The 2027 Italian wedding checklist: 10 things to do before the year ends

planning advice

Winter is the ideal time to get ahead of wedding planning, and it’s the season that decides how calm your final months feel. Whether you have an early- or late-summer date, the season kicks off in late April or May, and that means from then your vendors have less time to work on your day. So get everything as prepped as you can ready for the final touches next year. It’s time to lock in.

“Planning gets seriously intense at the four-month mark in Italy, but a lot of jobs left for then can be done right now. By the time the tinsel goes up, every vendor should be booked, and your timeline and styling in a good draft position, so you can enjoy the season.” ~ Lucy White, Founder of La Lista and Whiskow & White

GET THE LAY OF THE LAND

Sit down with your planner or vendors and get clear on what needs to happen, what they need from you and when. When do they want briefing? Are they sending you something to fill in? When’s your final call? This matters most for the briefing, where you tell your planner (who tells your vendors) exactly what’s happening at your events. Every. Little. Detail.

LEARN HOW YOUR VENUE WORKS

Timings, what food is served when, when they want briefing. Does your venue need every guest’s name and passport details? Find out now so you can build it into your website or invites. So much less faff later.

BOOK YOUR FINAL VENDORS

Hopefully most are in the bag, but let’s get everyone locked in: florist, stationer, lighting, sound. Be aware that some vendors may not sign until you have a clear idea of your styling direction, which brings us to…

GET YOUR MOODBOARD CLEAR

If you haven’t started styling, start now. Keep it concise and focus on what you love and the absolute must-nots.

KNOW YOUR EXACT BUDGET

You should always be in control, but now’s the time for a good tidy up. Make sure everything to date is tracked, and that you know what’s still flexible (catering and any unbooked vendors, for example) and what’s left for each. Decisions get a lot quicker that way.

START WRITING YOUR WEDDING GUIDE

That’s a document outlining every detail of your wedding, and it’s essential if you’re self-planning. Working with a planner? Ask to proof a draft before Christmas to check everything’s on track.

GET THE OUTFITS IN GOOD SHAPE FOR EVERYONE

Whoever’s most likely to put this off (we’re looking at you, groom), nudge them. Start the shoe search now too, because it always takes much longer than you think.

ORDER THE RINGS

Yes, it can wait. But why? You’ll be so busy in the final four months that you’ll want to get as much done now as you can.

BOOK THE BEAUTY APPOINTMENTS AND DRESS ALTERATIONS

Same reason. Lock them in and enjoy ticking another thing off.

START THE LONG JOBS

Set up a shared playlist for each part of the day and start dropping songs in whenever you hear one you love. Keep a running speech dump list too: whenever you think of something nice about your partner, jot it down. And save links to gift ideas as you spot them.

And remember, you don’t have to plan it alone. The Club brings your wedding planning essentials together in one place, from practical tools and budget tracking to the guidance you need to navigate your Italian wedding with confidence. Consider it your little corner of the internet for making sense of it all, so you can spend less time second-guessing and more time looking forward to the good stuff.