Getting married in a Tuscan villa is an increasingly sought after experience to make a wedding truly unique and memorable. The many splendid settings that Tuscany offers are the perfect backdrop to a fairytale wedding ceremony and reception. There are many accommodations rising in some of the most wonderful spots of the region offering all you need to accommodate the ceremony, party celebrations, and host the groom, bride and their guests. Choosing the right accommodation depends on several factors, such as the size of your party, the time of the year, and other criteria to look further.

Number of Guests

Celebrating your wedding with more than just a close group of friends and relatives requires careful planning to make sure the wedding villa you choose has enough space to accommodate everyone comfortably. This does not only mean that beds have to be a good sleep; you must also take into consideration that not everyone is close with one another, therefore your should also worry that each guest has the right temporary roommate to get along with. After all, table configuration is not the only matching you will need to go through. Accommodation providers will be more than happy to help you out as much as possible, providing a different bed arrangement to suit your needs. In case your party size is very large, you might find it difficult to host each one in a single property, no matter how large it is. It may be therefore necessary to look for other villas, farmhouses or apartments in the vicinities that can fit all your friends. One word of advice: keep the closest friends and family members at the central villa, they might get touchy otherwise!

Period of the Year

In Italy and Tuscany, weddings are most celebrated during the time frame going from April until the beginning of October. Spring and early summer months are definitely the peak season to get married in Tuscany, and as a consequence the entire planning process becomes more difficult. You are less likely to find available venues and accommodations, catering services and wedding bands are also less available, while prices get definitely higher. On the other side, this is the best time of the year to enjoy the oh-so-celebrated Tuscan landscapes and be blessed with warm and sunny days. If good weather is your priority, then you should definitely choose your wedding date between the beginning of June and the end of August. Just remember to book very early, such as two or more years in advance. This will give you enough time to choose your wedding villa in Tuscany accurately and make sure any accommodation nearby is available for your guests. Another task requiring you to have time on your side is paperwork. Getting all the necessary documents from the Italian consulate can take months and is not a trivial task.

Do it yourself or Wedding Planner?

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, one question that wraps everything up: do you wish to organize your wedding all by yourself, or would like to hire a wedding planner, either in your country or in Tuscany, to carry out all the dues for you and give you a stress free wedding in Italy? Rely on a professional planner which may be based in Tuscany with a good track record experience in organizing successful weddings. Some villa owners also provide their in-house wedding planning services. A wedding planner will definitely help you select the most appropriate villa, coordinate the catering company, find the music for the event, prepare the paperwork for you, contact the florist, hairdresser, beautician and even a wedding rehearsal restaurant. Although this will end up costing you some extra money, it will surely relieve you and your partner from a lot of stress prior to and during the wedding; a well coordinated event is sure to run smooth and live you with anything but the enjoyment of a day to remember for the rest of your life.

Suggestions and tips by Matt writing for ThriftyTuscany.com, where you can find the wedding villa in Tuscany to make your dream come true in Italy.

Whilst weddings in Italy are beautiful and magical, every couple is different.

We hear Guests often talk about just how difficult it is to ind the right wedding gift – as difficult as buying birthday or Christmas presents; in fact more so, as you are having to cater for the tastes of two people, rather than one! Traditional wedding gifts such as toasters and blenders are becoming outdated, as the majority of couples cohabit before getting hitched, and have already bought all the things they need for their house. I also think home electricals can be quite mundane presents, and find they often lack the personality that I really want my gifts to have. I want the happy new couple, my friends or siblings or cousins, to know how happy I am for them, and I want to give them something that will truly signal the beginning of a wonderful life together.

The idea that the wedding is tied into a long, happy marriage is always a nice one to illustrate, and how better to do this than by giving them a way of keeping and sharing the precious moments they’ve captured on camera? Whilst a pretty photo frame can make a nice, simple gift, a luxury leather photo album is much more tangible. Memories can be triggered by looking at a framed photo, but leafing through a luxury album doesn’t just trigger memories. It triggers emotions.

Personalised photo albums are always extra-special. Choose a colour that matches the wedding or the couple; an elegant lavender, mint green or ivory are perfect for a traditional wedding feel. Some retailers will even add messages or images to the front of the album; perhaps consider including the couple’s names, and the date of their wedding or a heartfelt message wishing them well on the next stage of their journey? Online retailer Under Cover stock handmade, luxury leather stationery and accessories, including photo albums, which can also be personalised with text and images. A bespoke leather photo album is a thoughtful wedding gift that will look and feel luxurious, as well as protecting precious memories. It is something the couple can share with each other, with their friends and with their children and grandchildren in years to come.

Occasionally Guests approach us with this idea and we suggest a small but significant extra touch: starting the photo album for them, by placing some pictures of their wedding day (shots we take especially for this album) as well as some of the couple from earlier in their relationship.

Simple ideas for an ever lasting wedding gift!