as the latter. Some of our guests got a bit of altitude sickness/dizziness, so bring medication and lots of water!
Overall, we were more hands-off than I expected, which worked out great for us. Planning involvement varies, but this was our approach, and it suited us perfectly. I’m happy to answer questions or provide insight to anyone considering a wedding along the Amalfi Coast!
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Detail Photos
