Tuscany wedding venues
Cypress avenues, Renaissance villas and medieval castles surrounded by vineyards, with dinner served at long tables under the stars. Tuscany was made for a slow wedding weekend.
I'm Marcos Sanchez, a destination wedding photographer based in Barcelona. This guide will help you choose a venue in Tuscany and plan the practical side: which area to stay in, when to go, whether you can marry legally and what a Tuscan wedding really costs.
It's written from behind the camera, with notes on light, timing and the spots that photograph best. For the rest of the country, start with my Italy wedding photographer page, or read my Lake Como wedding venues guide.
Why get married in Tuscany?
Tuscany's villas were built by Florentine and Sienese families from the Renaissance onwards as country retreats, surrounded by gardens, vineyards and olive groves. Many are still family homes, which means you rent the whole place: your guests sleep under the same roof, and the wedding becomes a weekend rather than a single day.
It's also easy to reach. Florence and Pisa airports serve the north, Rome is around two hours from the Val d'Orcia, and the food and wine are reason enough for guests to arrive early. A welcome dinner in the vineyard, the wedding the next evening and a long lunch the day after is the classic Tuscan rhythm.
The great Tuscan estates
These are the venues my couples ask about most. Guest numbers depend on the space, season and set-up, so treat them as guidance and confirm the details with each venue or your planner.
- Chiusdino, near Siena
Borgo Santo Pietro
A 13th-century villa and estate in the countryside south west of Siena, with its own farm, rose gardens and spa. For a wedding the whole estate is yours, from around €170,000 for a minimum stay of two nights.
- Best for
- A private weekend with five-star service
- Stay
- 22 rooms and suites, around 50 guests
- Photographer's note
- The gardens and the tree-lined drive in the morning light
- Montalcino, Val d'Orcia
Castiglion del Bosco
A Rosewood resort spread across a vast estate around the ruins of a medieval castle, with its own Brunello winery and a small medieval church for ceremonies.
- Best for
- Large weddings of up to around 200 guests
- Stay
- Suites and private villas across the estate
- Photographer's note
- The castle ruins at sunset
- Valdarno, near Arezzo
Il Borro
A medieval village restored by the Ferragamo family, with vineyards, a wine cellar and rooms spread through the old lanes. It feels like a private town for your guests.
- Best for
- A weekend for around 160 guests
- Stay
- Over 100 guests in the village
- Photographer's note
- The village lanes and the vineyards behind them
- Maremma, southern Tuscany
Castello di Vicarello
A 12th-century castle in the wild Maremma hills, restored by the family who still run it, with only a handful of suites. Weddings are exclusive use, at around €37,500 a night from May to October with a three-night minimum, and two nights in spring and November.
- Best for
- Intimate weddings with total privacy
- Stay
- Around 30 guests
- Photographer's note
- The stone terraces and the hills beyond in the evening light
- Volterra
Borgo Pignano
An 18th-century villa and borgo on a private estate near Volterra, with an organic farm, a chapel and wide views over the hills. Exclusive use comes with a minimum spend of around €70,000 over a two-night stay.
- Best for
- A whole estate for your guests
- Stay
- Around 120 guests
- Photographer's note
- Long views over the hills at sunset
- Chianti
COMO Castello del Nero
A 12th-century castle turned five-star hotel in the Chianti hills, with frescoed rooms, terraces and its own spa, half an hour from Florence.
- Best for
- Hotel service in the Chianti hills
- Stay
- Guests stay in the castle
- Photographer's note
- The terraces and olive groves
Exclusive-use villas
Historic family villas rented whole for your celebration, with gardens laid out centuries ago. Private villas are often hired empty, so your planner brings in the caterer, furniture and lighting.
- Sovicille, near Siena
Villa Cetinale
A Baroque villa built in the late 17th century for Cardinal Flavio Chigi, about 20 minutes from Siena. A long avenue climbs from the house through the woods to a hermitage on the hill.
- Best for
- Up to around 100 guests
- Stay
- Around 12 bedrooms, more in the estate cottages
- Photographer's note
- The avenue climbing the hill behind the villa
- Val d'Orcia, southern Tuscany
La Foce
A 15th-century villa overlooking the Val d'Orcia, with gardens designed by Cecil Pinsent for Iris Origo. The zigzag cypress road below the estate is one of the most photographed views in Tuscany. Exclusive use starts at around €41,000 for three nights.
- Best for
- Around 140 guests
- Stay
- The villa and farmhouses across the estate
- Photographer's note
- Golden hour over the valley and the zigzag road
- Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena
Villa Catignano
A historic villa just outside Siena with formal Italian gardens, lemon trees and its own grounds, rented whole for a wedding weekend.
- Best for
- A classic villa wedding close to Siena
- Stay
- The wedding party at the villa
- Photographer's note
- The formal garden for the ceremony
- Chianti
Also worth considering
Villa di Geggiano, home to the same family since the 1500s and an organic Chianti winery, with an 18th-century garden theatre.
Florence and the Tuscan coast
For a wedding with the city at your feet, the villas in the hills above Florence are all within half an hour of the Duomo. On the coast, the Argentario has been a glamorous summer escape since the 1960s.
- Settignano, Florence hills
Villa Gamberaia
A Renaissance villa in the hills above Florence, with one of the most admired gardens in Italy: a parterre of water basins, clipped hedges and a grass terrace looking over the city and the Arno valley.
- Best for
- An elegant garden wedding close to Florence
- Stay
- Guests stay in Florence
- Photographer's note
- The water garden in the last light, with Florence below
- Florence, Oltrarno
Villa Cora
A 19th-century villa in a private park just above the Boboli Gardens, now a five-star hotel. You get the grandeur of a historic residence with hotel service, a few minutes from the centre, and exclusive use costs around €35,000 a night.
- Best for
- A city wedding with hotel comfort
- Stay
- 43 rooms and suites on site
- Photographer's note
- The gilded reception rooms and the park at dusk
- Fiesole, Florence hills
Villa San Michele
A former Franciscan monastery on the hill of Fiesole, now a Belmond hotel, with a loggia and terraced gardens that look straight down on the Duomo.
- Best for
- Intimate weddings with a view of the city
- Stay
- In the hotel or in Florence
- Photographer's note
- The loggia at sunset, as the lights of Florence come on
- Impruneta, near Florence
Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte
A historic villa in the hills south of Florence, with a baroque garden, terraces and a lemon house, owned by the Corsini family.
- Best for
- Grand dinners in a historic garden
- Stay
- Guests stay in Florence
- Photographer's note
- The baroque garden in late light
- Porto Ercole, Argentario
Il Pellicano
The legendary hotel above the sea on the Argentario, a haunt of the jet set since the 1960s, with terraces stepping down to the rocks.
- Best for
- A seaside wedding with Riviera glamour
- Stay
- Guests stay in the hotel
- Photographer's note
- The terraces over the water at sunset
Where in Tuscany, and how to get there
Tuscany is large, and the area you choose shapes the whole weekend. Most wedding venues sit in three areas.
- Florence and Fiesole: hillside villas minutes from the city, ideal if guests want to explore Florence.
- Chianti and Siena: vineyards, castles and villas between the two cities, the classic Tuscan countryside.
- Val d'Orcia, Montalcino and the Maremma: the south, with wide views, wine estates and more remote castles.
International guests usually fly into Florence or Pisa, about an hour apart by car. For the Val d'Orcia and the Maremma, Rome Fiumicino is around two hours away. Outside Florence, your planner will arrange private transfers for guests.
When is the best time for a Tuscany wedding?
The season runs from May to early October. Late May, June and September are the most popular, with warm days and long evenings: at the end of June the sun sets around 8:50 pm in Florence. July and August are hot inland and busy, while early October brings the grape harvest and softer light.
Plan the timeline around the heat as well as the light. In summer I suggest a ceremony at around 5 or 6 pm, so guests are comfortable and the portraits fall in the golden hour, when the hills turn gold and the cypress shadows grow long.
Can you legally get married in Tuscany?
Yes. Foreign couples can have a legally binding civil ceremony in Tuscany, in a town hall such as Florence's Palazzo Vecchio or at a venue the local council has authorised. Each of you needs a nulla osta, a declaration from your home country that you are free to marry, usually arranged through your consulate and legalised before the wedding.
Many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Tuscany instead, which gives you complete freedom over the venue, the time and the words. Catholic weddings are also possible in local churches with the right paperwork from your parish. Your planner can confirm the requirements for your nationality.
How much does a Tuscany wedding cost?
The finest Tuscan venues are booked for the whole weekend, so the venue and your guests' stay make up a larger share of the investment than at a city wedding. These figures come from 2025 and 2026 venue brochures and planner estimates, so treat them as a guide. VAT at 22% is usually added.
€40,000 to €120,000
A weekend's exclusive use of a fine villa or castle, before catering
€70,000 to €150,000
A wedding of around 80 guests, all in
€200,000+
A weekend at one of the grandest estates, such as Borgo Santo Pietro or Borgo Pignano
At the top estates, exclusive use runs from around €35,000 to €75,000 a night, usually with a two or three-night minimum and a minimum spend on food and wine: Borgo Pignano asks for €70,000 over a two-night stay. Private villas are often hired empty, so your planner brings in the caterer, furniture, lighting and sometimes a marquee. An experienced Tuscan planner is essential, both to run a multi-day weekend and to secure the right venue and suppliers.
Photographing a Tuscany wedding
Tuscany is a dream to photograph, and the light is the reason. I build the timeline with your planner around the sun, the heat and the distances between villa, church and dinner, so you have time for portraits without missing your guests.
My approach is calm and discreet: I document the day as it unfolds and guide you only when it helps. My work has been featured in Vogue, Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings.
Every wedding is photographed on digital and on film, 35mm and medium format on Kodak Portra, included as standard. Film suits the warm stone and soft colours of Tuscany beautifully.
Tuscany wedding FAQ
What are the best wedding venues in Tuscany?
It depends on the size and style of your wedding. Villa Gamberaia and Villa San Michele are favourites near Florence, Borgo Santo Pietro and Castello di Vicarello are ideal for a private weekend, and Castiglion del Bosco and Il Borro suit larger celebrations.
Can foreigners get legally married in Tuscany?
Yes. Civil ceremonies are held in town halls such as Florence's Palazzo Vecchio and at authorised venues, once each of you has a nulla osta from your home country. Many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Tuscany.
How far in advance should we book a Tuscany wedding venue?
Book 12 to 18 months ahead for Saturdays in June and September. Exclusive-use estates often require a minimum stay of two or three nights, so the best dates go quickly.
How much does a wedding in Tuscany cost?
For a wedding of around 80 guests, expect €70,000 to €150,000 in total at a fine villa or castle. A weekend's exclusive use of the venue alone is typically €40,000 to €120,000, and celebrations at the grandest estates, such as Borgo Santo Pietro or Borgo Pignano, go beyond €200,000.
What is the best month for a Tuscany wedding?
Late May, June and September offer warm weather and long evenings without the peak heat of July and August. Early October is lovely too, with the grape harvest and softer light.
Which airport is closest to Tuscany's wedding venues?
Florence airport is closest for Florence and Chianti, and Pisa is about an hour away. For the Val d'Orcia and the Maremma, many guests fly into Rome Fiumicino, around two hours by car.
Do you shoot film at Tuscany weddings?
Yes. Film photography is included at every wedding I photograph, alongside digital. I shoot 35mm and medium format on Kodak Portra, which loves the warm stone, cypress greens and late golden light of Tuscany.
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