Planning a wedding in Tuscany: everything you need to know before saying “I do” in Italy – a complete guide from a wedding photographer

There are plenty of beautiful places to get married around the world, but Tuscany has a way of making weddings feel different. Perhaps it’s the scenery: rolling vineyards, cypress-lined roads, medieval villages and historic villas certainly help. But for me, that’s only part of the story.

What I love most about Tuscany is the atmosphere. Life naturally slows down here. People gather around long tables for hours, conversations continue long after dinner has finished and weddings become less about following a schedule and more about sharing an experience.

It’s one of the reasons I love photographing destination weddings in Italy. The photographs aren’t only about the ceremony or the portraits. They’re about the welcome dinner where everyone meets for the first time. The quiet morning coffee before getting ready. Guests laughing around the pool. A grandmother teaching someone how to pronounce an Italian toast. The couple stealing ten peaceful minutes together as the sun sets over the vineyards. Those are the moments people remember.

If you’re thinking about getting married in Tuscany, this guide will help you plan a wedding that feels effortless, relaxed and unmistakably Italian.

Why choose Tuscany for your destination wedding?

Choosing Tuscany isn’t simply about finding a beautiful venue. It’s about creating an experience. Unlike many destination weddings where guests arrive the night before and leave the following morning, Tuscany invites people to stay a little longer.

Friends and family often spend several days together exploring local villages, visiting wineries, enjoying long lunches outdoors and discovering the region before the wedding even begins. By the time the ceremony arrives, something wonderful has already happened. People know each other. They’ve shared breakfasts, wine tastings and afternoon walks through vineyards. The atmosphere feels relaxed from the very beginning, and that changes everything.

One of the things I always notice when photographing weddings in Tuscany is how differently people spend time together compared to weddings in the UK.

Dinner isn’t simply another part of the timeline, it’s part of the celebration itself. Guests stay around the table for hours, sharing incredible food, pouring another glass of wine, laughing, talking and simply enjoying being together. There’s no rush to move on to the next thing, and I think that’s one of the reasons destination weddings here feel so memorable.

It’s one of the reasons I return to Tuscany whenever I can. The photographs become about far more than the wedding day itself. They’re about the entire experience.

Decide what kind of Tuscany wedding you want

Before you start looking at venues, take a step back and think about how you want your wedding to feel. Not what you want it to look like. How you want it to feel. Do you imagine everyone staying together for three or four days? Would you rather have an intimate celebration with twenty guests or a lively weekend with one hundred family members and friends? Do you picture dinner beneath olive trees, or do you love the elegance of a historic villa?

There isn’t a right answer.

Tuscany offers every possibility. Some couples fall in love with grand Renaissance villas overlooking vineyards.Others choose medieval castles hidden among the hills. Some rent an entire estate where guests spend the weekend by the pool before gathering for long dinners beneath the stars. The venue should support the experience you want to create, not simply provide a beautiful backdrop.

Choosing your wedding venue

Your venue will shape almost every part of your wedding day. It influences your timeline, guest experience, photography and even how relaxed everyone feels.

One of the biggest advantages of getting married in Tuscany is the incredible variety of venues available: historic villas, boutique hotels, wine estates, castles, hidden farmhouses, entire medieval villages.

Rather than focusing only on photographs, ask yourselves a few practical questions:

• Can guests stay at the venue?
• Is there a beautiful indoor option if it rains?
• How easy is it to reach from Florence or Pisa Airport?
• Will you have exclusive use of the property?
• Can you host both the ceremony and reception in the same location?

Choosing a venue where everyone can stay together often transforms the entire wedding. Instead of seeing each other for only a few hours, your guests spend several days making memories together. That’s something very difficult to recreate anywhere else.

If you’re still searching for your perfect venue, I’ve put together a separate guide featuring 20 of my favourite wedding venues in Tuscany, from elegant villas to hidden countryside gems.

The best time to get married in Tuscany

Every season in Tuscany offers something different: spring brings blooming gardens and comfortable temperatures, summer offers long evenings and unforgettable outdoor dinners, autumn fills the vineyards with colour and creates some of the most beautiful golden light you’ll ever see, winter transforms historic villas into intimate, candlelit spaces perfect for smaller celebrations.

If I had to recommend one month, I’d probably choose September. The weather is generally warm without the intensity of July and August, vineyards are full of life and evenings are perfect for dining outdoors.

That said, there isn’t a single “best” season. Only the season that suits your vision.

I’ve written a complete guide covering the weather, temperatures and what to expect throughout the year, including advice for planning around Tuscany’s increasingly common summer heatwaves – check it here.

Don’t try to recreate a wedding from home

This might be my biggest piece of advice. When couples first start planning a destination wedding, it’s easy to fall into the trap of recreating the wedding they would have had at home, just in a prettier location.

Instead… Let Tuscany be Tuscany: choose local food, serve regional wines, allow time for long dinners, embrace the slower pace of the day, let conversations continue naturally.

The beauty of Italy isn’t just in its landscapes. It’s in the way people gather. The way meals become celebrations. The way nobody seems to mind if dinner lasts four hours instead of two. Those are the moments your guests will remember years from now. Not the colour of the napkins, not the flowers on the tables, but how the entire weekend made them feel.

Should you have a legal or symbolic ceremony?

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make isn’t choosing your venue, it’s deciding what type of ceremony you’d like.

For many international couples, a symbolic ceremony in Tuscany is the simplest option. Instead of dealing with Italian legal paperwork, you complete the legal part in your home country before travelling to Italy. Once you’re in Tuscany, your ceremony can be completely personalised without worrying about bureaucracy or translations.

The biggest advantage? Freedom. You can choose almost any location, write your own vows and create a ceremony that feels entirely your own.

If having a legally recognised ceremony in Italy is important to you, it’s absolutely possible, but the process is usually more complicated. Requirements vary depending on your nationality, and you’ll often need translated documents, appointments with local authorities and additional paperwork before the wedding.

That’s one of the reasons many couples decide to work with an experienced local wedding planner.

Why hiring a local wedding planner makes such a difference

I honestly think a great wedding planner is one of the best investments you can make when planning a destination wedding. Not because they organise flowers or create beautiful tablescapes but because they remove problems before you even know they exist. They know which suppliers suit your style. They speak the language. They understand local traditions and timings. They know which venues work particularly well and which questions to ask before contracts are signed. Most importantly, they become your person on the ground while you’re hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

If you’re planning from another country, that’s invaluable. Instead of worrying about transport, deliveries or last-minute changes, you can actually enjoy the months leading up to your wedding. And on the day itself? You won’t spend your morning answering phone calls from suppliers, you’ll simply get married.

Plan more than just the wedding day

One of the biggest advantages of getting married in Tuscany is that your wedding doesn’t have to last just one day. In fact, I’d encourage you to think of it as a wedding weekend rather than a wedding day.

Some of my favourite destination weddings have included:

• a relaxed pizza night when everyone arrives
• a wine tasting or pool afternoon the day before
• a welcome dinner beneath olive trees
• the wedding day itself
• a farewell brunch before everyone heads home

Not because every event needs to be elaborate, quite the opposite. Sometimes the simplest moments become everyone’s favourites: a bottle of local wine, fresh pasta, an afternoon spent at the pool, children running around while adults continue talking long after dessert. Those are the moments people still mention years later.

Things nobody tells you about getting married in Tuscany

When couples first begin planning a destination wedding, they usually focus on venues, flowers and dresses. What they don’t always realise is how different the rhythm of the day feels compared to weddings in the UK or the US.

Italian weddings are wonderfully relaxed, dinner often starts later, nobody expects the evening to follow a strict schedule, people naturally spend longer talking between courses, enjoying another glass of wine and making the most of being together.

Rather than trying to fit everything into one perfectly timed timeline, allow your wedding to breathe. Leave space between different parts of the day. Some of the best moments happen when nothing is planned at all.

Five mistakes couples often make when planning a wedding in Tuscany

After photographing destination weddings, there are a few things I see couples worrying about unnecessarily—and a few things that deserve a little more attention.

1. Trying to fit everything into one day

One of the biggest advantages of travelling to Tuscany is having time together. Don’t feel you need to squeeze every conversation, every photograph and every celebration into a single afternoon. If your guests are already travelling, give yourselves permission to extend the celebration. A welcome dinner or a relaxed brunch often becomes just as memorable as the wedding itself.

2. Planning an outdoor ceremony in the middle of the afternoon

Summer in Tuscany can be incredibly hot. Rather than scheduling your ceremony at 2 or 3 pm, speak to your venue about moving it later. A ceremony around 5 or 6 pm is usually much more comfortable for everyone. The light is softer, your guests will thank you, and you’ll naturally move into drinks, dinner and sunset portraits.

3. Forgetting about guest comfort

Your guests have probably travelled a long way to celebrate with you. Little thoughtful details make an enormous difference.

Think about providing:

• cold water before the ceremony
• handheld fans
• shaded seating if possible
• neutral-coloured umbrellas for sunny ceremonies
• clear transport information before guests arrive

It’s amazing how much these small touches help everyone relax and enjoy the day.

4. Trying to recreate the wedding you would have had at home

Italy has its own rhythm, lean into it. Serve local food, choose regional wines, enjoy a long dinner, let conversations unfold naturally. The more you embrace Tuscany, the more memorable your wedding will become.

5. Not leaving time just for yourselves

Wedding days move surprisingly quickly. Between greeting guests, speeches and dancing, it’s easy to realise you’ve barely spent any time together.

One thing I always suggest is taking ten or fifteen minutes away from everyone around sunset. Not for an hour-long photoshoot. Just a short walk together, take everything in, talk about the day, breathe.

Those quiet moments often become some of my favourite photographs, not because I’ve directed them, but because they’re completely real.

Planning around Tuscany’s weather

The weather in Tuscany is one of the reasons so many couples choose Italy, but it’s worth remembering that even here, nature likes to surprise us: spring can bring occasional showers, summer can mean heatwaves, autumn offers beautiful golden light but sometimes cooler evenings.

Rather than worrying about the forecast, I’d recommend choosing a venue with a beautiful indoor option. That way, whatever the weather decides to do, you’ll already know your wedding is going to look incredible. And honestly? Some of the most memorable weddings I’ve photographed haven’t happened under perfect blue skies. They happened because everyone embraced whatever the day brought.

Looking after your guests

One of the reasons destination weddings feel so special is that your guests have chosen to turn your wedding into part of their holiday. Many will have travelled hundreds or even thousands of miles to celebrate with you, so thinking about their experience from the moment they arrive will make a huge difference.

It doesn’t have to mean organising activities every hour of the day. Sometimes the simplest things are the most appreciated: a welcome bag waiting in their room with a bottle of water, a few local treats and a handwritten note instantly makes people feel looked after. If many of your guests are travelling internationally, consider including practical information too, a rough itinerary for the weekend, transport details, a local map or even your favourite gelato shop.

These little touches don’t need to cost a fortune, but they help everyone relax from the moment they arrive.

If your venue isn’t within walking distance of nearby accommodation, arranging transport between hotels and the venue is another thoughtful addition. Nobody wants to worry about finding taxis in the Tuscan countryside after an evening of celebrating.

Food is part of the experience

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give every couple planning a wedding in Tuscany, it’s this: trust the local chefs. One of the reasons people fall in love with Italy is the food.

Instead of trying to recreate a menu from home, let Tuscany introduce your guests to its own traditions: fresh handmade pasta, bistecca alla Fiorentina, seasonal vegetables, beautiful local cheeses, olive oil produced just down the road. And, of course, incredible wine.

Food in Italy is never rushed. Dinner isn’t simply something that happens between speeches and dancing – it’s one of the highlights of the day.

Some couples worry that a long meal will make the evening feel slow. In reality, it’s often the opposite. Those hours around the table are where people reconnect, tell stories, laugh until their faces hurt and create memories that last long after the wedding has finished.

Give yourselves time together

One thing I always encourage couples to do is plan a little breathing space into the day. It’s surprisingly easy to spend your entire wedding talking to guests, thanking people for travelling and moving from one conversation to another. Before you know it, dinner has finished and you’ve barely had a chance to stop together.

You don’t need an hour away from everyone. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough. Perhaps after dinner, when the light begins to soften. Or just before sunset, while your guests are enjoying another glass of wine. Go for a short walk, take everything in, remind yourselves that after months, sometimes years, of planning, you’re finally married.

Those moments often become some of my favourite photographs because nothing is forced. You’re simply enjoying being together.

Choosing a photographer for your destination wedding

Photographing a destination wedding is a little different from photographing a wedding close to home. It’s not just about taking beautiful photographs. It’s about understanding how the day naturally unfolds, working comfortably alongside local suppliers and adapting when plans change.

Whether that’s moving portraits because of the afternoon heat, finding beautiful pockets of shade during a summer ceremony or quietly suggesting a few minutes together when the evening light becomes perfect, experience makes a real difference.

I also think it’s important to choose someone whose company you’ll genuinely enjoy. Your photographer spends more time with you than almost anyone else on your wedding day. From the excitement of getting ready in the morning until the dancing later that evening, they’re there for so many of your biggest moments.

Choose someone whose work you love, but also someone who makes you feel completely comfortable. That matters just as much.

Frequently asked questions about planning a wedding in Tuscany

Is Tuscany a good place for a destination wedding?

Absolutely. Tuscany combines beautiful scenery, incredible food, historic venues and a relaxed pace of life that naturally suits destination weddings. Whether you’re planning an intimate celebration or a weekend with one hundred guests, there’s a venue to suit almost every style.

Do I need a wedding planner in Tuscany?

While it’s possible to plan a wedding yourself, I’d highly recommend working with an experienced local wedding planner.They’ll help with logistics, supplier recommendations, language, legal requirements and keeping everything running smoothly on the day itself.

How long should guests stay?

If possible, I’d recommend at least three or four days. This gives everyone time to travel without feeling rushed and allows you to enjoy welcome dinners, relaxed mornings and a farewell brunch before everyone heads home. It transforms your wedding from a single event into an unforgettable experience.

How much does a destination wedding in Tuscany cost?

The cost varies enormously depending on your venue, guest numbers and the length of your celebration. A small intimate wedding will naturally be very different from a three-day celebration at an exclusive villa. When planning your budget, remember to include travel, accommodation, transport, welcome events and any additional experiences you’d like to organise for your guests.

When should we start planning?

Ideally, around 12 to 18 months before your wedding. Popular venues and suppliers often book well in advance, especially for dates between May and September. Starting early also gives you far more choice and allows your guests plenty of time to arrange travel.

Final thoughts

One of my favourite things about photographing weddings in Tuscany is that they rarely feel rushed: people have time to slow down, to sit together over dinner, to wander through the gardens with a glass of wine, to watch the sunset before the music starts, to really be present. And I think that’s what makes destination weddings here so unforgettable.

Years from now, you probably won’t remember every tiny detail you spent months worrying about. You’ll remember the sound of laughter echoing across the courtyard. The smell of rosemary and jasmine carried on the evening air. The taste of incredible pasta shared with the people you love most. The way your guests stayed talking around the table long after dessert had been cleared. Those are the moments that become your story. And that’s exactly what makes getting married in Tuscany so special.

Planning your wedding in Tuscany?

If you’re dreaming of a wedding in Tuscany and are looking for a photographer who values genuine moments just as much as beautiful portraits, I’d love to hear about your plans.

My approach is relaxed, documentary-led and inspired by the people, atmosphere and little in-between moments that make every wedding unique.

Whether you’re planning an intimate celebration overlooking the vineyards or a weekend-long gathering in a historic villa, I’d love to help tell your story.

Get in touch here to start planning your wedding in Tuscany.