In short
- The total depends mostly on guest count, destination and date: the same wedding can cost twice as much on Lake Como in June as in the Tuscan countryside in October.
- Venue and catering are usually the largest items, followed by planner, photography and flowers.
- Most quotes in Italy are in euros, and many are written before VAT (IVA, 22% standard rate): always ask.
- Guests usually pay their own travel and accommodation; the couple often covers transfers and a welcome evening.
If you are planning a wedding in Italy from abroad, the first question is usually the hardest one: how much will it cost? This guide breaks the budget down item by item, with sample budgets for 30, 80 and 150 guests, the differences between the main destinations, and the costs that are easy to forget, such as VAT, paperwork and tips. All the figures are indicative ranges based on sector estimates. They are a way to plan, not a price list, and only quotes for your date and venue give you real numbers. If you already know where you want to marry, you can also browse the floral designers for destination weddings in Italy.
Sample budgets: 30, 80 and 150 guests
The three tables below describe a mid-range wedding at a villa, farmhouse or estate in the countryside, with ceremony and reception at the same venue or close by. They exclude guests' travel and accommodation and are before VAT. In the best-known destinations, read them as a floor rather than a middle.
30 guests
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Venue | €2,000 to €8,000 |
| Catering and drinks | €3,600 to €6,600 |
| Wedding planner | €3,000 to €7,000 |
| Photographer | €2,500 to €5,000 |
| Flowers | €1,200 to €3,500 |
| Music | €600 to €2,000 |
| Paperwork, ceremony fees, officiant | €500 to €2,000 |
| Hair and make-up | €400 to €1,000 |
| Transport | €300 to €1,500 |
| Hire, lighting, stationery, other | €1,000 to €3,000 |
| Indicative total | about €15,000 to €40,000 |
80 guests
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Venue | €4,000 to €15,000 |
| Catering and drinks | €9,600 to €17,600 |
| Wedding planner | €5,000 to €10,000 |
| Photographer and videographer | €3,500 to €8,000 |
| Flowers | €3,000 to €8,000 |
| Music | €1,500 to €4,000 |
| Paperwork, ceremony fees, officiant | €500 to €2,500 |
| Hair and make-up | €600 to €1,500 |
| Transport | €800 to €3,000 |
| Hire, lighting, stationery, other | €2,000 to €6,000 |
| Indicative total | about €30,000 to €75,000 |
150 guests
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Venue | €6,000 to €25,000 |
| Catering and drinks | €18,000 to €33,000 |
| Wedding planner | €7,000 to €15,000 |
| Photographer and videographer | €4,000 to €10,000 |
| Flowers | €5,000 to €15,000 |
| Music | €2,500 to €6,000 |
| Paperwork, ceremony fees, officiant | €500 to €3,000 |
| Hair and make-up | €800 to €2,000 |
| Transport | €1,500 to €5,000 |
| Hire, lighting, stationery, other | €4,000 to €12,000 |
| Indicative total | about €50,000 to €125,000 |
The ranges are wide on purpose. A Friday in October at a farmhouse and a Saturday in June at a lakeside villa are different weddings, even with the same guest list.
Cost by item: what moves each figure
Venue
Venues charge in very different ways: a daily fee for exclusive use, a minimum number of nights (common for Tuscan villas), a minimum spend on in-house catering, or a fee for the ceremony space only. Ask what is included: chairs, tables, a rain room, cleaning, security, overtime after midnight.
Catering
Catering is usually priced per guest, roughly €120 to €220 for a full wedding meal with aperitivo, dinner, cake and drinks in the countryside, and more in the best-known destinations. The number of courses, open bar, late-night food and service staff move the figure most. Some venues only allow their own caterer.
Wedding planner
Planners charge a flat fee or a percentage of the budget. Full planning from abroad costs more than on-the-day coordination. When you live far away, a planner often saves money on mistakes, travel and supplier choice.
Photographer and videographer
The number of hours, a second shooter, travel and overnight stays, and the album decide the price. Many couples from abroad also want photos the day before or after.
Flowers
Bouquet, ceremony set-up, centrepieces, top table and any large installation make up the floral budget. The flowers section below goes into detail.
Music
Musicians for the ceremony, a band or DJ for the evening, sound equipment and venue curfews. Many villas set a time for music to stop or move indoors.
Legal paperwork and officiant
For a civil wedding, foreign citizens usually need a nulla osta (a declaration of no impediment) from their own country, legalised or apostilled documents, sworn translations and, if you do not speak Italian, an interpreter at the ceremony. Comuni (town halls) charge fees for ceremonies, which vary with the place, the day and whether you are residents. A symbolic ceremony has no legal value and needs a celebrant instead. Read getting married in Italy as a foreigner for the steps.
Hair and make-up
A trial, the day itself, extra people (mothers, bridesmaids) and travel to the venue. Early starts and remote venues cost more.
Transport and guest logistics
Shuttle buses from hotels to the venue, cars for the couple, boats on the lakes or the coast, and sometimes transfers from the airport. Welcome bags, a welcome dinner and a farewell brunch belong here too, if you offer them.
Accommodation
Guests usually book and pay their own rooms. Some villas require the couple to book the whole property for two or three nights; you can then pass the cost of rooms on to guests or cover it yourselves.
Lake Como wedding cost
A Lake Como wedding sits at the top end of the Italian market. Villas with gardens on the water are in high demand from May to September, and the best-known ones book a year or more ahead. Expect:
- high venue fees for exclusive use, often with a minimum spend on catering;
- boats for guests, suppliers and the couple, when the venue is reached by water;
- porterage and time slots: villas set tight windows for set-up and breakdown, which means more people for every supplier;
- two venues on different shores, church and villa, which doubles some set-ups.
For a mid-range plan, use the upper end of the sample budgets as your starting point and ask every venue for its rules and minimum spend before you compare. For flowers on the lake, villa rules and deliveries by boat, read the Lake Como wedding flowers guide.
Tuscany wedding cost
The cost of a Tuscany wedding varies more than anywhere else, because the region holds everything from simple farmhouses to historic villas near Florence. Things to keep in mind:
- minimum stays: many villas rent for several nights, which raises the venue line but also houses your guests;
- distances: estates in Val d'Orcia or the Chianti hills can be far from suppliers, so travel and overnight stays go into many quotes;
- outdoor weddings: a long table among the vines needs lighting, hire items and a rain plan;
- season: May, June and September are the most requested months.
A farmhouse wedding in spring or autumn can sit in the middle of the sample ranges; a villa near Florence on a June Saturday is closer to the top. For venues, seasons and flowers, read the Tuscany wedding flowers guide.
Other destinations compared
| Destination | Indicative position | What pushes costs up |
|---|---|---|
| Amalfi Coast and Capri | Top end | Steps, narrow roads, deliveries by sea, short set-up windows |
| Venice | Top end | Everything by boat, porterage, permits for public spaces |
| Rome | Middle to top | Restricted traffic zones (ZTL), city hotel prices, permits |
| Puglia | Middle | Large masserie (fortified farmhouses) to fill, August peak |
| Sicily | Lower to middle | Heat, transport to the smaller islands, imported flowers |
| Dolomites | Middle | Short season, altitude, cable cars and weather |
The position is relative to the sample budgets above. Within each destination, prices still range from simple to very high.
Season and day of the week
Saturdays from May to June and in September are the most requested dates, and venues price them accordingly. Fridays, Sundays and weekdays are often cheaper, and some venues lower their minimum spend outside peak months. April and October can be good value, with a higher risk of rain. In July and August heat and holidays play a part: mid-August (Ferragosto) is Italy's main summer holiday, and some suppliers close. In winter many seaside and lake venues are shut.
Flowers follow the season too: choosing what is in season in your month costs less than asking for out-of-season varieties.
VAT (IVA) and how quotes are written
Italian VAT is called IVA. The standard rate is 22%, and some services, such as hotel accommodation and food and drink, can use a reduced rate. Private clients usually pay Italian VAT on services carried out in Italy, even if they live abroad, and normally cannot reclaim it.
Quotes in Italy are written in two ways: with VAT included or with "+ IVA" at the end. On a large budget the difference is large, so ask every supplier to state it clearly. For the official rules, see the Italian Revenue Agency in the sources below.
Payments are usually in euros, by bank transfer, with a deposit to book the date. Exchange rates and bank charges are normally your responsibility unless the contract says otherwise.
What guests pay, and tipping
In a destination wedding guests usually pay:
- flights or trains to Italy;
- their own accommodation, unless the venue requires the couple to book it;
- any extra nights and excursions.
The couple usually pays the wedding day itself and, often, transfers between hotels and venue and a welcome drink or dinner. What you cover is your choice: say it clearly in the invitation.
Tipping is not compulsory in Italy and service is normally included. Many couples still prepare envelopes for the waiting staff, drivers, the florist's set-up team or the musicians. There is no fixed percentage: decide the amounts beforehand and ask your planner to hand them out at the end of the evening.
Flowers in your wedding budget
Flowers are one of the items you can shape most. A few strong pieces, such as the bouquet, the ceremony backdrop and the top table, often count more than filling every corner. The table below shows indicative prices per piece in three bands, before VAT, including flowers and labour but without long-distance travel.
| Item | Lower range | Mid range | Upper range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridal bouquet (each) | €100-160 | €160-250 | €250-400 |
| Toss bouquet (each) | €40-60 | €60-90 | €90-130 |
| Buttonhole (each) | €15-20 | €20-30 | €30-45 |
| Corsage (each) | €25-35 | €35-50 | €50-70 |
| Bridesmaid bouquet (each) | €40-60 | €60-90 | €90-140 |
| Flower crown (each) | €40-60 | €60-90 | €90-120 |
| Full church decoration (per set-up) | €300-800 | €800-1,800 | €1,800-4,000 |
| Altar arrangements (2) (per set-up) | €300-500 | €500-800 | €800-1,600 |
| Pew ends (per pew) | €25-40 | €40-70 | €70-120 |
| Church entrance or doorway (per set-up) | €300-600 | €600-1,000 | €1,000-1,500 |
| Arch or outdoor ceremony backdrop (per set-up) | €800-1,300 | €1,300-2,200 | €2,200-4,000 |
| Civil ceremony table arrangement (each) | €80-150 | €150-250 | €250-450 |
| Low centrepiece (each) | €40-70 | €70-110 | €110-160 |
| Tall centrepiece (each) | €120-180 | €180-280 | €280-450 |
| Greenery garland on a banquet table (per metre) | €25-40 | €40-60 | €60-80 |
| Garland with flowers and candles (per metre) | €40-60 | €60-90 | €90-140 |
| Top table (per set-up) | €200-400 | €400-700 | €700-1,200 |
| Floral seating plan (per set-up) | €100-250 | €250-450 | €450-800 |
| Hanging installation (per set-up) | €2,000-3,500 | €3,500-6,000 | from €6,000 |
Indicative industry ranges, excluding VAT, flowers and labour included, without long-distance travel. They are not price lists: your florist's quote is the only price that counts.
In the best-known destinations (the lakes, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Venice, Florence) expect the upper band, because of logistics, a short season and high demand. To estimate your own floral budget from your guest count and the pieces you want, use the calculator below: it also prefills a quote request.
Work out your flower budget
An indicative estimate based on the price ranges in this guide. Change the values and the total updates straight away.
Indicative estimate
€2,800 - €5,500
excluding VAT · 10 tables
See the item-by-item breakdown
- Bridal bouquet × 1€150 - €250
- Toss bouquet × 1€50 - €100
- Buttonhole × 4€100 - €100
- Corsage × 2€50 - €100
- Full church decoration × 1 (per set-up)€800 - €1,800
- Low centrepiece × 10€700 - €1,100
- Top table × 1 (per set-up)€400 - €700
- Floral seating plan × 1 (per set-up)€250 - €450
- Transport, set-up, breakdown and hire€250 - €900
This is not a quote: flowers, date and venue can move the total. The form opens already filled in with guests, budget and services.
For more detail, read how much wedding flowers cost in Italy and the flower budget for a destination wedding, which covers florist travel, hire and paying from abroad.
Questions to ask every supplier
- Is the price before or after VAT, and at which rate?
- What exactly is included, and what is charged separately?
- Are travel, overnight stays and overtime included?
- What deposit do you ask for, when, and is it refundable?
- What happens if we change the guest count or the date?
- In which language is the contract written?
Final thoughts
The cost of a wedding in Italy is decided early: by the destination, the date and the number of guests. Fix those three, then ask for itemised quotes and compare them line by line. For the order to plan in and the paperwork, read the complete guide to a destination wedding in Italy.
When you have a date and a venue, browse the floral designers for destination weddings and request a quote for your flowers.
Sources
- Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate), VAT: www.agenziaentrate.gov.it
- Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, marriage of foreign citizens in Italy: www.esteri.it
