Apparently you don't need an extra-budget to plan a magical, intimate and romantic wedding on the Amalfi Coast. With 10 guests, a beautiful Airbnb, and lots of DIYs, Hattie and Mavric made their dream come true! Discover their experiences, with lots of tips and insights of their Airbnb Wedding on the Amalfi Coast!
Pre-Wedding Planning: Inside the Airbnb Wedding on the Amalfi Coast
What made you choose Italy as your destination for your wedding?
It started out as a joke when my husband said he wanted to eat a cheese pizza and get married in Italy! As we started looking (we knew we wanted a destination style) we saw that Italy was a feasible option.
What was the inspiration behind your wedding location in Italy?
VIEWS: the view our Airbnb gave off were the views we were dreaming of. We wanted it to be along the coast.
How did you select your venue? Did you visit multiple locations before making a decision?
We actually just guessed and winged it, after talking to our airbnb host, we decided to go for it! We looked for other options along the coast but didn’t find anything that gave the same views.
How did you manage to use an Airbnb as your wedding venue? Did you have to ask permission to the host or pay an extra fee?
We asked permission to, as airbnb is strict on “parties”. This was going to be a one day event with only 10 people, so our host didn’t mind accommodating, he helped us with transportation and such, with no extra fees!
Did you hire a wedding planner, and if so, how did they help with the planning process?
No planner, I did all my own, and winged it!
How did you manage the legal requirements and paperwork for getting married in Italy?
We actually legally got married in the states beforehand, and signed our “keepsake”
paperwork over in Italy on our wedding day to make it feel official on that day.
What was your budget, and how did you manage it while planning a wedding abroad?
As cheap as possible, there’s a lot of “extras” people do that are not necessary and the money adds up. We kept things simple. Our airbnb for the 10 days also was our “venue”. We flew our own photographer and videographer over that we know from the states for way cheaper. We flew out hair and makeup artists over as well, as she is also my best friend. We purchased a cake at a local bakery, we were going to get flowers from a local shop but due to rain, the shop was closed. We made due with what we had at the airbnb and used what we had, and it was perfect!
Wedding Day Experience
If you had to choose one, what was the most memorable moment of your wedding in Italy?
We did a boat ride after our ceremony and such was over to close out the evening, and took some photo/video and it was the perfect ending to our special day.
How did your guests react to the location and the overall experience?
At first they were like this is crazy, then they realized it’s not that crazy with as expensive as weddings are, we might as well all actually enjoy our day in time and spend our money in a better way.
Were there any challenges or unexpected situations? If so, how did you handle them?
It rained a lot and it doesn’t normally rain, so roads and shops were closed making things a little difficult but we still managed. Luckily our host helped us set a lot of things up for us, like the boat ride.
Did you incorporate any local Italian traditions into your wedding ceremony or reception such as rituals or live food corners?
We had an Italian bakery make our cake for us, and they added the Italian charm to it. Our color scheme and such we tried to help go along with the “Italy vibes”.
Post-Wedding Reflection
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently in your planning or on the wedding day itself?
For our “honeymoon” we stayed in Italy and just explored different places, but next time or if we had to do things differently we would've only stayed in our along the coast airbnb for a few days. It was in a very remote location, we were still able to get places just took longer / pricer and just made things a little more difficult having to taxi so far and so often.
What advice would you give to other couples that considering a destination wedding in Italy?
DO IT. It doesn’t have to be the $200,000 plus day or event, keep it simple and keep it about you and your spouse, and it will be just as magical and even more special.
How did you and your guests handle travel arrangements, and did you plan any group activities or excursions around the wedding?
We all booked our airbnb’s nearby, so it was easier for them to transport the day of the wedding. We all decided to go to Pompeii together and Rome another day as well, but all got separate places when we stayed there. We just stayed in touch and communicated plans and if people wanted to join they could, or do their own thing (there was only 10 of us all total so easier to coordinate things than with a TON of people).
What services did you gifted your guests (accomodation, flight, next-day brunch) or none of them? Do you consider this a taboo?
If you have the means to help and do more, go for it. Everyone who came paid their own way (other than we paid for our photogether travel), we also paid for our best friend to have a place to stay, she just paid her ticket and whatever else she wanted while she was there. Our family who attended actually offered to help pay for things we did as a group at times (dinner, taxis, etc.)
Did you have a honeymoon in Italy as well? If so, where did you go and how was it?
Yes, we just went all over the area we could. Sorrento, Rome, Pompeii, Tivoli, Positano and Amalfi and Capri.
How did you get on with suppliers?
N/A used local people we brought over - and our airbnb host helped arrange our boat ride through Lubrense Boats. Found a local bakery for the cake once we explored the local town.
In what time of the year did you get married and how was the climate?
October 21, 2024. Weather was perfect that day, best day the entire time we were there.
Personal Insights
What was the best piece of advice you received during the planning process?
DO WHAT YOU WANT - and we did !
What did you enjoy the most about your destination wedding?
That I could enjoy what the day was actually about - US and our LOVE.
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