What are Italian wedding traditions?
Italian · also called la busta, bomboniere, confetti, Italian wedding customs
Italian weddings are organised around food and around two objects: la busta, the envelope of cash guests give in place of a gift, and the bomboniere, the favour the couple gives back. Between them sits a meal considerably longer than most guests expect.
La busta and the bomboniere
Guests give money in an envelope, handed over at the reception, and the amount is understood to at least cover the cost of their seat. The bride often carries a satin bag, la borsa, to collect them.
In return each guest leaves with a bomboniera - a small keepsake with five sugared almonds, confetti, tied in tulle. Five because the number is indivisible, and for health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life. The almond is bitter and the sugar is sweet, which is the point.
The meal, which is the event
A traditional Italian wedding meal runs to many courses across several hours: antipasti, a primo of pasta, a secondo of meat or fish, contorni, then dolci, the cake, and often a table of pastries afterwards. Four to five hours at the table is normal.
This shapes everything else. There is less standing-around time, dancing starts later, and the catering brief is entirely different from a plated three-course dinner. Tell your venue and caterer early what you are planning.
Planning it properly
A tradition only goes well if the people running your day know it is coming. These are the things to say out loud, and who to say them to.
- Tell your caterer how many courses, early
- A five-hour multi-course meal is a different staffing, kitchen and timeline plan from a three-course dinner.
- Order bomboniere with enough lead time
- One per guest or household, often personalised. It is a real order, not an afterthought.
- Plan how la busta is collected and secured
- Envelopes of cash accumulate through the night. Assign one trusted person and somewhere locked.
- Push the dancing later in the timeline
- If dinner runs to four hours, a DJ booked to finish at eleven will have played to a seated room all night.
Common questions
What is la busta at an Italian wedding?
An envelope of cash given by guests in place of a gift, handed over at the reception. The amount is generally understood to at least cover the cost of that guest's place at the meal.
What are bomboniere?
Favours given to each guest, traditionally five sugared almonds - confetti - wrapped in tulle. Five because the number cannot be divided, representing health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life.
How long is an Italian wedding meal?
Four to five hours is normal, running through antipasti, a pasta course, a meat or fish course, sides, dessert, cake and often a pastry table. It shapes the whole reception timeline.
The vendors who make this work
Italian wedding traditions depends on people who have done it before. Every review on Lazo comes from a couple who actually got married with that vendor, and rankings can't be bought.
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