VENICE
Is there perhaps a sweeter or more romantic city than Venice for your wedding?
Probably not and for this reason people from all over the world choose it as the city in which to say “I do”.
Narrow streets of threadsof water, bridges that seem suspended on the blue, priceless art and monuments render Venice, with its soft and vaguely melancholic atmosphere, one of the most beautiful places on earth and one of the most consistent for exchanging wedding vows.
CIVIL CEREMONY
The city of Venice meets the desire of couples of all nationalities by offering them, to celebrate their wedding, one of its most prestigious sites: Palazzo Cavalli.
The Renaissance building, just a step from the Rialto Bridge, in the heart of the city, takes its name from the family who lived there; the interior has a whole series of beautiful rooms that are completely dedicated to the rites of civil marriage; one of the most exciting moments of which, is the arrival in gondola, gently carried by the water, with the backdrop of the magnificent historic palaces nearby.
From the rooms of Palazzo Cavalli one can enjoy a breath-taking view and the feeling of being fully immersed in a fairy tale.
No problem with the date, you can choose any day of the week and any time of the year that you prefer.
RELIGIOUS CEREMONY
Venice is full of ancient and beautiful Catholic churches where it is possible to marry.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli, found at Sestiere di Cannaregio, is considered a pearl from a historical and architectural point of view. Completely Renaissance, the polychrome and precious marble adorning the raised presbytery are notable, a peculiarity of the building. Rich in art exhibits, the church offers a charming and delicate atmosphere perfect for those who would like a ceremony with a few intimate guests.
If the number of guests is quite important, you can opt for the Chiesa del SantissimoRedentore, a church on the Island of Giudecca, one of the most famous and appreciated symbols of the Venetian capital, an opera by the great Italian Renaissance architect and set designer Andrea Palladio.
The building is impressive and has a majestic look that, coupled with its remarkable capacity, definitely makes it suitable foe a wedding with a significant number of participants.
Needless to point out the peculiarity of a church that seems to rise and float on the waters; the lagoon that surrounds it is a setting of unparalleled beauty for the most important day in a couple’s life.
The dramatic events that have involved Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica) over the centuries make it an excellent, but not unique jewel, defined by experts as “Romanesque-Byzantine and Gothic”. Of distant origins, destroyed by a fire, it underwent various alterations, changes and additions to bring it to its present appearance, dating back to the period between the 14th and 17th centuries. Overlooking the square of the same name, San Marco is the most famous Catholic building in Venice, and marrying within its sacred walls can be considered a privilege.
Less famous, but also significant from an architectural and artistic point of view, is the Church of San Pantaleone, whose origins are wrapped largely in mystery. The unadorned facade gives it a severe but pleasing look, whilst inside the greatest attraction is certainly represented by the spectacular ceiling by Giovanni Antonio Fumiani.
In addition to numerous Catholic Churches, Venice is also home to four Jewish synagogues with different characteristics and dimensions; moreover, the Jewish Ghetto of this city, born as far back as 1516, is the oldest in the world.
WEDDING VENUE (RECEPTION)
Those who choose to marry in Venice do so essentially to live that day in a dream place and therefore it is logical that for the reception, after the civil ceremony, or the religious function, they look for an environment suitable for the occasion, somewhere able to astonish even the most demanding or sceptical.
From this point of view the venues that Venice can offer are infinite, so we will only mention some of the most renowned and popular.
Palazzo Contarini della Porta di Ferro, located in the city centre just a few steps from St. Mark’s Square, is a historic building that after a long and careful restoration has been divided into elegant apartments and suites. The rich and refined furnishings, the privileged location, the charming atmosphere and the romantic aura that permeates it, make Palazzo Contarini the perfect setting for a refined banquet that no guest could ever forget.
Palazzo Flangini can be found in Sestriere di Cannaregio, not far from Venice Station and easily reachable by land and by sea. It is an elegant baroque historic building directly overlooking the Grand Canal, from which the large, frescoed and richly decorated rooms offer excellent views.
Villa Lina is in Murano, the world-famous Venetian island for glass work. Located in the middle of a fantastic sixteenth-century flower garden, Villa Lina is the romantic and sweet place you’ve always dreamed of for your wedding.
Palazzo dei Dogi is one of the most elegant and refined locations that Venice can offer. A Venetian noble palace with original decor and furnishings, it has a garden overlooking the lagoon where it is possible, if you would like, to set up the banquet, and receive an impeccable service in every way possible. The halls are so beautiful that they are able to convey a veil of magic to any ceremony.
Palazzo Marin is right in the heart of the city, between the historic La Fenice theatre and St. Mark’s Square. This place, which in the 18th century was an important venue in Venice, is a perfect mix of history, art and culture that does not leave even the most distracted visitor indifferent. The contemporary furniture, curtains, upholstery and ornaments immerse the visitor in the ambience of other times.
On the Lungomare Capponi, between lush greenery and golden beaches, the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort is home to Moorish-style Venetian art masterpiece. The Arabic aura that pervades could be another way, original and alternative, to experience the beauty of the Venetian capital.
There are a lot of beautiful wedding venues in Venice not mentioned such as: the luxury hotels in Venice The Gritti Palace, Hotel Danieli, Romeo and Juliet Hotel, Belmond Hotel Cipriani, JW Marriot Venice, San Clemente Palace Kempinsky Venice, Baglioni Hotel Luna, Bauer Venezia, Ca’ Sagredo, Villa Barbarich, Sina Centurion Palace Venezia, Ca’ Nigra Hotel Venice, Aman Venice and Autograph Collection Hotels Boscolo Venezia.
LOCATION PHOTO
There is probably no alley or corner of Venice that cannot be the ideal background for photographs, especially for wedding ones, given the romance that exudes from every stone in this city.
It is unlike that couples would not like a few moments in a gondola, or who don’t to be immortalised by a tender kiss on the Rialto Bridge but there is an infinity of Venetian sites worthy of note from this point of view.
Piazza San Marco, perhaps amid tender flying pigeons in from of the Basilica, is practically a compulsory stage, but it can also be chosen for the narrow streets that cross the city as if they were blood vessels giving Venice its life.
A less popular but very important place?
Few people know it, but Venice gave birth to one of the greatest Italian poets, Ugo Foscolo (actually, he was born on the Greek island of Zante, but in 1778 it belonged to the powerful Republic of Venice. The house where the verse write lived from a very young age and who composed the ode “To Bonaparte liberator” is still there, at the Campo de le Gate, as the epigraph on the facade recalls.
Another of the most popular and inevitable destinations of Venetian tourism, certainly worthy of a visit and a few photos, is the Bridge of Sighs, beautiful despite the sad story that surrounds it as the last stop of the condemned who crossed it before being taken to the infamous torture room.
The small islands that make up the Venetian lagoon are also undoubtedly suggestive; if possible do not miss Murano, famous for its glass, and Burano, which is equally famous for its lace.
FAMOUS WEDDINGS
Over time, there have been many famous people who decided to “tie the knot” in Venice or in the surrounding area.
The latest VIP weddings date back to June 2017, the month in which the fateful promises of love were exchanged by actress Jessica Chastain, who wed Count Gian Luca Passi in the chapel of his family home in Treviso, but chose Venice for the party with friends; and former Real Madrid and Chelsea player Alvaro Morata, who said “I do” to Alice Campello, who instead opted for the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore, on the Island of Giudecca.
In both circumstances, as can be imagined, there was no shortage of famous international guests from the world of cinema, football and high society in general, a good opportunity, as if it were needed, to once again show the world the marvels of Italy.
