elope in italy
For the madly in love and the wild at heart
I’m guessing you clicked on this link somewhat out of curiosity.
After all, isn’t an elopement something that only happens in Las Vegas chapels or Jane Austen novels?
The answer – not at all!
You deserve to have the most incredible wedding day, whether that means a big traditional wedding, a week-long party with 30 of your nearest & dearest in a Masseria in Apulia, or a beautiful, intimate elopement.
But to make sure you have that incredible wedding experience; you need to know what all the options are!
If you’ve found yourself on this page because you’re planning your wedding...
What is an elopement?
An elopement is an intimate wedding where the focus is truly on celebrating your love. It’s a wedding day crafted with intention and care, so that your wedding is meaningful to you and true to the legacy you want to create together.
This could mean a sunrise ceremony followed by a full-day boat tour on the Amalfi Coast, it could mean spending a day exploring Tuscan hot springs, it could mean hiring a private chef to cater the most incredible private dinner you’ve ever had in Puglia, or it could mean something totally different! Hey, you might even want to do something wild and Elope to West Australia!
At its core, what makes an elopement an elopement is that it is a unique and meaningful celebration of your love. You throw out the rulebook and craft a day where the most important thing is that this is your wedding day, the day you commit to each other for life.
It doesn’t have to be just the two of you, you don’t have to “runaway” (but you can if you like!) – you just have to be true to yourselves, to your love, and to the legacy you want to create together.
The Magic of an All-Day Elopement
An elopement is an intimate wedding where the focus is truly on celebrating your love. It’s a wedding day crafted with intention and care, so that your wedding is meaningful to you and true to the legacy you want to create together.
This could mean a sunrise ceremony followed by a full-day boat tour on the Amalfi Coast, it could mean spending a day exploring Tuscan hot springs, it could mean hiring a private chef to cater the most incredible private dinner you’ve ever had in Puglia, or it could mean something totally different! Hey, you might even want to do something wild and Elope to West Australia!
At its core, what makes an elopement an elopement is that it is a unique and meaningful celebration of your love. You throw out the rulebook and craft a day where the most important thing is that this is your wedding day, the day you commit to each other for life.
It doesn’t have to be just the two of you, you don’t have to “runaway” (but you can if you like!) – you just have to be true to yourselves, to your love, and to the legacy you want to create together.
So, where could you Elope in Italy? Well, the answers are endless, but here are some truly magical Italian elopement locations:
- The Dolomites – if you dream of epic mountain scenery, beautiful lakes, and amazing hikes
- Sicily – if you love the sea, spectacular food, and wild terrain
- Umbria – if you imagine elegance, rolling hillsides, wild hot springs, and world-class wine
- Venice – if you’re a city-dweller but you also want a hint of adventure and timeless romance
- Lake Garda – if you can’t decide between the mountains and the sea, and you love adventure but also that classic Italian charm
Oh boy, if the wanderlust wasn’t already real!! The truth is, Italy is home to 20 regions, each one of which has an abundance of its own rustic, wild, delicious, adventurous, luxurious charms. There’s an angle to suit every soul and so many secrets to be uncovered…
But for now, I’d love to share a few sample timelines I’ve put together for what an All-Day Elopement might look like.
Where to Elope in Italy
- 9.00am: Photographer arrives, lazy Italian breakfast
- 10.00am: Couple + Guests head out for a swim, all photographed
- 11.30am: Everyone showers, dresses for a shared lunch at a beachside restaurant
- 12.30pm: Lunch
- 4.00pm: Getting Ready Photos – couple get ready together and help each other put on wedding attire, share some time together, and take photos of details
- 6.00pm: Ceremony
- 7.00pm: Aperitivo
- 7.30pm: Quick sunset portraits
- 8.00pm: Long table dinner all together
- Party long into the night with help from an amazing Italian DJ yessss!
DAY-AFTER
- 4:00pm: Meet couple, already dressed. Head out to take photos around a local historic town
- 6:00pm: Arrive at a scenic spot, like the Salt Mines of Marsala, explore and take sunset photos
- 7.45pm: Head back to the Accommodation
Because an elopement doesn’t have to mean you get married without any of your loved one’s present! This is a sample timeline for an Italian Elopement in Sicily, where you’ve booked out a small boutique accommodation by the beach for the two of you and anywhere from 2 – 20 of your favourite people. In this case, so that you could really focus on quality time with each other as well as with your guests, I’ve also added a day-after portrait shoot.
A Sample Timeline for an Italian Elopement in Sicily
- 2.00pm: Meet at the start of the Sentiero (or trailhead), start the hike
- 4.30pm: Arrive at the top, couple changes into wedding attire
- 4.45pm: First Look
- 5.00pm: Exchange Vows, Portrait Photos, Take in the amazing view
- 6.10pm: Sunset Portraits
- 6.30pm: Begin hiking down, star photos if the weather permits
- 8.30pm: Arrive at the bottom of the Sentiero, drive back to the Lodge
- 9.30pm: Arrive at Lodge for Private Dinner
- 10.45pm: Firepit, first dance
- 11pm: Finish
This is an example of a hiking elopement where it’s just the two of you. In this scenario, you could either solemnize the marriage in your home country, or I could help you to arrange for your legal vows to be said in a local town hall.
A Sample Timeline for an Italian, Hiking Elopement in the Dolomites
- 4.30am: Photographer arrives, getting ready in separate rooms at Airbnb, photograph details
- 5.15am: Couple gets dressed in wedding attire
- 5.45am: First Look at the Beach time to coincide with sunrise
- 6.00am: Share Vows on the Beach, Portrait Photos
- 7.30am: Head back to the accommodation, catered champagne breakfast
- 8.30am: Naptime!
- 5.00pm: Get dressed in more casual outfits
- 5.45pm: Aperitivo by the pool / in the garden
- 7.00pm: Horse ride to the River
- 8.40pm: Sunset Photos by the River
- 9.00pm: Arrive Back, Private dinner in the glasshouse
- 11.00pm: Fin
The beauty of All-Day Elopement Photography is that you can plan a day filled with everything you love, even if that means taking a break in the middle of the day to nap or just hang out together. In this imagined Tuscan elopement, I’ve envisioned a calm day filled with adventure, but also that makes the best use of the nicest times of day – sunrise and sunset – with space for a nap in between. When planning this elopement, I had a specific venue in mind that’s in a breathtaking location between the sea, a river, and wild woods, but is also home to horses.
A Sample Timeline for an Italian Elopement in Tuscany
Basically, an elopement can look however you want it to. These are just three ideas that I dreamed up on a Sunday night, and there are so, so many more potentials – from hot air balloon rides to wild road trips, hikes into hidden freshwater gorges or mountain peaks, days spent wining & dining in Italy’s finest restaurants… the list goes on and on!
The one thing any elopement – or wedding, for that matter – should have in common, is that it’s a commitment to the person you love. You’re committing to life and love, to adventure and misadventure, to tears and laughter and everything in-between! Life is a wild ride and you deserve a wedding that reflects the life and relationship you’ve worked to create – the things you love, the places you love, and more than anything, the person you love.
Oh hey, that’s me!
Well hey, that’s me! I’m an Australian photographer who’s passionate about sharing the wonders of life with the people around me. I believe there is always joy to be found and beauty to be discovered, and I truly think that life is one great adventure. I moved to Italy in February 2017, and I haven’t stopped exploring (or eating) ever since. I believe that we all have a story to share, and that that story deserves to be documented, from the most ordinary moments to the most extraordinary ones.
I’d love to tell you where you could find me when I’m not photographing elopements, weddings or families, but even I’m not sure! I could be working on my sustainable living blog or drinking coffee at Orsonero Coffee in Milan, surfing in Portugal, trying out new restaurants with friends in Rome, or exploring hidden beach coves in Sicily, Puglia or Calabria. Either way, I’m doing my best to make the most of life, and I’d love to share that joy with you!
