Delegating Tasks with "Fare"
Planning a big event like a wedding requires a lot of delegation. When you "have someone do something," you use the causative construction: the conjugated verb fare (to make/do) followed immediately by an infinitive verb.
When the action being performed has a direct object (like taking photos or picking up favors), the person you are delegating to becomes the indirect object. You introduce this person (the agent) with the preposition a (to), which typically combines with a definite article to form an articulated preposition (like al, ai, or all').
The sentence order is usually: fare (conjugated) + infinitive verb + direct object + a + person.
| We have the photographer take the photos of the ceremony. | Facciamo scattare le foto della cerimonia al fotografo. |
| Maria has the hotel director prepare the reception. | Maria fa preparare il ricevimento al direttore dell'albergo. |
| I have the best man pick up the wedding favors. | Faccio ritirare le bomboniere al testimone. |
Hiring Professionals
You will use this exact same pattern with any professional you hire or helper you assign a task to, from the pastry chef to the wedding planner.
| My cousin has the pastry chef prepare the cake. | Mio cugino fa preparare la torta al pasticciere. |
| Marco has the planner plan the wedding. | Marco fa pianificare il matrimonio all'organizzatore. |
Other Verbs of Delegation
This grammatical pattern—assigning a direct object task to an indirect object person using a—isn't limited to the causative fare. You will also see it with verbs like affidare (to entrust) and dare (to give).
| We entrust the music of the reception to the musician. | Affidiamo la musica del ricevimento al musicista. |
| It is better to entrust the task to the colleague. | È meglio affidare il compito al collega. |