Tuscany is a region on Italy’s west coast and is one of the most popular destinations for weddings in a country that is itself one of the most popular destinations in the world. As it covers over 8800 square miles about the same size as Wales, it’s no surprise that couples wanting to get married here tend to head to Lucca, Siena, Florence, the hilltop towns of Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti and Greve in Chianti, Certaldo, Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano, Arezzo, Castelnuovo and the costal regions, Massa Marittima and the Argentario as their destination.
Tuscany offers such a diverse wealth of changing scenery, with the sea, famous art cities and small hill top towns and villages, vineyards and olive groves and the famous Tuscan rolling hills and avenues of cypress trees which we all associate with Tuscany, it has something for everyone. Add to that the great food, world famous wines and warm-hearted people it’s no surprise that more and more couples are choosing Tuscany as their wedding destination.
Below you can read about possible destinations for your wedding in Tuscany. Click on your favourite!
About 45 minutes south of Siena, the approach from Siena is wonderful, passing rows and rows of vines as you wind your way up to the town. Montalcino is famous for the world famous wine Brunello, and you can’t visit without tasting some! Each year in February the local producers present their wine at “Bevenuto Brunello” a wine fest where you can sample the fruits of their labour, which has been aged for 5 years. But if you’re not here for that you can go wine tasting at some of the local vineyards, or drop into the fortezza to sample some with a plate of local cheeses and cold cuts.
The town itself is closely connected to Siena and is represented in the Palio held in Siena each year in July and August. When Siena was under attack from Florence the gentry fled to Montalcino thinking they would only be there a short time and ended up staying for 5 years before heading back to Siena. Montalcino also has its own festivals in August and the end of October, an archery contest between the 4 quartieri, which starts with a historical parade late morning and then the contest takes place on the sports field behind the fortezza after lunch.
The main town is centred around Piazza del Popolo which is dominated by the old town hall with its huge clock tower. It’s here that weddings take place.
Weddings take place here during office hours:
Monday to Friday – 9.00am to 13.00
Tuesday & Thursday – 15.00 – 17.00
Sadly it is not possible to marry in Montalcino on Saturday.
In the Piazza del Popolo you will find my favourite bar, bar alle Logge perfect for a pre or post wedding aperitivo, where you can sit under the logge and watch the world go by. There are also lots of wonderful restaurants serving home cooked delicious Tuscan food. In the area you’ll find lots of lovely venues perfect for your Tuscan wedding.
For more details on weddings in Montalcino, drop me a line.
Pienza is famous for its cheese, Pecorino made from sheep’s milk and as soon as you walk through the main gate you’ll smell the delicious aroma of cheese coming from the various shops along the main road. Pienza was completely redesigned in the 15th century by Pope Pius II who was born there and also gave Pienza its name in his honour. The idea was to build a utopia city where the fabulous views could be seen from each street, sadly today due to new buildings this is not possible but the side which opens onto the valley behind the Cathedral is still jawdroppingly stunning and you see the countryside that all of us equate with Tuscany, you can see for miles over the Val d’Orcia to Monte Amiata where you can ski in the winter. With street names like Via d’Amore (love) Via Del Bacio (kiss) it’s not difficult to imagine why getting married in Pienza is a great idea. With great restaurants and osteria my personal favorite is La Buca delle Fate which is tucked in the piazza behind the town hall, in the summer you can sit outside and enjoy delicious home cooked food and cold cuts and cheese severed by Luciano, for a bar with a view you should go and see Paolo in the bar which over looks the Val’ d’Orcia near Via del Bacio.
With fabulous little churches just outside Pienza it’s the perfect place to have a religious ceremony, and there are some great places to stay too, such as il Poggiolo, which is where the film “Gladiator” was filmed, Terre di Nano which is nestled on a hill about 10 minutes from Pienza a little oasis of tranquility, and Hotel Il Chiostro which is in the centre of Pienza and has the most beautiful cloistered area perfect for a dinner by candlelight.
For civil weddings these take place in the Sala Consiliare, the council chambers a beautiful room with a frieze of coats of arms around the ceiling.
Wedding times by appointment Monday to Saturday 9am to 1pm.
If you want, you can contact me for more details on weddings and places to stay in the area.
As one of the highest hilltop towns in Tuscany and its steep streets up to the main piazza, you’ll need to leave your Jimmy choo’s at home or at least carry them up with you! Montepulciano has also been home to some famous films, the English Patient was filmed here as was the New Moon from the Twilight series. The main piazza which is home to the Cathedral and the Town hall, has lovely bars where you can catch your breath after the long climb to the top and relax and watch the world go by and admire the impressive Renaissance Palazzi .
There is a lovely little hotel just down from the main piazza the Locanda di San Francesco, which also serves lunch and dinners on the outside terrace and they have jazz nights too. The view from here is wonderful! There are also lots of villas and places to stay close by should you wish to stay in the countryside and enjoy the peace and tranquility.
Montepulciano is also home to the famous vino Nobile it would be rude not to try it while you are here… it’s delicious.!
Religious or civil weddings are possible here with lots of wonderful little churches close by , civil ceremonies are celebrated in the lovely white room of the Town Hall.
Weddings take place Monday to Saturday 9.00 – 12.30 and Wednesday afternoon from 3pm to 6pm.
For more details on weddings and place to stay in Montepulciano please drop me a line.
Siena Weddings: Siena (often misspelt as Sienna) is where I live and is probably my favourite wedding destination with its famous shell shaped Piazza del Campo and the majestic town hall, Palazzo Pubblico , together they provide the perfect jaw-dropping backdrop for any wedding. Most people are blown away by the piazza the first time they see it, a perfect WOW! factor.
Siena is still surrounded by the city walls, which were put up to keep the Florentines but the Senese are more than happy to welcome you to their city and while wandering through the narrow streets and alleyways you’ll still get a sense of the medieval era and on wedding days the locals will clap and cheer and offer you their heart felt congratulations.
Weddings here are held mostly in the Palazzo Pubblico in the Sala degli Arazzi: sadly the tapestries (Razze) are no longer hanging from the walls but with its frescoed ceiling and Murano glass chandeliers and deep red walls it’s still very impressive. After the wedding you are free to wander around the museum and have photos taken.Since 2017 other halls have been opened to civil ceremonies like the Loggia or the Palazzo Patrizi, a big ballroom in medieval style perfect for big groups as you can sit even 150 people!
Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm
Sundays at 10am, 11am and 12pm.
There are some wonderful hotels in the city where you and your guests can stay and some fabulous restaurants where you can hold your wedding reception if you want to keep everything within walking distance.
Some of my favourite venues close to Siena include the wonderful Villa Sofia with it’s fabulous Italian gardens perfect for the aperitivo which overlooks Siena the place where you got married, Casa Elena which is a beautiful agriturismo producing their own wine and Villa Dino a wine resort in the Chianti (more fabulous wine!!).
Close to Siena are the beautiful hilltop towns of Monteriggioni ,perfect for religious ceremonies, Colle Val d’Elsa, Casole d’Elsa and San Gimignano, Castelnuovo Beradenga to name but a few, for lots more fabulous venues drop me a line…
The Senese people are extremely proud of their heritage and twice a year (2nd of July and 16th of August) you can soak up the atmosphere at the Palio the famous horse race, which is run in the Piazza and see the pageantry in the historical parade, which leaves from the magnificent cathedral. Sadly during the Palio period there are no weddings, but either side of the 4 days of the Palio it is possible to combine your wedding with this event, which is featured in the book “100 things to do before you die”.
St. Catherine the patron saint of Europe was born here. Legend has it that her head was brought back to Siena in a basket from Rome, on entering the city the coachman began to panic that he would be caught by the soldiers with such a valuable relic, on entering the city he was stopped and the soldiers asked him what was in the basket on pulling back the cloth the soldiers saw the most beautiful marguerites, and allowed him to pass into the city, when he stopped thanking God for his good fortune he pulled back the cloth and saw the head smiling at him! Today you can visit San Domenico church to see her head and the Oca district to see her house and visit her chapel.
Although lots of visitors come to Siena, it is less crowded than Florence. It has lots of bars, which are mainly centred around the Piazza, a great place to hang out in the summer months. Also during the summer the Contradas (the 17 districts of Siena) open their doors to the city for dinner, dancing and fun until the wee small hours.
Monteriggioni Weddings: If you are driving from Florence to Siena, you can’t help but see this wonderful little village, perched up on a hill it is ringed by thick walls and 14 large towers, Dante wrote about it in his Divine Comedy “Inferno”. It was built in the 13th century by Siena to defend the road from Florence to Rome and despite some work in the 16th century it remains perfectly intact and is a little jewel of a place, quaint with cobbled streets and wonderful stone houses it is perfect for religious weddings. The beautiful Romanesque church San Maria Assunta dominates the main piazza, with a beautiful raised altar and although very simple inside you can certainly go to your ceremony with a vintage car|! Don Doriano the local priest only speaks Italian so you’ll most certainly need a wedding planner to help smooth the way with your arrangement and documents.
In July there is a medieval festival held on the first three weekends, when the town folk dress up in traditional costume, serve food and local Chianti and there are battle re-enactments or dancing in the main piazza.
You can also walk around the walls and admire the magnificent views over the Val d’Elsa.
There are some great restaurants serving traditional Tuscan food (il Pozzo is my favourite) and bars in the piazza where you can watch the world go by. Close by there are also some wonderful venues close by, like 4 star hotel, villas and farmhouses where you can stay and hold your wedding reception.
For more details on religious ceremonies in Monteriggioni drop me a line.
Casole D’Elsa Weddings: Another little gem of a hilltop town. Just 25 minutes west of Siena and 50km southwest of Florence. There are shops, restaurants and bars where you can enjoy the flavours of great home cooked food and wonderful local wines. There is also an art school if you fancy having a painting holiday and with the beautiful landscape you’ll be sure to create your own works of art.
There are two churches, San Niccoló, Romanesque in origin with the most beautiful 17th century frescoes by Rustichino and at the high altar a 14th century one of the Madonna of the Sienese School. This tiny church is just on the outskirts of the town perfect for small intimate weddings with a cypress-lined avenue to reach it. For bigger weddings the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta in the main piazza was consecrated in 1161. Don Feledo the local priest who is responsible for both churches only speaks Italian so you’ll most certainly need a wedding planner to help smooth the way with your arrangement and documents.
Or if you fancy a civil ceremony, weddings take place on request in the interior courtyard of the town hall in Piazza Lucchetti.
With a wealth of hotels and augriturismos (farm holidays) in the area you’ll be spoilt for choice as to where to stay and hold your wedding. La Peschiera which is just 5 minutes from Casole d’Elsa is perfect for weddings of 30 people. There are also some wonderful wedding venues close by and one of these has it’s own consecrated church, plus lots of other great locations in the area.
For more information on Murlo drop me a line.
Florence Weddings: The capital of Tuscany often considered to be the Mecca for all tourists on their grand tour of Italy, it was the home to the Italian Renaissance and you can still sense the medieval presence today, from the magnificent palazzos and breathtaking cathedral and you can soak up the loads of art culture in the 80 museums around the city.
One of these is the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza Signoria close to the Uffizi Gallery and the jewellery store -lined Ponte Vecchio. It is here that couples get married in the Sala Rossa. A beautiful red room, which was once the bedroom of Bettino Ricasoli, the Iron Baron, Prime Minister of Italy and creator of the recipe for Chianti. It is adorned with three large tapestries telling the story of Ester and neo Baroque furniture. Seeing your future wife making her entrance into this magnificent room will surely take your breath away.
Since 2016 Florence gave people the possibility to get married in the most beautiful garden and museums of the city: drop me a line if you want to know more about it!
Wedding times 2019 : Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday 8.30 to 13.00
One Saturday & Sunday a month (date decided by the Town Hall) it is possible to marry in the afternoon
In Florence it’s easy to have everything in the city with lots of amazing restaurants, great bars and nightlife, hotels to suit all budgets you’ll have trouble keeping your guest list down as everyone will want to come to your wedding in Florence.
A few of my favourite venues that I personally use and get fabulous rates for are Torretta Firenze the oldest hotel in Florence, it has the most amazing roof top terrace , and so is perfect for dining outside over-looking the whole of the city. If you are tempted to host your reception away from the bustle of the city then most people choose Fiesole, a stone throw away up on the hills over looking Florence, great venues here are Villa Beatrice and Villa Alexandra , where a “Room with a view” was filmed. There are of course lots of other venues in and around Florence and I will be happy to share these with you should you decide to hold your wedding in Florence.
Chianti Weddings: For many years the English have had a love affair with Chianti, so much so, that it’s affectionately called Chiantishire by the locals. Although the wine producing area of stretches from just north of Siena to south of Florence a huge area producing fantastic wines, the four main towns are Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti.
Located just 15 km from Siena this quaint town is perfect for smaller weddings although I have squeezed 80 people into the “Sala del Capitano” in the Rocca where weddings take place.
The Rocca is a 14th century castle with a massive tower, which dominates the piazza behind the main street, it’s also home to La Torre a great restaurant, which serves delicious food. On the main street you’ll find shops more restaurants and bars and fabulous ice cream parlour, and the hotel Squarcialupi a perfect base for your wedding if you want to keep everything close on hand and a wine cellar where you can taste the locally produced Chianti.
Close by there are wonderful villas and lots of agriturismos (farm holiday complexes) which are perfect places to relax and enjoy the delights that the Tuscan countryside has to offer. For more details of these and other venues, drop me a line.
Weddings here take place on:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday morning until 1pm
Tuesday & Thursday afternoon with the last wedding at 5.30pm
This beautiful hilltop town and like most of the Chianti area dates back to the times of Etruscans so the landscape is dotted with olive groves and rows of vines and is well worth considering as a wedding destination.
With lots of good restaurants and bars you’ll be spoilt for choice as to where to eat or sit and watch the world go by. There are a wealth of great hotels if you want to stay in Radda, although venturing out into the countryside you’ll find wonderful places such as Badia Coltibuono an old abbey with it’s amazing gardens and small church next door, ideal for religious ceremonies. There is also a piano in the old refectory, which would be ideal for either a jazz band or pianist to play after dinner for dancing. Or the majestic villa, Castello Oste which sits on a hill overlooking Radda in Chianti and is perfect for small or large weddings. For more details of these and other venues, drop me a line.
Weddings in Radda in Chianti take place in the town hall a beautiful “loggiato” building in the centre of town during the summer months you can get married under the “logge” the open vaulted frescoed ceiling area under the main building. During other months weddings take place in a frescoed room inside the town hall.
Weddings here take place:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday morning from 9.30 to 12.30
Afternoons up to 6pm.
Cost for 2019 – €800 in the morning and €900 in the afternoon.
Gaiole in Chianti is a about 30 mins away from Siena and is very close to Radda in Chianti so there are lots of wonderful castles like Castello Massi very close by, added to that a wealth of hotels, villas and agriturismos and B&Bs you’ll be spoilt for choice as to where to hold your wedding party.
Giaole is smaller than Radda in Chianti and most of the restaurants, bar and shops are concentrated around the main piazza.
Weddings here can either take place in the town hall or in a big cellar ballroom recently renovated, where you can get legally married.
Weddings here take place on:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday morning until 1pm
Tuesday & Thursday afternoon with the last wedding at 5.30pm
Life in Greve in Chianti is centred in the main large oval shaped piazza which is lined with shops, restaurants and bars around the outside. There is also a beautiful Salumeria where you can see proscuitto hanging from the ceiling.
Close by are many wonderful venues to hold your wedding, probably the most famous of these is Villa Vignamaggio which is where “Much a do about nothing” was filmed, whislt I can organize most things for your wedding, providing Denzil Washington in breeches to complete the scene could even for me prove to be difficult! For details of this and other marvellous venues drop me a line.
Weddings here can only be booked 3 months in advance and take place on:
Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 12.30
Monday and Thursday from 15.00 to 18.00
Requests for other times can be made to the mayor, but costs a little more!
Certaldo Weddings: Certaldo is midway between Siena and Florence, it is divided into two halves, the new town which is not much to write home about and the beautiful old town which sits on top of the hill. To reach it you can either walk up if you’re feeling energetic or you can take the funicular from the station situated in new town near the main piazza. The old town is well preserved, but when you finally reach the top it’s like stepping back in time. There are spectacular views from the top over the Val’d’Elsa to the distinctive towers of San Gimignano. At the top of the street you will find Palazzo Pretorio, which in times gone by was Conti Alberti’s castle, its façade is impressively decorated with coats of arms in stone and glazed terracotta and it is here that weddings are held in the open air courtyard.
Weddings take place on:
Monday to Saturday from 11am to 13.00 and 16.00 to 18.00
However there are lots of places close by too where you can stay and hold your wedding reception. One of my personal favourites is Tenuta Quadrifoglio in Gambassi Terme, which offers self-catering apartments and some rooms on a nightly basis. The gardens are spectacular and perfect for holding either a civil ceremony; the tenuata is one of the few places in Italy where it is possible to do this. Or you could decide to have a bespoke wedding here too. The main villa can be hired for the wedding reception and in-house catering provides wonderful food and wines at a very reasonable cost. For details of this and other properties in the area please drop me a line.