In short
- The wedding planner organises and coordinates; the florist designs and makes the flowers.
- The final choice of florist is yours, even if the planner suggests names.
- Ask the planner directly whether they receive commissions from suppliers: if it is declared, that is fine.
- On the day you need one person in charge: agree beforehand who sets the timings and who solves problems.
A wedding planner in Italy and your florist often work together, but they do not do the same job. If you have both, you need to know who decides what. If you have only one, you need to know what is left uncovered. This guide is for couples getting married in Italy, especially those planning from abroad, who want to avoid duplication, gaps and misunderstandings.
Two different jobs
A wedding planner helps you choose the venue and suppliers, keeps track of budget and calendar, writes the running order for the day and makes sure it is followed. They do not make the flowers, the food or the music: they coordinate them.
A florist or floral designer designs and makes the flowers: bouquet, ceremony, reception, larger installations. They handle the flowers, hire items and the team for set-up and breakdown.
Some roles overlap: there are planners who also offer event design and floral designers who act as wedding designers. The differences between roles are explained in our guide to florists, floral designers and wedding designers.
If you are still looking for someone to do the flowers, start from our wedding florists in Italy or, if you are marrying in Italy from abroad, our florists for destination weddings.
Who does what: the table
| Task | Wedding planner | Florist | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setting the overall budget | Proposes and monitors | Says what the flowers need | Decide |
| Choosing the florist | Suggests names | Decide | |
| Style and palette | Sets the overall picture | Suggests flowers, colours, shapes | Approve |
| Floral site visit | Attends if possible | Carries it out | Attend if you can |
| Flower quote | Reviews it with you | Prepares it | Sign it |
| Set-up times | Puts them in the running order | States them | Know them |
| Dealing with venue and caterer | Coordinates | Agrees technical details | |
| Running the day | In charge | Manages their team | Enjoy the day |
| Breakdown and return of hire items | Checks it | Does it |
Who chooses the florist
A wedding planner usually has a network of trusted professionals. That is an advantage: they know how each one works and who respects venue timings and rules. But the choice is yours.
A simple approach:
- ask the planner for two or three names with different styles;
- add one yourself if you have someone in mind;
- ask all of them for a proposal on the same basis: date, venue, guest count, style, budget.
If the planner insists on one name without explaining why, ask them.
Commissions and transparency
Wedding planners use different fee models. Some are paid only by the couple, with a fixed fee or a percentage of the budget. Others also receive a commission from the suppliers they suggest. Others combine the two.
No model is right in absolute terms. What matters is transparency. Ask your planner, ideally in writing:
- how their fee is made up;
- whether they receive commissions or discounts from the suppliers they suggest;
- whether their fee changes if you choose a supplier from outside their network.
A professional will answer without embarrassment. To understand how the cost of the flowers builds up, read our guide to wedding flower costs in Italy.
Style: who has the final word?
Sometimes the planner has one idea and the florist another. It happens, and it is healthy if it is discussed early. To avoid friction:
- prepare a mood board shared with everyone, as explained in our flower mood board guide;
- make it clear that final approval is yours;
- ask the florist to tell you frankly if an idea will not survive heat, wind or the budget.
The florist knows flowers. If they tell you hydrangeas will not last a July afternoon in full sun, listen.
Running the day
On the wedding day everyone works in the same spaces within a few hours: flowers, catering, lighting, music, photographer. You need one person in charge, usually the wedding planner. The florist manages their own team and follows the agreed times.
Three critical moments to define:
- Arrival and set-up. What time the florist arrives, through which entrance, and where they unload.
- The move from ceremony to reception. Who moves the arrangements and how long it takes, if they are being reused. See our guide to set-up and breakdown.
- End of the party. Who takes everything down, at what time, what is left for guests, and who collects the hire items.
Put all of this in the written running order the planner sends to suppliers.
Special cases
If you do not have a wedding planner
Many couples marry without a planner. That is fine, but you, or someone for you, need to cover the coordination tasks:
- putting the florist in touch with the venue and the caterer;
- sharing the table plan and running order with everyone;
- having a point person on the day who is not one of the couple.
Some planners offer on-the-day coordination only. You can also ask the venue who looks after events on site. To make flowers, food and spaces work together, read our guide to coordinating flowers, catering and venue.
Destination weddings: a case of their own
If you live abroad, a local wedding planner often becomes your main contact. They speak your language, know the suppliers and carry out the site visits you cannot make. In this case it matters even more to know who signs the contracts and how suppliers are paid, for example whether you transfer euros to each supplier or to the planner.
Also ask whether the florist will join video calls with you, or whether everything goes through the planner. At least one direct conversation helps make sure no detail gets lost.
Mistakes and budget
Common mistakes to avoid
Many problems come from small communication gaps. The most common:
- two people giving the florist different instructions, for example the couple and a parent, or the couple and the planner;
- changes agreed verbally with the planner that never reach the florist, or the other way round;
- a quote approved by the planner before the couple has seen the line items;
- set-up times decided without checking with the venue;
- nobody responsible for hire items at the end of the night.
The fix is simple: one written channel, such as an email thread with everyone copied in, and one person who approves changes on behalf of the couple.
How the two services fit into the budget
We do not give figures here: they depend on region, guest count, complexity and the type of service. It is worth remembering that the planner's fee and the cost of the flowers are two separate items. A planner can help you spend better on flowers, for example by suggesting you reuse ceremony arrangements or concentrate the budget where it shows most. But they do not replace the florist's quote, which remains the document to read carefully.
Questions to ask your planner about the flowers
- Which florists do you suggest, and why them?
- Do you receive commissions from the suppliers you suggest?
- Can I choose a florist from outside your network?
- Who signs the flower contract, and whom do I pay?
- Will you attend the site visit with the florist?
- Who coordinates moving the flowers from the ceremony to the reception?
- Who checks the breakdown and the return of hire items?
To sum up
Planners and florists work well together when the roles are clear from the start. To choose who does the flowers, read our guide on how to choose your wedding florist. Once you have a date and venue, request a quote and say whether you are working with a wedding planner, so the florist knows whom to coordinate with.
