Are you considering having your destination wedding in Sicily?
That’s a really good decision in our opinion. As photographers, we have done shoots at many places, and Sicily has to be our favorite. The breathtaking island of the Mediterranean stole our hearts with its beautiful beaches, mountains, ancient architecture and art, and lastly, hospitability. The couples make the best memories on this island, and we capture it for them to cherish forever. While there are many beautiful wedding venues in Sicily, it might be difficult and confusing for you to choose any of them. To help you with it, we have come up with the 10 things you should consider before booking a Sicily wedding venue.
Table of Contents
- 10 Things you should consider before booking a Sicily Wedding Venue
- Ideal Wedding Venues of all possible locations or categories
10 Things you should consider before booking a Sicily Wedding Venue
Prior booking
If you are planning your wedding in Sicily, you should be quick with the venue booking. Due to an increase in demand and popularity of a Sicily wedding, the wedding venues get booked by the couples 12 to 16 months before the wedding date. So to book the venue of your dreams, you should be much ahead of time to avoid last-minute disappointments and compromises.
Hire a wedding planner
A wedding planner will save you a lot of hassle. Being a foreigner, you might get ditched by the pricing. The local wedding planner will guide you about the best wedding venues at fair prices. They will help you shortlist them according to your preferences and budget. Also, you won’t have to worry about finding and booking the different vendors, wedding planners will manage all these details.
Location
You first need to decide what type of location you want your wedding venue to have. In Sicily, you have a variety of options, beachfront venue, indoor venue, villa, palace, or hilltop. When you decide the location, it will be easier for you to choose a venue from a single category instead of looking at venues of multiple locations.
Accessibility
Another important thing to consider for your Sicily wedding venue is accessibility. How far is it from the airport? Will most of the time be consumed in traveling? Will it be easy to arrange transport for the guests to reach the venue? These things create a lot of panic and hassle in the end. To avoid this, choose the venue keeping these things in consideration.
Capacity
When booking a wedding venue, it’s important to consider the comfort and feasibility of the guests. Look for venues that accommodate the number of guests you have invited. Some people make the mistake of booking a venue for an intimate look but have invited a large number of guests, which then results in congested places and problems with accommodation.
Venue amenities
If you want your guests to stay at the same location but don’t want to take responsibility for their itinerary and also not let the guests get bored, then the hotel venue is the best choice. Hotels usually have a city in itself for the people to not have a single dull moment. They have swimming pools, restaurants, spa, gym, bar, and many other facilities and activities which they offer to the guests so that they can have the best time apart from your Sicily wedding.
Lighting
Lighting is an important thing to consider before booking a venue as it’s an integral part of your photographs. If you book an indoor venue, i.e., an old castle or palace, then lighting will be compromised there, and you’ll have to arrange for extra lighting, which will be an additional cost added to your budget. So we advise the couples to confirm the lighting at the place before booking their venues so that they do not end up with dull or filtered photos.
Catering
Good food means a good mood. Sicily is known for its delicious food, but every location will have its specialty, which you may or may not like. So before booking a venue, search about the food of that local area and see if the ingredients match your taste buds. Also, a very important thing is to ask if the venue has its in-house catering services and how much it costs, or you’ll have to arrange an external catering and let them deliver at the venue.
Backup service
Sicily has a moderate temperature throughout the year, but you never know about the bad weather or rain. So it’s extremely important to ask if the venue has a suitable backup plan according to the weather condition. It will save you from the last-minute panic and hassle and also your special day from getting ruined.
Music and entertainment
Good music always lightens up a wedding. Look for good local artists before booking a venue in that region. You may book a venue but do not find an English-speaking musician or a band and then hire someone to fly in from another country or region to your venue, it will double your cost. So to stick to your budget, always search if the region has good local English-speaking bands or musicians.
So these are the 10 things that might help you in booking a perfect venue and having a smooth and memorable Sicily wedding without any last-minute mishaps. To further help you, we decided to share some ideal wedding venues of all possible locations or categories, which may help you shortlist the one which you have always dreamt of.
Seaside Venues
As Sicily is in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, it has beautiful beaches with clear blue water and cool breezes to enjoy romantic movements with your partner. These beaches also serve as perfect wedding location goals for a destination wedding. So if you have dreamt of a wedding on the seaside, with the calming sound of the waves and cool breezes under the sun, then Sicily has some breathtaking beachfront wedding venues.
Tao Beach Club, Taormina
A club built at the coast with a private beach of its own, tao beach club offers a two in one opportunity of tying the knot on the most beautiful beach and then a celebration in the club with refreshing drinks and delicious food. The three beautiful terraces for you to enjoy the views, two golden sandy beaches, and a perfect wedding night celebration with a DJ at the club, the Tao beach club has a lot to offer you. Not to forget the beautiful background it provides for those perfect shots. So book the beach club now to have that stunning background in your photos.
Principe di Salina
One of the most breathtaking Aeolian islands, salina island is a paradise on earth. In the heart of salina island is Principe de salina, your perfect Sicily wedding venue. You can enjoy the stunning views and cool breezes of Stromboli, Panarea, and the Aeolian Sea with your partner through the spacious terraces and rooms of Principe de salina. It accommodates 130 guests and has 12 rooms with private terraces overlooking the Aeolian sea. You are your guests are not going to have a single dull moment because the island has a lot to offer, including water sports. So book now, to have a time of your life at salina island, which is not less than a paradise on earth.
Le Calette, Cèfalu
Built at the Sicilian coast, overlooking the caldura bay, le calette is a perfect coastal wedding venue located a few kilometers away from the historic site of Cefalu. Le Calette is an all-in-one place, giving you a variety of facilities, from luxurious accommodation to the restaurants, bars, beach club, and wellness areas, you do not need to spend on traveling to any other place, le calette offers you all. Then what are you waiting for? Visit their website and book them for your wedding venue.
Luxury Venues
Are you dreaming of a luxurious wedding venue with a high-end touch in Sicily? Your hassle of finding it ends here, as we tell you about the three luxury and exclusive venues for your Sicily wedding.
Borgo del Carato
Located a few kilometers from Siracusa, a luxury resort with simple Sicilian architecture, Bordo del carato can serve as a perfect luxury venue for your Sicily wedding. An old farmhouse renovated into a dreamy location for ceremonies gives a traditional Sicilian look with the latest facilities and amenities. The aesthetic palm trees, cream-toned buildings with suites and rooms with the ancient look, swimming pool, and surrounding gardens give a luxurious vibe. Book borgo del carato for the luxurious experience in Sicily.
Tonnara di Scopello
We won’t hesitate in calling it the most charming and luxurious place for a Sicily wedding. A tuna fishery turned into the most dramatic seafront, Tonara de scopelle is located in Palermo and overlooks the gulf of Castellammare. The 14 luxurious apartments built at the coast accommodate 50 guests, providing them the once in a lifetime experience. Book Tonara de scopella now for this once in a lifetime experience
Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia
The luxury wedding experience on the majestic island of salina, and the wedding venue of the spectacular estate of Capofaro Locanda and malvasia, that’s what you call a dreamy wedding! 27 rooms with private terraces overlooking the sea or the Malvasia vineyards provide you scenic views to enjoy with fresh wine. Due to its breathtaking location, its booked all year round, so before you get late, book now.
Countryside Venues
Looking for a wedding venue away from the city hustle and bustle? Then Sicily has some dreamy countryside wedding venues that will make you forget about the stressful city life and provide you the peace and tranquility lost in the wedding preparation.
Dimora Delle Balze
Situated between the two most attractive cities of Sicily, Nota, and Siracusa, Dimora Delle Balze is a dreamy estate for your magical wedding. The contemporary design and the Mediterranean style with big courtyards, gardens, lemon orchard, pools, and 11 rooms of different sizes, bring you the fusion of traditional and modern in one place. Book now and let your dreams of a magical wedding come true.
Baglio Oneto
Surrounded by the olive groves and vineyards, Baglio oneta is a luxury wine resort located in the countryside of marsala, Sicily. It has variety of options for you to decide the location of your ceremony. From Belvedere Garden, which provides you the most beautiful landscape of western Sicily to capture, to the mandrogola terrace, which gives you the sight of splendid sunset over Egadi islands. They also have options of a banquet hall, courtyard, and garden for the wedding ceremony. Book now to get the location that you desire to have.
Zash Country Club Boutique Hotel
A country boutique hotel on a volcanic island, zash hotel gives you a perfect countryside location for your Sicily wedding. They have a wide range of areas for the wedding setup, including the poolside, gardens, orchard, or wine press, which you decide, and they customize for you. The hotel gives some spectacular views of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea which you can enjoy in peace and hear just the sounds of cool breezes from the Ionian Sea. Book zash hotel for the elegant location with the countryside essence.
Castle Venue
If you have always wanted a fairytale wedding in a castle with big halls and corridors, then Sicily has some stunning castles that you might have imagined while reading the fairytale stories. Here are the three options that you may consider.
Castello del Solacium
Located near Syracuse, the historic Sicilian location, Castello del Solacium is an ideal destination for your destination wedding. The variety of landscapes, from the stretched slope of the sea, the ancient architecture of the castle, eighteenth-century courtyards to the green hills and lush gardens, provide you the perfect blend of backgrounds for your wedding pictures. Book Castello del solacium now for the fairytale wedding of your dreams.
Castello di Xirumi
The majestic wedding venue in the heart of Sicily near Syracuse, Castello di xirumi was built in the 16th century and belongs to the oldest noble families of Sicily. Surrounded by the largest orange and lemon citrus groves, Mediterranean flora, Castello di xirumi also has a neo-gothic courtyard and an Arab garden, making it an aesthetically beautiful backdrop for your wedding photos. Then what are you waiting for? Book Castello di xirumi now for dreamy wedding photos.
Castello Montefalco
Wedding at the castle located at the seaside? What can be more dreamy than this? Castello Montefalco is the 10th-century dreamy destination located just outside Palermo. It has enormous gardens and terraces for the ceremonies facing the sea, giving a splendid view. They also have a facility for indoor weddings as the castle contains banquets and halls. The outdoor space has a maximum capacity to cater to 1000 guests. The spectacular view of the sea and the ancient royal look of the castle together make it a dreamy location which you should book right away.
So these are some of the venues and the best options of each category that might help you decide your final wedding venue. We hope this ends your long search for the ideal wedding venue.
