Sonia Gallina


Bio

A bit about Sonia

Born in the northeast corner of Italy, Sonia is our senior wedding planner and co-owner of WeddingItaly. She specialises in the planning of high-end and exclusive events. Sonia joined the wedding industry in 2002 after completing her studies in the field and has planned over 400 events for couples who picked Italy as their magical setting to celebrate their love. 

Being a planner queen, she has also supervised just as many events. She has a strong London accent when she speaks because she spent a whole year living as an au pair in the Old Smoke. But she's also fluent in German and has a great knowledge of Vienna's rock music scene.

Skills

How I bring my A game to the team of WeddingItaly

I have always been drawn to the art of planning events, and over the years that passion has grown into a true expertise in the wedding industry

There is something deeply fulfilling in navigating complexity with grace and in connecting truly with people, and it is precisely that feeling that led me to build my career and, eventually, WeddingItaly itself.

I accompany couples from the very first steps of their journey, standing beside them as they choose their dream location and shape their budget into a vision. Together we design a thoughtful plan of action, which I then transform into the real, detailed planning of their celebration, drawing on years of experience across countless weddings and the deepest corners of Italy. Every relationship I build with the couples I work with carries the same warmth, filled with shared laughter and truly emotional moments.

I remain present until the very last note of the celebration, when the couple and their guests bid farewell. That final embrace, that goodbye hug, is without question my favourite moment of the entire experience.

I am, by nature, someone who seeks solutions, and after so many years in this industry, few surprises remain that I have not already learned to turn into opportunities. 

In the office, I am a constant source of guidance for my colleagues and the wider team, sharing insight on locations, trends and every facet of an industry I have watched evolve firsthand. We live in a continuous flow of personal and professional exchange, and it is precisely this energy, together with the trust so many couples and partners have placed in me over the years, that fills me with deep gratitude for the work I have the privilege of leading every day.

Chiara's top traits

  • Empathy
  • Planning & Coordination Pro
  • Stress management
  • Teamwork enthusiast
  • Problem solving
Passions

My passions

I am a great lover of live music; there is nothing quite like the energy of a concert to make me feel truly alive. I adore the movies, cherish every trip I take with my family, and treasure the quiet moments spent reading, whether it is a story for my children or a book just for myself.

Music runs deep in me. For years I sang and played guitar in two different bands, and that same passion still lives in the way I approach my work today, with rhythm, with feeling, always listening closely to what is unspoken. I find great joy in discovering new restaurants, trying dishes I have never tasted before, and simply spending unhurried time with the people I love.

You will often find me at the hairdresser too, always in search of a little reinvention, because I believe there is something beautiful in constantly evolving, in and out of the office.

There are so many things I cherish about this work. The simple pleasure of walking into the office and sharing a moment with my colleagues, the privilege of guiding our couples toward a vision that is truly theirs, and the quiet joy of seeing them happy, knowing I will remain part of their story long after their wedding day. There is something profoundly special about knowing I helped shape a memory they will hold onto forever.

I love a hot espresso on my desk, folders gently piling up, and that particular fullness in my heart every time a new wedding season begins.

And then there is Alberto, who is so much more than my business partner and trusted colleague. We built a life together too, sharing two beautiful children and a bond that has only deepened with time. He is my other half. We met the very first day I joined WeddingItaly, and fell for each other almost instantly. Our marriage remains a constant source of inspiration behind every celebration we create, and it reminds me, every single day, that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Film
Fargo
Cohen Brothers
Song
Black
Pearl Jam
Music genre
Rock
Book
Plainsong
Kent Haruf
Food+Drink
Pizza & Franciacorta
City
New York
(and Florence!)
Abroad experiences

London and Vienna in my heart

I spent a year of my life in London, working as an au pair while I studied English, and it remains one of the most transformative chapters of my journey. It was there that I truly discovered my own independence, and learned to appreciate myself in a way I never had before. 

What captivated me most about London was its extraordinary diversity. I still remember the simple joy of riding the Tube, surrounded by people of every background, culture, faith and identity, and feeling profoundly enriched by every single one of them.

From London, I followed my curiosity to Vienna, where I spent six wonderful months at the elegant Hotel Kummer as a front of house receptionist, welcoming guests and curating the hotel's in house events. I had the pleasure of assisting distinguished patrons with private functions, refined business aperitifs, and bespoke guided tours of the city, each encounter teaching me something new about grace under pressure and genuine hospitality.

Those early experiences became the foundation of everything I do today as an event planner for international clients. It was there, amid so many different cultures and expectations, that I learned to see through what I like to call a cultural filter, a sensitivity that allows me to truly understand what each couple needs, often before they have fully put it into words themselves.

What I love about Italy

  • the food 
  • the niceness of people
  • the climate
  • the smiles of Italians
  • the aperitifs outside
  • the art
What can happen at work

Sonia, help! I lost the rings

During a recent wedding in Florence, the best man called me in a frantic and confessed that he had left the rings on the taxi that took him to the venue. This was 20 minutes before the cerimony started and the groom was already panicking. 

"No worries, that's why I'm here". I called the hotel where the best man was staying, I managed to get ahold of the taxi phone number and he picked up after a couple of attempts. He found the rings on the back seat of the car, luckily still there even though a few other people had been transported in the same vehicle. 4 minutes before the wedding march kicked off, the rings were handed over to the shaky guy...

The bride, fully unaware of the last minute shenenigans, arrived arm in arm with the Dad and found a happy but sweaty husband. Mission accomplished!

they say about her

We learned of Wedding Italy from a friend's older sister, who had used them a few years prior. I think the direct quote was "stop looking right now. Don't even bother talking to other planners. Just hire Sonia and her team, you wont regret it." We did just that, and we DEFINITELY don't regret a thing. Through covid we twice canceled trips to go see our venue, meet vendors, etc. and that created a lot of additional stress around planning - having to do everything virtual from a distance. The team at Wedding Italy handled every request seamlessly, and anticipated all the things we needed (but but were totally clueless about). Without their guidance, we would have been totally lost. Instead, we had a wedding that blew us away (and, from what we can tell EVERY ONE of our guests, too). A month later and I am still... speechless.

Marina 
&
Nicolas

Weddings planned