If you’ve chosen Italy as the destination for your overseas wedding – congratulations! You’re going to be getting married in a magical place, rich in culture and history and renowned for the beauty and passion that touches everything from its food to its architecture. You will more than likely be inviting your guests to stay for a few days either side of the wedding itself, so while you are there we think it’s the perfect opportunity to embrace the charm of Italy. We have compiled a list of things to do at your Italian wedding, making la dolce vita even sweeter and turning your celebration into an experience you and your loved ones will never forget.
Things to do at your Italian wedding for food lovers
It’s no secret that the Italians do food well, and you’re in for a real treat at your wedding wedding breakfast! If you and your guests are real foodies and want to discover what the country authentically has to offer, we have a few ideas for your activities.
Image by David Bastianoni, taken at an Elegante by Michelle J wedding in Tuscany.
Wine tasting and tours
A trip to Italy wouldn’t be complete without sampling some of its famous wine. The Tuscany region is very popular for Italian weddings and also happens to be one of Italy’s biggest producers of wine, so if you are getting married around here you’re in luck. Some of the country’s most famous wines come from Tuscany, including Montepulciano and Chianti. Wine tasting days and vineyard tours are not hard to come by in the rural regions of Italy, and often run in and from the major cities too. Even if you or your guests are not huge wine fans, the tastings and tours will more often than not include food too – you will likely get to sample local meats, cheeses, oils and olives, as the Italians rarely serve a drink without a snack!
Pasta making and cookery classes
For the food lovers looking to return home with some new skills, pasta making or cookery classes should be high on your list of things to do at your Italian wedding. These kinds of activities are abundant wherever you stay in Italy, and a great place to find one is on the Airbnb website. Under their Experiences section you can find real locals offering to share their knowledge – their classes are often excellent value for money, and can sometimes be tailored to your group size and preferences.
If you are staying in the Amalfi Coast area, taking a trip to Paestum to see how buffalo mozzarella is made is well worth a day out. There are many options for similar tours, but this one by Travel Positano is a half day experience including transfers from your hotel. If you and your guests love Italian food, don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the locals and taste their authentic fare.
Things to do at your Italian wedding for culture/architecture lovers
Italy’s cities are beautiful, unique and charming, not to mention steeped in architectural history and exciting legends. Behind every building, statue and church are endless stories that will enthral you and your guests.
City tours
One of the best ways to get acquainted with your city base and get your bearings is to take a tour of the city. When you have only a few days to explore this helps orient you in your surroundings, enabling you to make the most of the local area. As far as things to do at your Italian wedding go this one is, to our minds, a must if you are based out of a city. In Italy’s major cities you will find lots of different types of city tours, including free walking tours (you generally give your guide a ‘tip’ at the end), food tours and historical and architectural tours. Try this walking tour of Florence to discover the history of Brunelleschi’s famous dome, or eat your way around Italy’s food capital with Delicious Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Visit historic towns and locations
The tourist hotspots of Italy are well-known and popular for a reason, but when you and your guests travel there for your wedding we like to try and get off the beaten path a little. We can help introduce you to less touristy areas with great historical significance, surprising and delighting with hidden gems you didn’t even know existed. When you work with us on your Italian wedding planning, we will help craft the experience either side of your wedding day and can arrange these visits on your behalf.
Of course, those absolute highlights such as Pompeii can be on the agenda too, depending on where you and your guests are staying.
Fiat 500 and Vespa tours
Next on our list of things to do at your Italian wedding, we recommend travelling in true authentic style and trying out a Fiat 500 or Vespa tour. You can often try your hand at driving a retro Fiat 500 through Tuscany’s rolling hills, or taking to a Vespa (not for the faint hearted in the cities!).
Italy has so much to offer in terms of activities for your destination wedding, and it is one of our great passions to make the whole experience unforgettable when you plan with us. Your Italian destination wedding and the days either side of it will be meticulously planned so you and your guests get the most out of this magical country. Contact us to talk about Italian wedding planning in 2023 – we can’t wait to show you what’s on offer.