Floral designers for destination weddings in Italy

How to choose a floral designer when you marry far from home

If you are planning a destination wedding, you choose the place first: a lake, a hillside villa, a masseria (a fortified farmhouse in Puglia), a terrace above the sea. The floral designer comes second, and needs to know that place. So start from the area and look for people who really work there, with photos of weddings at that venue or similar ones. The destination pages, such as those for Lake Como, Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast, are the most useful starting point.

Then check three things that matter more than usual when you plan from a distance. Language: does the floral designer, or someone in the studio, speak your language or English well enough to discuss a quote? Method: do they work with video calls, shared mood boards, renderings or photos of a trial centrepiece? Travel: do they cover the venue's area without huge travel costs, or would they bring the team from far away?

The guide on working with a floral designer from abroad goes into detail, and the complete guide to a destination wedding in Italy helps you put venue, ceremony and suppliers in order.

The role of the venue and the wedding planner

Many villas and hotels that host international weddings work with a list of approved suppliers or with an exclusive florist. Ask the venue before contacting anyone. If you have a wedding planner, they will often suggest two or three floral designers they work with. You can still ask others for quotes, but make sure everyone talks to the same person. Read the guide on floral designers and wedding planners.

How much flowers cost for a destination wedding

The items are the same as for any wedding: bouquet and wedding party, ceremony, reception, installations, hire items. On top of that there is almost always team travel, possibly overnight stays, special transport (boats, shuttles, small vans for narrow roads) and longer or late-night set-up hours. International weddings often have several events over several days, such as a welcome dinner and a brunch the next day, and that also adds to the total.

We do not give a single figure: it depends too much on the destination and the design. Ask for a quote in euros, item by item, with VAT shown, travel as a separate line and clear arrangements for paying from abroad. The guide to the flower budget for a destination wedding helps you set your figures, and the one on wedding flower prices gives indicative ranges for each item.

Italian customs worth knowing

If you are coming from abroad, some Italian habits may surprise you. Churches have their own rules on flowers, petals and timings, and sometimes several weddings take place on the same day. In Italy chrysanthemums are associated with mourning and are not normally used at weddings. Citrus, olive branches and orange blossom, on the other hand, recall the Mediterranean wedding tradition. The guide to flowers and Italian wedding traditions explains what to expect.

Bringing flowers from abroad is complicated: there are plant health rules and flowers suffer on the journey. It usually makes more sense to rely on someone who buys locally. If it matters to you, read bringing flowers into Italy from abroad first.

What to ask before you confirm

• Have you worked at this venue before? Do you know its rules, access and timings?
• In which language will you run the project? Who is my contact person?
• Is travel included or a separate item? How is it calculated?
• How will you show me the design: mood board, rendering, photos of a trial?
• How do I pay from abroad, and what are the deposit and cancellation terms?
• What plan B do you have for rain, wind or heat?

A small wedding or an elopement needs well-made flowers too: see the guide to eloping in Italy. Once you have a destination and a date, ask for up to 3 quotes and tell us which language you would like to be contacted in.