Being a destination wedding planner in Rome. Why choosing this career, my 20-year journey in the wedding industry and what I could do for you exactly to help you plan your dream destination wedding in Rome.
Why becoming a destination wedding planner in Rome
I created Dolce Vita Weddings back in 2005 and from the very start, I decided I would only plan destination weddings of foreign couples wishing to get married in Rome.
I felt I could be more useful working for couples living abroad, rather than Italians. Moreover, the job was perfectly consistent with my passion for foreign languages, particularly English, and the experience gained studying and working abroad in the UK and the US. My knowledge of Rome, my hometown, and my natural self-organising and planning attitude made the rest, turning me into a truly specialised wedding planner.
My 20-year journey as a destination wedding planner
I have since then planned countless destination weddings in Rome, dealing with couples from all over the world, including the US and the UK, but also Ireland, Australia, Lebanon, the Philippines,
Dubai, Canada, Hong Kong and more! And what fun and honour being a destination wedding planner has been indeed! I’ve gained so much experience, learning something new from every couple, at each wedding, whether be it an elopement or a large-scale event with 100 and more guests.
And over the years, I was able to create crucial connections, with venues, churches and vendors. I believe my main secret for being an appreciated wedding planner is always trying to be kind, precise, straightforward and humble. I like to “tiptoe” into churches and venues, respecting their rules and following their suggestions. I talk to vendors, listening to their advice, collaborating rather than imposing my ideas. This has all been appreciated over the years, so that churches, venues and vendors started to recommend me as a destination wedding planner to foreign couples and are always pleased to work with me. There’s no greater joy than that! And when everyone works in harmony… well, that’s the key to creating a seamless wedding day.
Helping you plan your destination wedding in Rome
I do not offer pre-made packages, but I prefer using a personal approach. I will be your wedding planner; you won’t be passed to an assistant, because the direct contact with the couples is everything to me. That’s why I only take a few weddings a year. We’ll plan your wedding together, whether you want a colorful wedding or an all-white wedding, the event will be tailor-made just for you, with the priceless help of trustworthy vendors (catering company, florists, HMUAs, etc.) I’ve been working with for years, who are amazing at their job, but are also lovely people. I do have assistants on the wedding day, but I will be with you on the day, to see all the emails and chats we exchanged over months come to life. I’m a very straightforward person. I’ll share with you an idea of the real wedding budget based on past weddings which you should consider for your dream destination wedding in Rome. I won’t promise you the moon with an unrealistic budget and then come up with tons of additional costs throughout the planning,
Wedding planning services offered
So what would I do exactly for you as your destination wedding planner in Rome and how will the actual planning unfold?
When you contact me, I’ll send you an email including a personal quote depending on type of wedding planned (symbolic, religious, civil), number of guests and type of venue desired. This will help you understand whether the budget you have in mind would be feasible to plan your dream wedding in Rome. A totally free consultation videochat (WhatsApp, Zoom, GoogleMeets) could then follow to help you determine whether I could be the right planner for you. Should you be interested in confirming my services, I would send you a detailed contract including the planning services offered and payment details.
We’ll start picking the ceremony venue (civil wedding site, church or symbolic ceremony venue) and the reception venue. I’ll make suggestions based on the type of wedding you want to plan and budget. I’ll check availabilities with the venues and option them for you, so as to give you the time to consider all the details and then confirm the booking with your preferred venue, signing a contract directly with the venue.
I’ll offer assistance with paperwork in the case of a civil or church wedding, also sharing a detailed list of documents needed. I’ll also provide an officiant for the ceremony, whenever necessary (in the case of church weddings, you could also bring your own priest; for symbolic ceremonies, a family member or a friend could perform the ceremony).
We’ll then discuss and book the various services and vendors (flowers, photos, video, hair and make-up, transportation, music, stationery, etc.) starting with the most urgent, the ones that get booked up fairly quickly, namely the photographer/videographer and the HMUA. Pls note that for some specific services, I will ask you to trust me and use my vendors, as they are fundamental for a smooth planning and a successful event (in particular: catering, florist, transportation, lights and audio, furniture rental); for some other services, I’ll be happy to make suggestions hoping you’ll trust my expertise and take advantage of it, but you are free to hire your preferred vendors (in particular: photographer, videographer, HMUA).
I’ll prepare a budget spreadsheet constantly updated and shared during the whole planning to keep track of all the costs, payments and balances due. I’ll also prepare the wedding day timeline I’ll share with the vendors, as well as the wedding day programme I’ll share with you before you arrive in Rome, so that once here, everything will be ready and you’ll just need to relax and have fun.
Some couples are not able to come over a few months prior to the wedding, so everything is done via email and calls. But should be able to take some time off and visit, I would be more than happy to meet you in Rome and arrange a site inspection to the reception venue, a menu tasting and meetings with the vendors.
This will all lead to the big day! I’ll offer full coordination on the wedding day and I’ll be with your from the very start to coordinate everything and make sure everything runs smoothly with the help of invaluable assistant/s depending on the size of the wedding.
You can read an even more detailed list of services I offer as a destination wedding planner on the page “About – Services offered“. And don’t forget to read my “Kind Words” section and let the couples I’ve helped over the years speak for me.
And if you think I could I be the right destination wedding planner in Rome for you, drop me a line and let’s have a chat! We could create something amazing together, a day to remember, all about love and fun with your dearest ones.