1. Why Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast?
I first visited Sorrento when I was a child on a family holiday and completely fell in love with the area. It was unlike anywhere I had visited before and I was determined from that point on that I wanted to learn Italian and forever return! Which is exactly what I did! If you have ever visited the Amalfi Coast you will understand how incredibly beautiful it really is and if you haven’t then here is the perfect opportunity to come and have a look at some of the best wedding venues in Italy. Every twist and turn brings you to another incredible destination. Positano, Sorrento, Ravello and Amalfi are glamourous resorts settled amongst lemon trees and olive groves, all offering breathtaking scenery with cliffs that plunge straight into the sea. This stretch of coast is steeped in history having been inspiration for poets, painters and musicians alike. In my opinion few places in the world can surpass Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast’s spectacular allure and I certainly couldn’t think of a more stunning or romantic location in which to get married.
2. What services do you offer?
I offer a completely bespoke service enabling clients to plan and personalise every last detail of their wedding. Having experienced planning my own wedding in Sorrento I now recognise things that I would have done differently. My brides and grooms have many choices, whereas I had limited choices. I have many contacts in all areas such as photography, videography, hair and make-up, transportation … so my clients are able to customise their wedding day to exactly what they want it to be. Everyone is different. I take control of the whole process from the initial booking of the ceremony and reception venue right the way through coordinating the day itself. However if clients prefer to take more control themselves, this is fine too. My role fits around you!
3. Do I really need a wedding planner?
Having had feedback from brides who have (and also haven’t) chosen to have a wedding planner, the feedback is always unanimous - YES. A wedding planner is such a great investment because it enables you to be completely stress free, enjoy the planning process and most importantly the wedding day itself. I have had some clients approach me after having tried to go it alone but they have often found the language barrier a problem and also have experienced that uneasy feeling of ‘who do I trust’ and ‘are they going to turn up on the day?’ when considering vendors and suppliers. One bride said to me that she was getting on OK with her planning alone until someone asked her what she would do if she didn't like her wedding flowers on the day and who would she call? I think that is just a small example of the fact that when you have a planner that you trust, you know that isn’t going to happen. You have your planner on hand throughout (and especially on the day itself) so you really do not need to worry about a thing. Plus a professional planner will have carefully selected her team to ensure every supplier/vendor recommendation works to the exact same high levels of service.
4. What do you most love about your job?
I love the excitement of setting the date and seeing the couple’s reaction as their dream starts to become a reality. I also love being able to show off the incredible venues that I work with in person. Above all there is nothing more satisfying that watching all of our hard work come together beautifully on the wedding day and experiencing the emotion and joy of having been a part of someone’s most special day. Oh and I love listening to the traditional wedding speeches!
5. Do you have any favourite venues?
Honestly speaking, all of the venues that I work with are incredible, so it’s very difficult to choose. We also welcome the opportunity to work with new locations each season.
6. What’s the best time of year to get married?
Summer is the wedding season in the south of Italy and the majority of weddings take place between the months of May to September. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy long sunny days and warm evenings and the towns are buzzing with activity and life. July and August are usually exceptionally warm (reaching into the 30s) so I always advise clients to bear in mind the comfort of your guests during this period.
7. What’s the best time of day to get married?
I usually recommend late afternoon as being the best time of day to have your ceremony. The sun is strong in the summer months and earlier weddings make for uncomfortable brides, grooms and guests in the heat.
8. What sort of budget do you need for a destination wedding in Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast?
This is a very difficult question for me to answer as every wedding is individual and therefore so is the cost. Obviously the more guests the greater the budget required. Most reception venues work on a fixed per head menu cost. Other elements such as drinks packages, wines, champagnes, cars, flowers, transfers, exclusive hire fees (for certain venues) photography, videography… need to be taken into consideration and these costs can vary greatly. Many aspects of the wedding can be customised to fit specific budgets and of course I have knowledge of the local areas, vendors and suppliers in order to make the most suitable recommendations.
9. How does the planning process work?
The hardest part of the planning process is the first stage which is where I coordinate the ceremony day/time availability with the chosen reception venue. I always recommend trying to book a year in advance to help make this part easier. Deposits are then transferred and the venue is secured. The second part of the planning process is once the date is booked and I then begin to discuss the finer details with the client: cars, photographers, make-up artists, hairdressers, flowers etc. This is always the fun part! As the year progresses the client is informed at each stage as to what documentation is required and by when so there’s no panic!
10. What advice would you give brides on choosing a destination wedding planner?
I’d definitely recommend that brides and grooms have an informal chat with their proposed wedding planner before making a final decision because it’s vital that there is a good client/planner relationship throughout the process and that the client truly believes they are the right person to help achieve the dream wedding day. Brides (in particular) want to find someone who is not only organised and professional, but also makes them feel at ease. A good wedding planner will have plenty of questions for their clients too, to establish exactly what their vision is. Whomever you choose to go with, be careful not to choose someone who is not prompt at returning e-mails, is too opinionated, or tries to convince you of what's best for you and critiques your ideas. The planning process should be fun! I’d also recommend using a wedding planner who is a specialist in the chosen destination as this will ensure you really do have access to the best suppliers within that area.