5 hidden costs you might not expect at a destination wedding in Italy

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One of the things I found most overwhelming when planning my Italian wedding was the ‘hidden charges’ that just 👏 kept 👏 coming 👏. 

These are five of the most common unexpected costs when planning a destination wedding in Italy that I wish I’d been aware of:

VAT and service charges

The majority of suppliers will charge VAT, which can be up to a hefty 22% and might not be shown on your original quote. Always ask about the VAT as it can be a nasty surprise further down the line. You could also discuss whether there are ways to reduce or remove the VAT, for example by paying in cash or hitting a certain spend.

There may also be certain service charges you aren’t expecting. For example, I’d factored in costs for lighting, but found out later that I’d need to pay a lighting technician to set up and operate my lights – something I hadn’t accounted for when I was budgeting! Some venues / suppliers may also require a service charge for things like bar staff, so make sure you check exactly what’s included in any quotes you’re given.

SIAE Tax

It’s the law in Italy that if you have any kind of music at a private event – whether that’s a DJ, a band, karaoke, or even just a Spotify playlist – that you obtain a licence from the Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori (or SIAE.) It’s a legal requirement and you risk being fined if you don’t have one.  

The cost depends on the number of guests, and whether you’ll have live music, recorded music, or both, but generally speaking it starts at €256 and can rise to around €550. You’ll need to pay the tax for every day you’ll have music, so make sure you factor it in for events like welcome dinners and pool parties if you’re having any kind of music. There’s more detail about the SIAE tax, including how to apply, in our SIAE blog.

Vendor meals

Tipping isn’t expected in Italy, but supplying vendor meals is customary. Whereas at a UK wedding you might expect to provide meals for suppliers that are there all day, such as your photographer, in Italy it is the custom that you provide a meal for all your suppliers. The cost of vendor meals can vary depending on your venue or supplier, but you can expect to pay around €40-60 a meal, so factor that in to your budget.

I also recommend that you double check exactly how many suppliers you have in total. My wedding planner had an assistant on the day, my violinist had a sound tech with her, and there were two lighting techs setting up my lights – none of which I realised until a few days before the wedding! It meant my vendor meal costs shot up unexpectedly, and I wish I’d checked that in advance.

Customs charges and shipping costs

If you’re shipping anything over to your venue, be prepared to pay a customs charge. I only shipped my welcome signs and seating chart (they were too big to fit in my suitcase) and I was still charged a €25 customs fee on top of the £40 it had cost me to post… and that was just on one large but very light package! Lots of brides I’ve spoken to were hit with large charges they weren’t expecting.

To be honest, if you can avoid shipping items over you’ll probably save yourself money (and stress) – I found taking an extra suitcase to be a better option for everything else I needed to get over. Remember to factor this cost in too though, an extra suitcase for both ways costs around £80 depending on your airline.

Saving for a rainy day

The weather in Italy can be… unpredictable. If your venue doesn’t have a Plan B option included in the price, you should definitely put aside some contingency in case of rain. Some venues charge you to use their Plan B, while others don’t have one at all and you could be looking at a large cost for a cover or gazebo. Even if you have a Plan B option covered, you might want to set aside some cash for things like umbrellas if you still want some elements outdoors, or budget so your MUA and hair stylist can stick around and do touch ups for your photos.

If there’s one thing I can say for certain, it’s that planning a wedding in Italy was unpredictable to say the least. Hopefully being aware of some of these charges will help your planning go more smoothly, but it’s definitely worthwhile adding a line of ‘contingency’ to your budget just in case.

I wish I could say this is an exhaustive list – but these are definitely the ones you’re most likely to be faced with and by far the most common. They’re all included in our free budget tracker, which you can download here.

Recommended Planning Tools

You don’t want to be without these planning tools if you’re getting married in Italy. From trackers to templates, and detailed step-by-step guides… these are the resources that will help you level up your Italian wedding.

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