Wedding, the precious advice of a special wedding planner

It’s easy to say “wedding”, but when you find yourself in the midst of organizing the fateful day, keeping your nerves is not trivial. Who to invite? Where? And the dress? What if it rains heavily? There are a thousand doubts and, given the date, they become a million.

To quell anxieties and relieve oneself from tasks, in recent years the wedding plannerwho, by profession, think about the entire organization, with its annexes and related things.

Diana Da Ros, born in 1981, has become one of the reference wedding planners in Italy. Teacher at Assowedding, the first Italian school for Wedding Planners, she is now in the bookshop with her new book Before you say yes (Courser Publisher), where he talks about the many weddings he has organised, including exciting encounters, emotions and amazing adventures

In your book you recounted the first wedding you organised, for which they asked you to develop everything with a “lemons” theme, meaning kisses. What other “bizarre” requests were made to you?
«One of the most particular weddings that I am organizing is undoubtedly the one in Lapland for 2026: that’s right, well, very well in advance, the spouses hired me to make their dream of getting married with the Northern Lights come true. Obviously the Aurora cannot be guaranteed as it is a natural phenomenon, but we have chosen one of the months in which there is a high probability of it occurring. The bride wants a dress with LED lights and the groom wants a headdress with a wolf’s head (don’t worry, not a real one) and a stole that is a bit reminiscent of King Joffy Joffer from the film The Prince Seeks a Wife. Pretty bizarre isn’t it? During the first call I was wide-eyed, but I assure you that I am working to make their dreams come true. Another bizarre theme was undoubtedly the Monopoly theme, the famous game itself: the risk is that of falling into kitsch, but the challenge is precisely to make fun weddings instead.”

I know that you are passionate about gadgets and little gifts to give to guests: for example, which ones are you most proud of having found?
«A marriage that is very close to my heart, also because they are dear friends, was that of a famous DJ with a famous singer. I managed to create a heart for them with DJ headphones which we transformed into key rings. No initials, no dates, just a heart with DJ headphones. Many, many guests (and me too) still keep it today. Then many years ago I managed to have a miniature white iron Ferris wheel made in the United States to display confetti and sweets. And then the surprise gadget for my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding… Beautiful white top hats for all the guests, a beautiful eye-catcher for the moment of dancing.”

And the cake? How can it never be?
«It depends on the seasons. Let’s say that if you get married in the summer at 42 degrees, it’s better to avoid making it entirely of cream because the risk, even just for the 15/20 minutes it’s outside before cutting, is that it turns into something shapeless. Cream and heat really don’t go together. And, in general, for me the cake must not be too tall: a 12-tier cake is excessive and risks distracting attention from the bride and groom. I wouldn’t go beyond 5 floors at most. Of course, the cake moment is an important moment, it closes the whole evening, it’s the moment for romantic songs and the most classic photos. If you really want it to be spectacular, but you also want it to be good, I’ll reveal a trick that shouldn’t be underestimated: have a nice fake cake prepared and have an excellent pastry cake served, so you’ll avoid all the usual comments “eh but the pasta flower sugar is cloying…””.

In the book you say that it is possible to access Disneyland Paris an hour in advance to have a photo shoot done “alone”, without the usual crowds: what else can you do that you would think impossible?
«There are many things that seem impossible and yet can be achieved. For example, you can privatize and customize a plane to transport all the guests together (complete with personalized headrest covers and hostess uniforms matching the party setup). I also rented a chairlift exclusively. There are those who have obtained the Basilica of San Marco for themselves in Venice with a private night visit only for their guests. Who knows, maybe in the not too distant future, we will also be able to organize weddings on the moon or in orbit in space.”

The bride checks the weather a thousand times: what measures should be taken if it rains heavily so that everything doesn’t get ruined?
«Number 1: stay calm. The weather in the organization is the only thing that cannot be predicted well in advance or managed so you always have to be ready. The secret is to act in time, not to wait for the spouses’ decision: I now stipulate that the decision on plan A or B is taken by me in agreement with the location and catering, because we know what to do, we know how not to create inconvenience for the guests and enable them to enjoy the wedding even in case of rain. This means providing corridors, tensile structures, umbrellas and shoe covers if you have to cross a lawn or dirt. Number 2: never trust the weather 100%. More reliable are local suppliers, fishermen, mountain guides, in short, local people who know the winds, sudden changes in the weather and already know whether it will rain or not. I trust the “locals” more than the weather forecast.”

Today I imagine there are couples of different religions and cultures: which wedding ritual from other parts of the world have you discovered and surprised you the most?
«I have had the pleasure and honor of working with several Jewish couples. In Jewish culture, the division between men and women is always surprising: the men strictly all on the right during the ceremony with the kippah on their heads and the women all on the left. In more Orthodox marriages this division must absolutely be respected. And then the beautiful thing about Jewish weddings is that they dance a lot and always end at dawn.”

The meeting between the spouses and the wedding planner is a bit like the one with the psychologist: there must be understanding, alignment. What happens if you realize that you don’t understand each other? Are there any penalties or do you say goodbye and amen?
«We can’t get along or please everyone: if empathy and chemistry don’t work, well, like all contracts, a termination clause must be included. In 15 years it has only happened to me once: the bride and groom wanted to have a wedding in a “wedding factory” that did several weddings in a single day, one after the other. I’m sorry, I really can’t do that: for me every wedding is unique and I’m not a fan of “wedding factories”.

September is very fashionable. But what is the best time to get married and why?
«It depends on the country, obviously. In Italy the “wedding high season” runs from May to the end of September, but in recent years a beautiful month to get married is October, still warm until the first half, beautiful colors, perfect photos guaranteed! For all other destinations, it is better to avoid the months of hurricanes in the Caribbean and monsoons in the East.”

Who inspires you?
«When I was a child I dreamed of fashion and I was inspired by the myths of the time: Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Moschino… Then, growing up and discovering a passion for events, my myth has always been David Tutera, my mentor and today I can proudly say great personal friend: in the book I dedicated an entire chapter to him. If I think of Italy, I think of Enrico Bartolini, the excellence of Made in Italy, of creativity, of aesthetic and culinary perfection: also in this case I am lucky and honored that my legend has become my friend. I invite you to read the book: you will discover the crazy events that he agreed to organize over the years… ».