Getting Married in Venice: Everything You Need to Know

Venice is a beautiful city for a wedding abroad, full of majestic architecture, romantic winding streets and those dazzling blue canals.

It’s the perfect place to get married in Italy if you’re looking for a setting that is as charming as it is enigmatic.

You and your guests will fall in love with the magical city, and you’ll never get bored of looking at your wedding photos with Venice as the backdrop. 

SEE MORE: Browse Beautiful Wedding Venues in Venice

It’s straightforward to get to Venice; you can fly into Marco Polo airport, which is located on the margin of the Venetian lagoon, and then get one of the ferries or a water taxi around the lagoon to your destination within the city – this can take around an hour and a half so make sure you leave plenty of time. If you don’t fancy arriving by boat, you can get a taxi, bus or train to the city, but they won’t be able to take you far into Venice as all automotive traffic is limited to a small area of the city.

There are a number of districts – also referred to as sestieri – in Venice. If you’re planning on tying the knot there, book yourself into the district that is most convenient for you depending on what you need.

San Marco

San Marco is right in the centre of Venice and incorporates the stunning but often crowded St Mark’s Square, the Basilica and the Accademia Bridge. It’s full of five star hotels, high end shops and glamorous places to eat and drink. If you’re looking to splash out whilst celebrating your wedding, this is where to do it – stay in a palazzo that dates back hundreds of years to truly make the most of the experience, and if you want to avoid the crowds, visit out of season.

Cannaregio

This district might feel quiet in the day, but if you love your nightlife it’s the perfect choice for you. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to explore in this area, which comes alive as darkness falls over Venice. You can view the Rialto Bridge from some of the bars’ terraces, and you can explore the remains of the original ghetto.

San Polo

There are small hotels hidden away around here, and lots of restaurants surrounding the Rialto market, where you can wander amongst the stalls of fresh seafood, up to the Rialto Bridge – just watch out for the seagulls that throng together overhead. You’ll find the oldest restaurant in Venice here – Poste Vecie, which dates back to 1500.

Castello

You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to another time in Castello – this rustic sestiere is full of pretty churches and authentic restaurants, making it perfect for traditional couples who want to savour a true Venetian experience. The terracotta hued buildings will look gorgeous in your pictures.

Dorsoduro

Hipster couples should head to Dorsoduro – a district full of the coolest bars and restaurants, as well as plenty of museums and galleries to explore.

The Islands

You’ll find lots of big name hotels on the islands of Giudecca and the Lagoon such as the Belmond Cipriani. It’s the ideal location if you want to escape away from the busy-ness of Venice.

Love the idea of a wedding by the water? We’ve also got a guide to marrying by Lake Como and everything you need to know about marrying at Lake Garda. 

If you choose to marry in Venice you’ll be in excellent company – actress Salma Hayek married Francois-Henri Pinault in Paris on Valentine’s Day, before celebrating in Venice at the opera house, La Fenice. The celebrations stretched over two days before ending with a masked ball at the Punta Della Dogana.

George Clooney also married his wife Amal Alamuddin in a civil ceremony at Venice City Hall before celebrating at the Hotel Cipriani. ‘It’ girl turned art dealer Tamara Beckwith chose Venice’s Redentore Church as the setting for her wedding to construction heir Giorgio Veroni. 

If you want more celebrity inspiration, don’t miss our edit of celebrity weddings. 

If you’re looking for a Catholic wedding ceremony, there are plenty of churches to choose from, including St Mark’s Cathedral. Civil wedding ceremonies can take place in a number of locations, including a number of Palazzos – before you host your wedding reception at a glamorous hotel and greet your guests with Venice’s most famous drink – a chilled Bellini.

You can celebrate your marriage in this glamorous city and start married life by exploring the charming backstreets and getting wonderfully lost crossing the pretty bridges over the irresistibly blue canals. Venice is a dreamy location for a wedding, but it’s also the perfect place to begin your honeymoon too, before travelling through to other desirable locations in Italy – you can take internal flights from Marco Polo airport or get a train from the bustling station in Venice.

If you’re considering other destinations in Italy start browsing our handpicked selection of Italian wedding venues.