Turn-Key Wedding Opportunity: May 20-23, 2025 in Cortona, Italy

Are you a spontaneous couple? Have you been dreaming of a Spring, 2025 wedding but feel like you missed your chance? I have an opportunity to share.

As a full-service wedding planner, I care so deeply about each wedding, as if they were my own.

Due to circumstances beyond their control, one of my couples can no longer able to have their dream wedding in Italy this spring, and as their planner, I wanted to find a way to help them in any way that I can. With their permission, we are trying to find a lucky couple to take over their contracts.

We only have a day or two to make this work, but if I can find someone to take over their contracts, they will not lose all of their deposits, all of the incredible vendors will not lose the work, and a new couple will get an absolutely gorgeous, turn-key experience, locked in with 2023 pricing.

The couple will help subsidize some deposits, and the total cost, for absolutely everything listed below, and including accommodation for guests, comes to 55,000 euro all in. There are ways (see below) to reduce this further.

This same wedding, booked with the same vendors now would cost over 100,000 euro.

Here's a list of everything that is included for this beautiful Destination Wedding in Cortona, Italy.

Exclusive use/Hotel buy out from May 20-23 (Check in Tuesday, Check out Friday)

The venue can accommodate 150 guests for events.

Overnight, this beautiful hotel can sleep 32 guests in 16 luxury rooms and suites. For an additional 50 euro per cot per night, an additional 15 beds can be added, bringing the overnight guest count to 47. The venue is Relais Corte dei Papi. See below for a walkthrough of the event flow!

Accommodations for 32+ Guests for Three Nights in a 5 Star, Michelin Guide Hotel

Breakfast is included daily! Many of the suites even have steam rooms and soaking tubs built in.

Photography

Including 2 photographers, to capture every angle, with a natural, candid style with beautiful natural lighting.

Videography

Drone included!

Full-Service, High-Touch Wedding Planning

Full on site management by yours truly, for all three events. I arrive days before and leave after you do to make sure absolutely everything goes smoothly.

Bespoke Event Design

I will create a brand new event design, unique to you and tailored to your tastes, to make this wedding come to life for you and your partner.

Hair & Make Up

The current estimate includes Bride + three others for hair and make up services, and includes their travel from Florence. The makeup style is natural, editorial, highlighting your natural beauty!

Floral

The current based on ceremony florals, aisle entrances, bridal bouquet, one maid of honor bouquet, 3 boutonnières, cocktail table decor, lots of candlelight, and tablescapes for 60 guests. This can be adjusted, reallocated, and increased.

Welcome Dinner Tuesday, May 20, 2025: Pizza Party!

With free-flowing wine, traditional Tuscan appetizers, and house-made pizza! Estimate is based on 40 guests, which can be decreased to 32 to save money, or increased to accommodate additional guests (with an updated catering cost)

Wedding Feast Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Wedding feast includes aperitivo (with lots of wines, and classic appetizers), a wedding dinner (2 pastas, a main course, and a dessert for each guest, paired with wine). Estimate is based on 40 guests, which can be decreased to 32 to save money, or increased to accommodate additional guests (with an updated catering cost)

Open-Bar After Party

2 hours of an open bar are included, with the option to add on additional hours beyond midnight. We can open the doors to the pool area and have the party spill out into the patio, too!

Live Music, DJ, and AV for Ceremony

Guitar, Cello, Violin, and Voice join a DJ to play together throughout the evening!

AV is included to amplify the ceremony.

Elegant Rentals

Tables, glassware, and Louis-style chairs are provided through the venue; we have supplemented with ornate florentine chargers (underplates) and gold cutlery.

Additionally, for the ceremony, we have rented 65 tuscan crossback chairs. This number can be increased or reduced.

Traditional Italian Wedding Cake (millefoglie)

Handmade by a baker in Florence, and which the couple gets to assemble live, symbolizing creating a sweet life together.

This baker is also able to do a gluten-free version if need be.

Plan B for Weather

With a thoughtful event flow and carefully considered spaces, this wedding has only a Plan A...and a Plan A+!

Wine Tasting Excursion and Experience, Thursday, May 22, 2025

Wine tasting, cellar tour, and three course lunch at a beautiful winery in Montepulciano for Thursday!

The lunch, weather permitting, will take place among the vines.

This can be removed to save money.

Shuttle Transport

A shuttle bus for up to 50 guests is booked to go to the wine tasting, and with a stop to explore the town of Montepulciano on the way home so guests can explore this popular hill town.

This can be removed to save money.

Babysitting for Wednesday

Planning an adults-only celebration? A sitter is available to help!

This can be removed if not necessary.

Day-Of Materials: Signage, Menus, Placecards

A small budget has been allocated to cover day-of material costs. I will help design these based on whatever event design we craft together, and what is currently budgeted would cover all printing costs.

This could be increased to bring in a stationery designer.

Hospitality Kit

Budget has been accounted for to create a hospitality kit for any items guests may have forgotten to pack and could make their night easier, which would be placed in the restrooms during the event.

A decision-fatigue-free planning experience

Phew! All that's left is to sit back, relax, and fly to the wedding of your dreams.

An incredible, gracious guest experience

This wedding is designed to give your guests a multi-day retreat into the most beautiful Italian countryside, 15 minutes from the iconic Cortona (home of Under the Tuscan Sun).

I will create a wedding website for your guests so they have all the key information, travel tips, and schedule ready to go, so before they even arrive, your wedding is something they can look forward to.

Jane Handles Weddings creates hospitality-first events, to give guests the best possible experience so you can hear "that was the best wedding I ever went to!" for years to come.

Ready to get started? I would love to bring this to life for you, and turn a tough situation into a win-win-win!

Please email me directly to get started: info@janehandlesweddings.com

With a quintessential rolling hill and vine view for an outdoor ceremony, to a lush garden (will be in bloom by May, imagine those arches covered in rose blooms) and pool area for Aperitivo, to a reception hall fit for royalty (can you imagine a long table down the center, covered in candlelight?), to an after party in a bar with hand-painted walls by a local artist (her work is amazing), this venue has it all and these shots from our site visit really don't do it justice!