How To Plan A Wedding In Tuscany
How To Plan A Wedding In Tuscany

How To Plan A Wedding In Tuscany

BeA Alfresco Wedding is a boutique wedding planning and consultancy travel agency based in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. We had the pleasure of speaking with BeA, to find out all you need to know about planning a wedding in Tuscany.

5 Star Weddings: Why should brides marry in Tuscany?

BeA.: Tuscany is my land, I was born here, and this is where I live with my family. I have many years of experience in tourism and wedding planning, my passion is to share with you all those little secrets that make our beautiful region so special.

I personally love every part of Tuscany and it has always struck me that each part of this region has a different story to tell. The famous landscape, the art and beauty of the City like Florence or Lucca, the Tuscany coast, and the hills with their small boutique wine resorts? What about the Val d’Orcia where many famous films were shot, including “The Gladiator”- “The English patient” and “La Vita è Bella (life is Beautiful) – “Under the Tuscan Sky” and others, this is a lesser-known part of Tuscany but it has a particular allure romantic and sensual just the perfect setting to host weddings. The Chianti region, which is probably the most well-known place in Tuscany; and is just amazing where the green landscape dominates everything.

We know every single corner of Tuscany, and we can give couples exactly what they want for their romantic wedding. It is very important for us that we select each venue while making certain that each one answers to our high standards.

Wedding Venues In Tuscany

5 Star Wedding Directory:  What services do you offer?

BeA: We do not offer “standardized” wedding plans or “packages”, we create the “Big Day” by simply starting from the ideas of the couple and we create together what their dream is.

We will take care of all aspects of the event – from the very beginning trough to the end. We help our couple to find the right venue that exactly corresponds to their needs. We also help them with all the legal aspects and documents, as well as – the wedding design for the day. We are a creative and professional team we place our knowledge and expertise at the couples’ disposal in order to help them create a unique be spoke wedding.

We also help to create tours and accommodation of the guests, we give advice to guests about where to go and what to do in Italy and Tuscany and for the bride and groom we can organize fantastic be-spoke honeymoons all over Italy.

 5 Star Weddings:  What do you most love about your job?

BeA. I love the fact that after one year of working together, of emails and Skype call in the very early morning, we are able to provide our couples with the weddings of their dreams. I love the fact that they allow me to be part of their lives. I love the excitement of setting everything in place and seeing their incredible reaction when they see our design realized. Exchange our cultures and way of life, I love being in contact with people all over the World.

Evening Wedding Reception Tuscany

5 Star Weddings: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

BeA:. Giving the people just exactly what they want; even if an ocean divides us. It is fantastic to understand after a few emails and some Skype sessions exactly what they want; and their excitement on seeing this realized on the day. It is always a challenge for me at the beginning; I have a blank canvas when I begin to design; and I don’t know exactly what the bride and groom really want. After having shared ideas and photos I start to design—and it’s beautiful when the design turns to reality on the day.

For example, we put these fantastic white chandeliers in a wood for one wedding, and at the beginning we didn’t know if it would be possible or how it would look. However, on the day of the wedding we saw people stunned and in tears of amazement at such a beautiful sight and the atmosphere we had created. Nobody expected such a result!

Gold and Pink Wedding Italy

5 Star Weddings: Do you have any favorite venues?

BeA:  Each venue is splendid—I love the stunning landscape of Tuscany—and in my opinion, the view is the “must have”. You cannot do a destination wedding in Tuscany without a view, otherwise you could be anywhere in the world. Of course I have favorite venues but it is not my choice, I try to give to my clients every single elements to let them make the best choice.

Tuscan countryside

5 Star Weddings: What’s the best time of year to get married?

BeA: Spring and summer are the wedding seasons in Italy, and the months most requested are May, June, July and September. These months assure the couples of an Al fresco wedding reception. August, in our opinion, is not the best season in Italy; it is usually too hot and busy, everybody is on holiday, and everything is more expenses and crowded. I always advise against getting married in Italy in August. I also love winter weddings; especially those in December near Christmas. Some days are warm and sunny and are so beautiful; the colors are warmer, dark red, yellow, green, and white….think of an intimate wedding in front of a big fire-place.

Mr & Mrs Wedding Sign

5 Star Weddings: What sort of budget do you need for a destination wedding in Italy?

BeA. We work by following the budget of our clients; it is always helpful to know exactly the budget for every service they want. The budget depends on the number of people involved, the venue costs, and what the budget has to cover. There are many factors we use to determine a budget. Sometimes couples want to cover the night’s stay for their guests, sometimes they prefer to allocate the money to other services, such as maybe a wine tour or a city tour; it really depends on the couple and how large or small their budget is.

A Wedding Ceremony in Tuscany

5 Star Weddings:  How does the planning process work?

BeA: The most interesting part of the planning process is at the very beginning—the very first stage is to find the best venue that corresponds to the required criteria of the couple. Then I love the site inspection when we go together to see the venue in person; and at the end of the day I can tell that even for them it is difficult to select only one. When the venue has been booked and the deposit transferred we start the real planning and the coordination with all the providers. We have to check the availability of the photographers, musicians, celebrants, etc. When everything goes smoothly I can feel I’m doing a good job. I always recommend that couples start to plan one year ahead to ensure they get what they really want, especially regarding the venue.

5 Star Weddings: Do you recommend paying suppliers directly?

BeA:  It is better to pay directly to each suppliers, we always do a sort of payment list to have all payments under control.

Bridesmaids with parasols

5 Star Weddings: What advice would you give brides on choosing a destination wedding planner?

BeA: I recommend to the bride and groom that they have a Skype conversation with her/him and to get to know each other. I think this is something that you can feel during the first chat. I think the wedding planner has to be professional; and should be a person who will make everything easier for the couple; a passionate planner who is not overbearing about her own ideas, she has to be always “present”. Our policy is to always respond to a client within 12 hours. I think that today we live in a frenetic world and people want everything done immediately, so we try always to give quick answers. The couple should enjoy the planning process, and I think it is not only about wedding planning, but an exchange of cultures.

  • For any further information on destination weddings in Tuscany please email us at: [email protected]

BeA Alfresco is a 5 Star Wedding Directory Trusted Wedding Supplier