To‍‍‍ plan a wedding on the Amalfi Coast from the U.S. may appear like a large project, especially if the wedding spans more than one day. One has to think about travel, accommodation, venues, catering, vendors, transportation, and the wedding day itself.

The great part is that with multi-day destination wedding planning you still can have everything go smoothly and easily.

An example of Amalfi Coast wedding weekend: welcome dinner, wedding day, and farewell brunch or group activity. Some couples organize a boat trip, beach day, or get-together rehearsal dinner.

Planner guide for couples in the USA who want to have a multi-day wedding on the Amalfi Coast.

Why Organize a Multi-day Amalfi Coast Wedding?

A destination wedding is not just the wedding but a vacation experience as a package. It is highly probable that your family and friends came all the way from the U.S. in order to see you married.

That is why having a multi-day celebration is more time spent together.

You can’t only have them come once during the wedding day but also get to have several things done together with them.

A wedding weekend usually features:

Day 1: Arrival of guests and an evening reception

Day 2: Celebration of the wedding ceremony and a reception

Day 3: Daytime cruise, lunch, or departure party

This enables your guests to explore the Amalfi Coast at their leisure while at the same time being able to celebrate your big day with you.

12–18 Months Before: Pick Your Date, Your Venue

If planning as a family with your wedding is the last thing you want to talk about with your parents, you’re not in a unique situation. In fact, family is involved in weddings almost always, and if one’s wedding is to be a destination wedding, the involvement will be even more significant.

This means that you need to set a wedding date and also decide on a good venue for that occasion.

It is very important that you set your wedding date and then pick the best venue on the Amalfi Coast that is suitable for the ‍‍‍event.

Popular‍‍‍ areas include:

• Positano
• Ravello
• Amalfi town
• Praiano
• Maiori
• Minori
• Conca dei Marini

The different locations create different sensations and vibes.

For example, Positano, which is recognized for its amazing cliffside architecture, is a tourist magnet. On the other hand, Ravello is a charming city for art lovers that have their houses as well as gardens preserved over time. Amalfi is like the textbook version of a sea town. The less populated villages, however, are good places for the quietness.

Decide your final destination depending on different factors like guests, venue ambiance, transportation, and money aspects.

Find someone to plan your Amalfi Coast wedding.

Organizing your Italian wedding from the USA is hard work because the cultures and time zones are quite different.

Getting a local wedding planner will be a lifesaver, as they can take care of so many things, for instance:

• Picking the perfect wedding place
• Contacting various wedding vendors
• Purchasing transportation services
• Managing guests’ accommodation
• Creating wedding themes and design
• Drafting the event’s schedules
• Handling local legal stuff
• Organizing welcome events
• Prestige events coordination

In addition, a planner with Amalfi Coast expertise could assist you in realizing the length of the journey and layout of each venue at the local level.

Figure out who is coming to the ceremony and the wedding cost.

After deciding on the size of the ceremony, you should make your guest list.

A multi-day event can easily be 3 times more expensive than a one-day event, as you have to think of all other things you will have to add, like extra meals, other activities, transport, and also a few additional events.

Make a list of the areas that will be included within the general wedding budgets, such as

• Selecting a wedding place
• Providing refreshments
• Capturing the wedding in photographs
• Recording your wedding on video
• Flowering & plant arrangements
• Vocal or instrumental music playing
• Furnishing places to stay
• Transporting people by the car
• Organizing guest dinner
• Arranging activities for guests
• Arranging the wedding pastry
• Beauty services such as hairstyling, makeup art, etc.

If possible, plan also about what costs you will be ready to cover for your guests and the rest that your guests will have to pay themselves.

Let everyone involved know about that beforehand when making travel reservations.

9–12 Months Before: Choose Your Top Vendors

When your date and wedding venue have become fixed, then you can start looking for some of the most essential vendors to work with you on the big day.

The following are only a few examples of what might be required for your wedding:

• Professional wedding photographer
• Celebrating the Amalfi Coast wedding through a videographer
• Creating the bouquet arrangements & wedding flower decor is in charge of a florist.
• Delicious food, drink, and dessert are served thanks to the caterer.
• A sound system with a DJ or a musician’s performance is a big part of the fun at a cocktail reception.
• Celestial hair and makeup of the happy duo are created by the expert artist who does hair and makeup.
• Baker who can make your dreams come ‍‍‍true

In‍‍‍ case you have a particular wedding photographer or videographer in mind, do not leave things till a few months before your wedding.

To assess your wedding videographer, ask them to show you complete wedding films because a short highlight video can look very nice, yet a true wedding film gives a chance to see how the professional works through capturing an entire wedding day.

Come up with a list of important moments when the videographer captures you; the video should cover family speeches, cultural celebrations, first-look moments, the couples’ vows, and also special dancing segments.

Have Fun with Your Welcome Dinner
Hosting a welcome dinner will be great for kicking off your wedding weekend.

If your guests come from various parts of the USA, a very good idea is to give everyone a chance to hang out and relax by meeting and mixing, so the first evening is a great time.

You may opt for something like

• An Italian restaurant of high quality in the area
• A beautiful private villa where a dinner can be served
• Seaside restaurant
• Hotel Teracce
• Pizza evening in a non-fuss place

Make sure that the first dinner is enjoyable only. After international trips, it is quite natural that the guests might feel a little worn out.

Coordinate a Smooth Flow for Your Guests’ Transfers

In the Amalfi Coast region, transport is a big issue.

This region is very mountainous, and its coastal roads are narrow and winding; there are also many steep streets and stairs. It is a very busy travel route that makes it difficult for a person to navigate without a proper guide or plan.

Do not count on your guests being able to easily figure out their way around the hotels and the wedding venues by themselves.

Your wedding planner can arrange the most convenient means of transportation, be it private cars, minibuses, or coaches.

Draw up a transportation plan that covers:

• Airport pickup
• Arranging hotel and guest transfers
• Welcome dinner
• Wedding ceremonies
• Wedding reception
• Parting events

Give guests an exact detail of what time and place the car is coming to pick them up.

4–8 Months Prior: Prepare Activities For All Of Your Guests

During their stay at your wedding, your guests may be interested in exploring Italy.

You will be more than welcome to come up with a set of interesting, possibly optional, activities such as

• Going for a boat tour along the Amalfi Coast
• Taking a cooking class
• Spend a day at the beach
• Going for wine tasting
• Doing some local sightseeing tours
• Enjoying a Group Lunch
• Enjoy a beautiful sunset cruise

There is no obligation to pay for everything. You can also hand guests a list of things they can do ‍‍‍themselves.

Plan‍‍‍ the Wedding Day

The plan for your wedding on the day must be very clearly written and well-scheduled.

The easiest way to plan the day is to break it up into parts like below:

Morning: hair, makeup, and getting ready

Early afternoon: First picture, portraits

Afternoon: Wedding service

Later afternoon: family photographs and cocktails

Time of the Sunset (dusk): Couple portraits and scenic shots

Night: Reception, speeches, and first dance

Noon: Party, dancing, and night out

Rates of transport and the availability of the staff are just some of the things that will delay or change the schedule of destination weddings as compared to normal ones, including weather problems. Therefore, the planners need to make time between the events that will be flexible to allow unexpected changes.

3–4 Months Before: Finalize Details

All primary issues should be decided by this time.

Complete:

• Number of Guests
• Seating Plan
• Menu
• Flowers
• Music
• Wedding Cake
• Shuttles
• Ceremony Plans
• Photography Schedule
• Videography Schedule

Present your vendors with the single timeline to know where to be and when. Make it a shared wedding experience between the couple and the vendors involved.

1 Month Before: Confirm Everything

Contact your wedding planner to get the confirmation of the details.

Double check with the venue:

• Hospitality
• Vendors
• Guest Transportation
• Attendance
• Dinner Selections
• Reception Order
• Weather Contingency
• Photograph Sites
• Location for Videography

In case of the couple moving from the USA to Italy for getting married, one needs to be quite clear and get all details arranged and confirmed as to when and how the travel will be done.

In addition to the documents that the marriage registrar and other legal persons may require, it is a good idea to have a copy (paper) as well as an electronic version of all your travel and wedding documents, such as the travel and wedding contract and passport, for instance.

What About Legal Requirements?

If the couple would like to enter into a legal marriage in Italy, they should get to know the requirements from their own country, such as U.S., or a foreign country.

Requirements may differ depending on nationality, marital status, religious belief etc. Therefore, a couple, which is from American, it is better to check on the requirements first with the local authorities for the marriage in Italy.

In some cases, it will be quite difficult for international couples to get married in Italy, and they end up legalizing their marriage through other channels, e.g., via a U.S. embassy or a consulate. There are also instances where a couple legalizes their marriage abroad and comes back to celebrate their nuptials by having a symbolic wedding ceremony in Italy with family and friends in attendance.

Your planner will assist you in understanding the difference between these two options and which one might suit your plans better.

How to Make Your Wedding Film Special

A multi-day wedding can bring a lot more footage to the couple to ‍‍‍enjoy.

Instead‍‍‍ of only recording the ceremony on camera, you could also capture the full wedding experience.

Here are some of the items your video could depict:

• Arrivals to Amalfi Coast of guests
• Dinner at hotel or other venue as guests are greeted
• Family conversations and get-togethers
• Romantic walk by the coast, perhaps on a boat
• Taking pictures after the groom and bride ready themselves
• Wedding ceremony
• Vows (the bride and groom make their promises for this new chapter in life)
• Speeches (the bride, groom, parents, and close friends express their love for the couple or their appreciation for the wedding)
• First dance (bride and groom perform their very private dance)
• Sunset portraits (a very popular wedding tradition especially in Europe).
• Farewell moments when you and your guests part ways after an unforgettable time spent together. Maybe these moments could even be captured on a short video clip.

These little things really help you remember and re-live what your destination wedding meant as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days should an Italian Amalfi Coast wedding be?

Three-day wedding is the most common structure at the Amalfi Coast: A welcome dinner on the first night, followed by the wedding day, and ending with a brunch/farewell on the last day.

How far ahead should I book an Amalfi Coast wedding?

You can get away with just planning 3 months in advance to book your preferred venue and some of the major vendors. However, if you prefer not to have any pressure or to be able to choose the best venues and vendors for popular dates, you better start planning about 12 to 18 months beforehand.

Is it necessary to book a wedding planner when you choose Italy for your wedding?

Having a wedding planner is not mandatory, but local wedding support can definitely help you handle your vendors and all other wedding related matters much easier and more efficiently.

What is necessary for Americans to understand about an Amalfi Coastal Wedding?

Inform your guests in advance about their transport arrangement, accommodations, the weather in Italy, wedding day schedule, and other wedding day details. Wedding website has all these details in one and only location.

Is hiring a videographer for three days of wedding really necessary?

This is really a matter of your preference and the available funds. Some people like to have their whole day documented on a video and just a small portion of a video for a welcome or goodbye activity.

End Note

Organizing a multi-day wedding for the Amalfi Coast destination can give you the perfect chance to not simply enjoy the wedding experience, but also provide your and your guests memorable time.

If you want it done in a stress-free and timely manner, begin with the major aspects that you will be making decisions such as, the location, the date, who will all be attending, how much money you want to spend, wedding planner, and the place itself. Then book your main vendors, arrange transportation, plan the welcome and farewell events, and work out the wedding-day schedule that everyone can follow without any ‍‍‍problem.