Oh, why hello there! Fun fact about your favorite wedding photographer; I studied abroad in central Italy and met my (now husband) while there. I lived there with him for about five years and we got married last year – woohoo! As soon as I started planning the wedding, it was SO OBVIOUS where we were going to get married – Italy (sorry all my US family and friends who had to fly out!) There’s a few reasons we decided on Italy, but one of the biggest reasons was that it was significantly cheaper to get married in Italy.
Ya homegirl’s wedding cost just $7,000USD.
It’s true! Between my dress, the ceremony/reception venue, all the food, alllllll the wine, staying at the venue for two nights, and all those little miscellaneous expenses – it was about 7k. Here’s why:
Italy’s average income is significantly less than America’s – I’d guestimate that an average decent income in Italy is about 25k/ year. As a result, cost of living (including weddings!) is significantly cheaper so long as you’re not in a big city and you choose your venue wisely.
Look at AirBnB’s or an “agroturismo”.
While both are a good option, you’ll probably find that agroturismo’s (maybe agrotourism in English? Essentially a working farm/ B&B/ restaurant) are easier to navigate and are more likely to be “all-inclusive”. Mine was 5.5k USD more or less and I was able to:
- Rent out the entire place for two days (this includes their three micro apartments for my immediate family)
- Have the wedding ceremony (with all the chairs and minimal floral decoration)
- Have the reception (absolutely everything included from linens and whatnot to food and wine – three courses of marvelous Italian food)
Bottom line is that YES, I truly believe that having a destination wedding in Italy can be significantly cheaper than having a wedding in the US. And YES, I really think you and I should chat more about it if you’re at all considering it – best thing I ever decided to do!
Some photos taken by Marjie Jones (of Jamie Lee’s wedding) and all edited by Jamie Lee
