Weddings‍‍‍ on the Amalfi Coast planned from the USA can be an exhilarating but bewildering experience at first. Choosing a venue, arranging a trip, hiring the necessary people, planning things for your guests, and determining how your day will look are just a few areas of the planning.

Good news for you: you are not required to plan all those things at once.

The ideal time for almost all couples to start planning their destination is 12 to 18 months before, which means that you can have enough time to pick your venue and vendors to suit your taste. For the dates of weddings, which are most in demand, as well as high-end venues, some couples may start preparations even before that.

This article provides a simple timeline for a wedding on the Amalfi Coast that you can refer to in order to know what and when to do the things.

18–12 Months Before Your Wedding

At this point, major things are being decided.

Choose Your Wedding Day

Decide first which season you would rather have. May, June, September, and early October are the most common seasons, but availability and weather conditions fluctuate.

If you are ready to go with several dates, perhaps it is best for a couple to pick up a few days and not just one. This helps you select several venues.

Pick a Wedding Site on the Amalfi Coast

The places that are most famous for wedding ceremonies are

• Positano
• Ravello
• Amalfi
• Maiori

Consider what kind of wedding ceremony you would like to have. Are you imagining a party on one of the cliffs, a celebration in a historic villa, a garden wedding, or maybe someplace small and close to the sea?

Establish Your Guest List

Not only will the size of your wedding depend on the number of guests, but also your venue, transportation, accommodation, food, and your total wedding budget.

If you are planning your trip to the Amalfi Coast, please bear in mind that it is rather difficult for many venues to accommodate large parties, since in many parts of the region there are narrow roads. Hence, guest numbers are among the aspects of planning that you have to think most carefully about.

Wedding Planner Booking and Venue Booking

Now that you have a rough estimate, the next step is to be in touch with the wedding planners and the venues nearby where you have decided to arrange for your marriage.

In popular Amalfi Coast areas, the wedding season bookings are usually a long one, which is very common.

12-9 months before your wedding

At this time, your wedding dream starts coming ‍‍‍up.

Get‍‍‍ In Touch with Main Suppliers of Your Wedding

Now is the moment to find out what’s available and to reserve the major suppliers who will provide the key elements of your wedding day. These will usually be your:

• Wedding photographer
• Videographer for your Italian wedding
• Florist
• Caterer
• Band or DJ
• Make-up and hair specialist
• Officiant or wedding celebrant

If your wedding falls in the high season, the sooner you decide on and book major suppliers, the wider selection you will have.

Early booking of an Amalfi Coast wedding videographer will be really helpful to U.S. couples if they can imagine in advance what type of video they want.

You should ask to view whole wedding movies, not just short highlighters.

Guests’ Accommodation Start-Up

As your wedding is to be held in one of the beautiful Italian coast areas, it will be natural that your guests will come from different parts of the USA. Therefore, do not be surprised when you find out that your guests will have lots of questions about places where they can stay. Give detailed information and options for the stay of your guests. It is also helpful when you let guests know about various hotels or other places of accommodation to suit all budgets.

Guest transport arrangements from the hotel, ceremony, reception, airport, and other wedding activities are another essential detail that should not be underestimated by you.

9–6 Months Before

Save-the-Dates Distribution

If the wedding is going to include international guests, one of the first things they will ask about will be the wedding date. It is therefore necessary to get their save-the-date early. It may take some time to arrange holidays, book flights, and plan the trip; therefore, very short notice to international guests may result in some of them having to miss the event.

Your save-the-date has to contain at least:

• Marriage date
• Place of the wedding in the Mediterranean Amalfi Coast
• Some basic information about the travel arrangement
• The wedding website, if applicable
• Tentative details of where the couples are going to stay

There is actually no need to wait until everything is fully planned before sending out save-the-dates to people.

Wedding Weekend Itinerary Draft

A destination wedding that takes place on the Italian Amalfi Coast does not necessarily have to take place within a single day.

For instance, a couple might be planning:

1st Day: Arrival and Welcome Dinner of Guests

2nd Day: Wedding Ceremony and Evening Reception

3rd Day: A Day of Fun with Activities Like the Boat Ride, Beach Day, Brunch, or Farewell Dinner

Thus, your guests get many chances of enjoying Italy together with ‍‍‍you.

Start‍‍‍ Legal Paperwork

Should you choose to legally tie the knot in Italy, begin searching for the up-to-date requirements on marriage early.

American couples will be advised to prepare documents like passports, sworn translations, and others in line with their situations. Since the requirements may shift, make sure to find out the present procedure from an Italian government official, your US embassy or an expert, and your wedding planner.

It is not unusual for some couples to decide to legalize their marriage in the USA first and later have a symbolic wedding on the Amalfi Coast. The symbolic wedding, naturally, cannot be the legal one, but it can make destination wedding planning more straightforward.

6th to 4th Months Before

Sometimes things take long to come into focus, but it’s the stage when you have more time and energy to tackle the little things and get your wedding organized. It means the time of details to be handled.

Finalize Your Wedding Design

Decide on the wedding style and the wedding theme.

• Wedding flower arrangements
• Wedding color scheme
• Table decorations and table setting
• Wedding invitation suite
• Food menu selections
• Wedding cake design
• Wedding music, DJ, or band
• Wedding ceremony setup and wedding program

Apart from the mentioned, you might also want to think and talk to your Italy wedding photographer and videographer about what the couple wants from the camera and filming.

Your Italy wedding videographer will appreciate it if you bring up any specific moments that are close to your heart, such as family speeches, customs, cultural traditions, first looks, vows, or a special dance.

Plan Transportation

Adequate transportation in the Amalfi Country and its surroundings is a must, especially when the number of guests is considerable.

Given that the road in some areas is narrow and crowded, a private vehicle is a perfect solution for the wedding weekend for your wedding guest.

Make your guests’ lives easier by organizing and arranging a comprehensive transportation plan covering from- and to-airport transfers, between-hotel transfers, from ceremony to reception, and between the reception and accommodation, as well as any planned group activity.

3rd to 2nd Months Before

Your big day is just around the corner.

Confirm Guest List

Give another call to the guests who are in your list but still haven’t replied.

Also, pass on the information regarding the total final number of guests to your venue and catering service provider.

Finalize the Wedding Schedule

The next step will be to make the detailed day-of-wedding schedule that covers:

• Making up
• The moment of first sight
• Ceremonial part of the wedding
• Photos with family and the bridal party
• Picture of only the two of you

The most crucial times are the ones between each event when there’s a possibility for some overlap, so sharing these critical timelines with your planner and other wedding vendors will ensure everyone’s on one page and no part of your day is mishandled or ‍‍‍missed.

Confirm‍‍‍ Your Wedding Film

Have a discussion with your videographer regarding the final shooting schedule.

If your dream is to capture a wedding film that features the stunning scenery along the Amalfi Coast, make sure to find out the best moments of the day to film couple portraits, sunset clips, and scene shots.

1 Month Before

At this time, major decisions have mostly been agreed upon.

Check:

• Number of guests
• Seating layout
• Vendor arrival schedules
• Transport
• Wedding menu
• Music
• Photographs
• Films
• Hair & Makeup
• Ceremony

Prepare a final list of contacts for your planner and important vendors.

1 Week Before

Amalfi Coast, here you come!

Come to know your wedding planner and, if you can, walk around the venue and see the place firsthand.

Fix the details of the ceremony site, reception layout, transportation, and weather-related solutions.

Also, this period is good if you want your guests to feel welcome and to take advantage of your time in Italy before the wedding.

Your Great Amalfi Coast Wedding Day

It’s your moment, and you are already dreaming about it.

Schedules for a usual wedding day might look as follows:

Early: Hair and makeup with preparing for the big day

Middle: Wedding portraits together, first look (optional)

Afternoon: Wedding Ceremony

Evening: Portrait photos with family & friends, cocktails,

Sunset: Scenic couple shots and filming

Night: The party of speeches followed by the dancing and dinner. The finale of the night.

The wedding videographers will record not only the ceremonies but will also catch all of your day’s little moments, like laughing on the way to the altar, your parents’ faces, emotional speeches, music and dancing, and that gorgeous Amalfitan scenery, which can’t be forgotten.

After the Wedding

The destination marriage doesn’t end when the last guest leaves.

Find out from the photographer and videographer about a timeline for getting your final pictures and wedding footage back.

A wedding film you can watch and relive your Italian adventure through the sounds and feelings at the wedding many weeks, perhaps years after it has ‍‍‍happened!

For‍‍‍ couples generally, 12 months to 18 months is the most reasonable period of time to plan a wedding event. In many cases, the most desired venues and dates can even demand more time of preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I plan an Amalfi Coast wedding?

For many couples, 12 to 18 months is a practical planning window. Popular venues and dates may require even more advance planning.

Which month is the best time for a wedding in Amalfi Coast?

May, June, September, and early October are often viewed by the couple as beautiful wedding months. It, however, is not a perfect solution as the weather, availability of a venue, and your own tastes should be all your major concerns.

Is an American couple legally required to get married in Italy?

Not exactly. A couple has to option of either a legal marriage or a symbolic ceremony in Italy. According to your schedule and plan, if you prefer a legal wedding in Italy, you should look up what is required currently at least a few months before the wedding.

How soon should I reserve a wedding videographer of Amalfi Coast?

It is a good idea if you start to look for a videographer in time especially if you are after a well-known expert or a particular wedding day. A lot of destination-weddings service providers are scarce and can afford to say they can make a wedding only for so many couples each peak season.

Do I necessarily need to hire a wedding planner for Amalfi Coast wedding?

An Amalfi Coast wedding planner is optional, not a legal requirement, but having local planner can make your life so much easier in case of issues like dealing with a venue, transportation, vendors, schedule, and local requirements.

Final Words

It is not only easier but also a pleasant way to spend your time with some planning if you know you can have everything ready at the last moment if you plan your Amalfi Coast destination wedding by simply dividing and conquering the entire process into small steps.

Begin with the date of your wedding, the place you want to hold it, guest list to your party, planner, and venue. Next, the key suppliers will be booked, your guests’ traveling will be arranged, legal formalities if any will be sorted out, and at the very last few months you will do the last touches to your perfect day.

Of course, you should make a big effort of your part to ensure the wedding is planned as per your needs and at the same time it shouldn’t take you away from the joy of the whole ‍‍‍event.