On planning a Wedding in Italy From Australia…

Italy is one of those places people tend to have a very clear idea about before they've even booked a flight.

A long table somewhere overlooking the countryside. Dinner outside. Plenty of wine. Old buildings, good food and a wedding that somehow feels more relaxed than anything you could create at home.

And while I understand the appeal, planning a destination wedding in Italy is also exactly that: planning a wedding.

There are suppliers to coordinate, decisions to make, timelines to manage and people spread across different locations and time zones.

The location might be Italy, but the planning still needs to be practical.

One of the most valuable things I've learnt through planning destination weddings is that distance changes the way you work, but it doesn't have to make the process more complicated.

It just requires trust, communication and the right people around you.

You don't need everyone to be in the same place

One of the weddings that reinforced this for me was Hannah and Kial's celebration at Villa Mon Repos in Taormina, Sicily.

Hannah and Kial were living in London, while I was planning and coordinating much of the wedding from Melbourne.

We also worked alongside another planner based in London, while their wedding team included suppliers based across multiple locations.

Their photographer travelled from Ibiza.

Their florist was local to Taormina.

Entertainment included an Australian DJ and saxophonist.

Other suppliers were recommended locally by the venue.

On paper, it's quite a logistical mix.

In reality, it worked because everyone understood their role and communication was clear.

I think this is an important point for couples planning a wedding in Italy from Australia: your suppliers don't all need to come from the same city, or even the same country.

What matters is building a team you trust.

Trust becomes one of the most important parts of destination wedding planning

When you're planning a wedding locally, it's easy to visit suppliers, meet in person and see things for yourself.

Planning internationally requires a different mindset.

You won't always be able to visit your florist three times.

You may not meet every supplier before the wedding.

You may need to make decisions based on recommendations, previous work, conversations and professional judgement.

That's why choosing the right suppliers is so important.

For Hannah and Kial's wedding, we worked with a local florist and provided comprehensive style guides to communicate the overall direction of the wedding.

The florist understood the location better than anyone. They knew what was available locally, what would work in the climate and how to create something appropriate for the property.

Our role wasn't to dictate every stem.

It was to provide enough direction that the florist understood the overall look and feeling, while trusting them to do what they do best.

I think this is where couples sometimes get destination wedding planning wrong.

They assume that because they're spending money on a planner or suppliers, they need to control every detail.

In my experience, the best results often come from giving experienced people a clear brief and then trusting them.

A clear vision matters even more when you're working remotely

When you're planning a wedding from another country, you need a way of communicating ideas clearly.

For me, that's where detailed style guides become particularly valuable.

A Pinterest board is a starting point.

A proper design document gives context.

It can communicate the colour palette, materials, references, table styling, floral direction, stationery, furniture and overall atmosphere of the wedding.

More importantly, it gives every supplier a shared point of reference.

For a destination wedding, this becomes essential.

Your photographer should understand the priorities of the day.

Your florist should understand the overall design direction.

Your venue should understand how spaces will be used.

Your planner and coordinators should be working from the same schedule.

The more clearly the vision is communicated in advance, the less you need to explain on the day.

Work with local knowledge rather than against it

One of the advantages of getting married in Italy is that local suppliers understand their environment in a way you never will from overseas.

They know the roads.

They understand local weather patterns.

They know which products are readily available.

They understand how venues operate and which suppliers work well together.

That knowledge is valuable.

When planning a destination wedding, I don't think the goal should be to recreate a Melbourne wedding in Italy.

The location should be part of the celebration.

That doesn't mean every wedding in Italy needs to look traditionally Italian.

It simply means being open to the things the location can offer.

The architecture.

The food.

The landscape.

The local suppliers.

The way people gather.

Some of the best destination weddings I've seen are the ones that have a clear personal identity while still feeling connected to where they're being held.

Recommendations are incredibly valuable

When you're planning from overseas, good recommendations can save a huge amount of time.

Your venue is often one of the best starting points.

They understand which suppliers know the property, who has worked there previously and what is realistically possible.

That doesn't mean you have to use every recommended supplier.

But it gives you a starting point.

For Hannah and Kial's wedding at Villa Mon Repos, local recommendations from the venue helped build part of the supplier team.

Combined with suppliers the couple and planning team had sourced independently, it created a team with both local knowledge and an international perspective.

That's often the balance I look for.

Communication matters more than geography

Time zones can be inconvenient.

Language differences can occasionally slow things down.

Suppliers may have different ways of working.

But none of these things need to become problems if communication is managed properly.

For destination weddings, I think it's particularly important to establish clear responsibilities early.

Who is managing the venue?

Who is communicating with the florist?

Who is responsible for the timeline?

Who is managing guest information?

Who is onsite in the lead-up to the wedding?

Who is making decisions if something changes?

When everyone understands their role, the planning process becomes much easier.

You need to be comfortable letting go of a little control

This is probably one of the biggest lessons I would share with anyone planning a destination wedding in Italy.

You can't personally inspect everything.

And you don't need to.

At a certain point, you have to trust the team you've chosen.

That trust should be earned, of course.

Choose experienced suppliers.

Ask questions.

Review their work.

Communicate your priorities.

But once you've done that, allow people to do their jobs.

A local florist shouldn't need to be sent a photograph of every arrangement from Australia.

A photographer doesn't need to be micromanaged through a shot list.

A good planner doesn't need every decision approved in the middle of the wedding day.

Trust allows experienced people to respond to the reality in front of them.

And with destination weddings especially, that flexibility is invaluable.

The location doesn't make the wedding

Italy is extraordinary.

Taormina is extraordinary.

But a beautiful destination alone doesn't create a great wedding.

The things that make a wedding memorable are largely the same wherever you are.

Good people.

Good food.

Thoughtful planning.

A team that works well together.

Enough time for everyone to actually enjoy themselves.

Planning a wedding in Italy from Australia—or from anywhere else in the world—is absolutely achievable.

Hannah and Kial's wedding involved a couple living in London, planning support from Melbourne, another planner in London, a photographer from Ibiza, local suppliers in Sicily and entertainment travelling from Australia.

It sounds complicated when you list it all out.

On the day, it simply felt like a wedding.

And I think that's the goal.

The planning can be complex behind the scenes.

The experience doesn't need to feel that way.

That's what good planning is there for.