After visiting Florence it was the only venue we could imagine for our wedding. We looked online and emailed four wedding planners that offered the service of arranging it. Of those, two never replied, one just sent a price list and Effetti replied asking what we wanted from our wedding and what they could do, showing an enthusiasm for our wedding which mirrored our own. From then on we didn’t even consider anyone else and thank goodness. Over the two years of planning, we had almost constant contact with Francesca and I have nothing but positives to say.

In the beginning there was only a loose idea of what we wanted and Francesca helped expand our vision with experience and knowledge. She always acknowledged and replied to emails, offering friendly practical advice.

About a year before the wedding, we returned to Florence and met Francesca and Massimilliano and went to see Residenza Casanuova (a 5* apartment) and Dei Frescobaldi (a specialist wine restaurant) which they recommended and wow to both! We also went to visit the Salla Rosso at Pallazzo Vecchio where the wedding would take place, and again…WOW! We never felt as if we were being railroaded into any of their suggestions, they were just what we had hoped for. That also goes for the hairdresser and photographer, both of whom were exceptionally good.

So that was the easy bit sorted. Where and when!

Over the next year we had to deal with Registrars in England and Italian bureaucracy needed dealing with as Italian paperwork is a joy to behold! All we can say is thank goodness for Francesca (and Max). Our involvement was essentially following her directions and sending what she asked for. Thanks to her knowledge and expertise it was made easy and stress-free for us, meaning we could concentrate on the logistics of arranging a wedding for around 40 people to attend 1000 miles away.

As the wedding neared, we didn’t have constant demands for money from the different parties. In fact we paid deposits about 6 months ahead and that was pretty much it until the wedding!! And as more questions occurred, Francesca just dealt with them and, about a month before, she sent us the itinerary for the wedding including prices and outstanding payments which were due on the day.

We had to be in Florence two days before the wedding to sign a declaration at the Town Hall. We met Francesca and again she just led us through it and translated everything so we were clear on what was going on. Apart from being totally efficient, she is a complete delight and we chatted for ages after about all sorts.

On the day of the wedding, Francesca was at the Residence early to supervise the hair, taxis, flowers, Photographer and the whole of the bride’s party whilst Massimilliano met the groom’s party at the restaurant so we could set up our favours and confirm last minute details with Francesco (the Head Waiter) who is an absolute star. He then supervised getting everyone in before the bride arrived. After the wedding, they sorted getting the guests into the restaurant for aperitifs whilst Rosa (the Photographer) marched the two of us round Florence for photographs to the cheers and clapping of hundreds of tourists. As embarrassing as that sounds, it’s something we will cherish as everyone was so kind and friendly. The Carousel was a particularly hilarious high point!!

Francesca and Massimilliano met us back at the restaurant and we went in for our meal which I’m not sure I have the words to describe. Francesco and his staff are amazing, the food simply out of this world and the way they suit the wine to each dish, utterly divine.

Francesca stayed until the end of the meal to ensure all was perfect. And it was.

There’s no getting away from the fact that you do have to pay for the service and I would tender a quote at this point. “A cynic knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing” Essentially, to us, the service Effetti provided was worth every penny as they made sure our special day was a complete dream. The only hiccup we had was the best man’s shoes!! (but that’s another story)

If you are considering getting married in Tuscany (and we recommend you do), contact Effetti.

There really is nothing else to say.

Efffetti wedding with Francesca made our wedding a fairytale both for us and not at least our guests. We started the planning 10 month before and after our first meeting at beautyful Borgo San Luigi, we had regulary contact on Skype and Mail. Us from Norway and she in Italy. Fransesca is a great organisator and her english language is perfect. She Always gives quick and professional feedback. And she Always gave us several alternatives and recomendations. Francesca uses all of her contacts and listen to what you as a bridal couple prefere on your big day. We had 60 norwegian guests who enjoyed every second of the days spent in the beautyful location. Thank you again for making our wedding to the best day of our life:)

I was worried that planning a wedding abroad in a country where I don’t speak the language would be stressful and complicated. But I cannot believe how stress-free and easy Francesca and Massimiliano made every step of the process. They are AMAZING! We are Americans who married in Italy in a Catholic- legally recognized ceremony -so there was a lot paperwork but the process was made so easy. We had help at every turn. We are so grateful for all that they did for us! I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful the entire trip and event were. Every time we had a question or concern, they were readily available and responded quickly. They are wonderful people and they are extremely organized planners. Every detail was taken care of and executed with finesse. We will truly be forever thankful to have met them and worked with them!

-Michelle + Spence

Andrew and I had the most amazing wedding. It’s quite daunting to book a wedding abroad without knowing the area so it was geat to have an expert who could help and advise without us seeing things. it was especailly lovely to have someone who was genuinly interested in the wedding too rather than just selling us extras! We felt completely confident in Francesca to recommend and book our wedding for us. We were extremely pleased with the church – it was beautiful. We had visited about 8 months before our wedding day to check out the accomodation and reception venue however we hadnt visited the church. When i first started to plan the wedding, i was overwhelmed with choice of location etc. I told Efffetti what we wanted and they came back with a selection of places tailored to what we wanted to help make our decision a lot easier. Their expertise in arranging a catholic weddnig was also brilliant. I would certainly recommend them to anyone and we couldnt have done it without them. Thank you so much Francesca and Massimiliano – you were brilliant! xx

Dear Francesca and Massimiliano, we can’t thank you enough for all of your help with our wedding in Lucca, we couldn’t believe how smoothly everything went, it was perfect. You do get a bit nervous when you’re trying to organise the most important day in your life especially when you are not in the same country and are handing the responsibility over to someone else, but we had nothing to worry about. When we met you we felt totally relaxed that everything seemed organised just how we wanted it. You had looked after everything we had requested and also things we had forgotten about. We want to also thank you so much for sorting out our marriage certificates and for sending us the photos you took. The hairdresser you booked was also amazing. If we ever know of anyone who is wanting to get married in Italy we would recommend you to them in an instant. Thank you again for making our day truly amazing it wouldn’t have been the same without your help. Love Justine & Dean xx