Top advice we learnt from our summer of weddings
My goodness weddings were a blast this season and the La Lista team were on the ground with our sister company Wiskow & White and some seriously amazing suppliers breathing in the nerves, the joy and the epic moments in Italy. We loved getting stuck in - steaming tablecloths on never-ending tables, hitting refresh hundreds of times on our weather apps, sheltering from the rain (man did it pour down), hiding from the sun and generally lapping up some seriously show-stopping weddings.
Check out some of our fav moments and our top bits of advice after experiencing the 2023 weddings IRL.
The Sicilian Wedding
Guests: 140
Location: Tonnara di Scopello
Month: August
Couple: New Zealand
The Team: Lucy, Danielle, Martina, Emily
Photography: Benjamin Wheeler
The Best Bits:
The wedding morning - the calm before the epic celebration! The couple wanted guests to enjoy the venue throughout the day, so whilst the groom’s party took to the water on boat and the bride and her girls were getting their glam on, guests could be seen relaxing by the shore, catching up, enjoying a drink and just soaking in the moment. Your guests will be blown away, so give them time to revel in this feeling.
The venue - this one is an absolute show-stopper! I have dreamt of working here and honestly, it did not disappoint. I love a venue which has a labyrinth of quirky areas to discover and host various parts of the day - and the Tonnara has it all. Seafront - literally…have too many drinks and you’ll be taking a dip! Dancing cave - no after party should be without one! Atmospheric courtyard for the ceremony…tick.
Asking the right person to steer the day - the MC. This couple chose a confident double act who took MC-ing to a whole other level. Whilst you absolutely need personality here, be mindful of lengths of speeches and MC-ing intros as guests will start to waiver, timings of service could be affected and other parts of the evening might be delayed if you are over-running.
Photo: Benjamin Wheeler
The Takeaways:
Timings. Temperatures reached 36 degrees on this wedding day and an earlier ceremony would have been unbearable. In peak summer, later ceremony times of around 4pm are always recommended. Fans were laid on the guests seats and parasols available - and the bride was fortunately not late, so friends and family didn’t have to sit too long in the bright sun. Deciding what time to have each part of your day is hugely influenced by the heat and the light. With everything feeding into each other carefully considered timings are crucial. Get married too early on a hot day and guests will be hot and uncomfortable. Aperitif is magical as the heat begins to subside, especially when you’re serving buffet style cold meats, which you don’t want sitting in the heat. Having your photographer capture sunset shots of you both somewhere, whilst your guests are enjoying their drinks definitely requires consideration. And finally to have dinner as dusk draws in, with candles and lighting being used to create a warmth and total epic vibe! This bride and groom took everything in from a balcony overlooking their glimmering tables, and wow did they get a birds-eye view of the magic unfolding.
Keeping to the schedule. Your best friend might be delivering the most hilarious speech, but going on too long not only affects the timings for the catering service, but significant extensions might affect what time your party starts and the length. Live music at the Tonnara is only permitted for a certain length in the courtyard, so this couple risked precious dance floor time and enjoyment of their band. Fortunately speeches were sped up and no dancing was missed!
Creating the moments. If you think of each element of your day as a moment, consider how you want guests and yourselves to feel at each one. A planner will work through this with you. The entrance to dinner - consider your music, the lighting, the mood - relaxed or electric? This couple’s Mr & Mrs entrance was introduced with huge anticipation and energy - the music was loud, guests on their feet, napkins circling, everyone totally ready to party!
The Tuscan Wedding
Guests: 110
Location: Villa di Ulignano
Month: September
The Couple: UK
The team: Lucy, Beth & Giusy
Photographer: Harry Michael
Best Bits:
Having a surprise WOW moment for guests (and in this case the groom) really does amplify the vibe and emotion of the day. The bride arranged for an Italian tenor to perform towards the end of dinner and it really was magic. It created an incredible atmosphere; guests were on their feet, napkins were firmly in the air and the goosebumps were real.
As well as surprise musical moments, the flow and momentum of the day is carried by your music choices. The music really flowed at this wedding, creating a vibe at each different part of the day. Guests danced the night away under twinkly lights and stars with Omero & Friends delivering on that party vibe.
The food!! As big foodies this was really important to the couple who had carefully selected each course to create the perfect feast for their guests. They worked with Italian Taste Lodovichi, a tried-and-tested supplier for us, who really delivered an exceptional menu of authentic Italian food. The pappardelle bolognese was to die for.
The Takeaways:
The rain was biblical at this wedding and it wasn’t forecast. It really was like nothing I’ve seen before and will be a part of the wedding the couple certainly won’t ever forget. Weather is always a super tricky one, as unfortunately, as much as we’d like to, we have no control over it. The couple were desperate to dine outside the gorgeous facade of Villa di Ulignano…this for them was their dream and a non-negotiable. A stretch tent was set up at the side of the villa and this was available for them as a wet weather / plan B option. It is important to note, that the catering team will crack on with setting up your wedding tables as soon as they arrive on site at your wedding venue. This is usually around midday, so this is when a final decision needs to be made (at the latest). As the weather forecast was showing a light shower during the aperitif, the couple decided to risk it and have the tables set up outside the front of the villa. We covered the tables with thin plastic covers to protect them during this time, while the guests were under the stretch tent for the aperitif.
This is when the BIBLICAL RAIN hit. The rain was so heavy the stretch tent was getting weighed down at the sides, waiting staff were running to avoid getting drenched between the kitchen and the aperitif and the dinner table was taking a hit. The white table clothes were soaked and dirty on the sides from the sheer amount of rain coming down. The rain stopped after a couple of hours, and at this point we made decision to take the table cloths off and completing reset the tables. For over 100 guests this is no quick job, with all of the beautiful crockery, glass wear, florals and decor. The couple did end up getting their dream dinner outside the front of the villa and loved every second. But the main takeaways from this are:
It does rain in Italy! It is SO important to have a plan B / wet weather option available.
The catering team call the shots when it comes to where the table will be set up and a decision will need to be made on the morning of your wedding (latest!)
You can never predict what the day will throw at you. This rain wasn’t forecasted. Get a great team of suppliers around you, who will move mountains to make the day a success. Embrace the day, accept the weather and go with the flow. This freak weather did not dampen the couples spirit, they still bought the VIBE and had an incredible time.
The Puglian Wedding
Guests: 50
Location: Masseria Le Torri
Month: June
The Couple: UK couple
The Team: Lucy & Elsa
Photographer: The Unbridled
Best Bits:
The food: Puglian food is unqiue and truly delicous. Imagine hand stretched mozarella station, fresh fish and tempura - all cooked fresh in front of you.
The architecture: You just can’t beat a white Puglian building - so chic, minimalist and gorgeous in the sunshine. Puglian venues are often have really well designed interiors too and Masseria Le Torri is a stunning private hayven.
The tears at the table reveal…the couple didn’t think they would get this and would end up inside after storms…but read on for how the magic unfolded.
The Takeaways:
Always plan for the weather. The weather was unexpectedly stormy. The couple had a tent booked but made the decision not to go ahead with it 3 days before the wedding. This was a mistake as the weather shifted pattern again and left them with just one inside space for the whole day and a tight dinner. I can’t stress enough that you cannot trust the forecasts. However many you look at or how often, trust those on the ground and your planner.
Supplier choice really matters. Due to rain we had to set up the dinner inside. Caterers always want to set up dinner when they first arrive at a location, it’s essentially a non-negotiable. During the aperitif I approached the idea that we could move the dinner. Almost every caterer would say ‘no way’. But the relationship we have with this caterer meant they were up for the challenge. This is double the work for everyone involved but we managed it AND surprised the couple with the outdoor set up. It was one of the highlights of their day.
Contd... The DJ didn’t listen to the planners brief. As the planner, before each moments music is played I always double check what’s going to be played. When the party started the DJ kept going off track to his own music. This is usually OK as long as people are dancing, which they were, it was a great party. But the couple had spent a long time on their music choices and really wanted them played. I went back 5+ times to tell the DJ to play their songs and he kept reverting back to his own thinking he knew better. This is defiant and isn’t a rarity - be aware, pick tried and tested suppliers that come from a recommendation and work with your planner or team. Booking directly without guidance can lead to disappointment.
If you love a real wedding as much as us, then head to our Real Wedding section and get ready to feel completely inspired - whether you’re planning an elopement, intimate or a big ‘everyone’s invited’ wedding, we have got the goodies for you.
