Tuscany, The Affordable Wedding Destination

A Farmhouse villa, a private chapel and vineyards complete the most exclusive wedding and it needn't cost a fortune. If you are prepared to cut down on your guest list, you can have a romantic Italian wedding in the Tuscan countryside for a fraction of the cost of a wedding back home.

The region, in central Italy, is known for its landscapes and is famed for being the birthplace of influential artists such as Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. The beautiful vineyards, rolling hills and stone buildings create a perfect backdrop to your wedding album and during autumn the hills come alive with colour.

Casale BellaluceWedding venues in Italy range from modern hotels to historical castles and traditional farmhouses and villas. One such venue is the Casale Bellaluce >>, a beautifully restored farmhouse nestled in the Umbrian countryside.

Once a Benedictine Monastry, the villa dates back to 1000 AD and has its own private chapel onsite making it ideal for intimate weddings with close friends and family. Today, the farmhouse is split into three separate apartments and will sleep 17. Each apartment has its own private garden giving everyone some privacy during the stay. For the bride and groom, there is a separate cottage within the grounds.



In true Italian hospitality, the owners of the villa can arrange a wedding meal. And of course, you'll never run out of wine - the farmhouse is located a few miles from the medieval town of Orvieto, the centre of Umbrian grape-growing and winemaking, which produces some of the best classified wine in the region. Orvieto DOC is perfect for the wedding breakfast - a fruity dry white wine made from local Trebbiano and Verdello grapes (hand-picked from just up the road).

To hire out the Casale Bellaluce will cost from £3012 for a week with www.to-tuscany.com , working out at a very affordable £158 per guest! Guests have flexibility with flights too as Florence (a 2 hour drive to the villa), Pisa (2 ½ hour drive), Rome (1 hour drive) and Perugia (1 hour drive), are served by a variety of airlines and UK airports.

To marry in Italy is fairly straight forward. A local wedding planner can assist you with all the legalities such as obtaining a Certificate of no Impediment (Nulla Osta), which is issued by the British Consulate for the area where you intend to marry. The documents you need to take are:

  • Full birth certificate (must include the names of both parents)
  • Deed Poll (in case of change of name)
  • If previously divorced/widowed, your divorce decree or death certificate

So if you are searching for the venue of your dreams, consider marrying abroad and discover how affordable it can be with your closest friends and family there to share the day with you.

For further information on marrying outside of the UK visit our guide to weddings abroad