In wedding photographs, you see flowers, toasts, and hugs. You rarely see the car returning from the dry cleaner with the bride’s dress. Or the one carrying plates and glasses because the catering truck couldn’t make it up the hill.

Sometimes, that’s part of our work, too.

Over the years, we’ve also handled more demanding situations that called for calm, experience, and teamwork. Today, though, I’m taking you behind the scenes of the little mishaps that, once resolved, became stories we still laugh about together.

These moments come from different weddings, across different years. They feature me, the people who have worked alongside me, and a few objects that apparently had plans of their own.

The Bride at the Church. The Bouquet in the Fridge at Home.

Keeping the bouquet cool had been a good idea. Leaving it there while the bride headed to the church, a little less so.

The religious ceremony was already underway when we found ourselves with the bride in one place and her bouquet in another. I went with the bride’s mother to collect it from home before the ceremony ended.

Of all the things you imagine doing on a wedding day, opening a refrigerator to retrieve the floral guest of honor probably isn’t near the top.

It’s on my list now.

The Boutonniere That Had Defeated Every Safety Pin

One of my assistants was trying to attach a boutonniere to the groom’s father’s jacket. The flower wasn’t cooperating, and the safety pins in my emergency kit were giving up one by one.

By the time I arrived, we had reached that point where a tiny object seemed to require an entire planning meeting.

I looked at the flower, looked at the jacket, and placed the boutonniere in the breast pocket.

It looked beautiful.

Sometimes, the solution is a change of approach. In this case, by just a few inches.

The Candles That Wanted an Early Night

A wedding on a Tuscan hilltop, a venue far from the shops, and candles burning down much faster than expected.

Our candlelit dinner was looking dangerously short on candlelight.

One of my assistants set off to find a supermarket about nineteen miles away. New candles found, problem solved.

The Tuscan countryside is beautiful. On certain occasions, so is the household aisle of a supermarket.

The Rings That Made a Late Entrance

The best man had left the wedding rings at home.

We found two temporary rings to keep ready while we waited for the real ones. Meanwhile, the ring pillow had a change of schedule: it would arrive for the ring exchange instead of at the beginning of the ceremony.

The real rings made it in time.

The temporary ones were able to end their brief careers without ever going on duty.

The Truck That Needed to Travel Light

The catering truck got stuck on the uphill approach to the venue.

Inside were plates, glasses, and cutlery. All fairly useful things to have at a wedding dinner.

We got to work, unloading part of the cargo and taking it up to the venue in our own cars. With less weight on board, the truck made it up the hill.

Our trunks carried a rather different assortment of things that day.

The Bride Collected in Florence. Conversation Optional.

Two days before the wedding, on the day the guests were arriving, a bride missed her connecting train in Florence to the small town in Chianti where we were waiting for her.

She had never visited the venue. One of my team’s assistants, helping with arrivals that day, went to collect her.

He didn’t speak English. The bride reached her destination, and the journey involved very few words.

Some transfers are an opportunity for long conversations. This one focused mainly on the transfer.

Tuscany’s Finest Luggage Porter

At one venue, luggage delivery to the guest rooms wasn’t included.

There were stairs, though. And suitcases. Huge ones.

We all pitched in to help the guests. One of our assistants earned the unofficial title of Tuscany’s finest luggage porter.

An informal award, supported by quite a few bags.

Welcoming guests includes these moments, too: seeing someone facing a staircase with a suitcase and going over to lend a hand.

The Dress with a Dry-Cleaner Appointment

Two hours before the wedding, the bride wanted her dress professionally pressed. The nearest dry cleaner was about six miles away.

One of my assistants took it there, had it pressed, and brought it back to the venue in time.

That day, even the dress had its own private transfer.

First We Solve It. Then We Laugh.

When I think back on these moments, I remember the people who helped me handle them: the person who set off, the person who stayed to keep everything else moving, the person who found a practical solution.

At the time, a small mishap deserves attention. A bouquet, a dress, or two rings can mean a great deal to someone about to get married. So we get moving, help each other, and do our best to stay calm.

Then, once everything is sorted out, we can look at each other and laugh.

These memories capture a part of my work I love: knowing the plans, having a team I can count on, and being there when the day takes a small detour.

If you’re imagining your wedding in Italy, I’d love to meet you on an initial video call. Tell me about the place you’re dreaming of, the people you’d like beside you, and how you’d like those days to feel. Together, we’ll begin bringing your plans to life.