Toskana – One Of The Most Popular Wedding Destinations

Gone are the days of massive weddings with hundreds of guests. In today’s experiential landscape, the newlyweds are seeking more like boutique weddings among the wild nature. They want to create unique memories with their closest ones. So 2019 sees Tuscany hit the top of the most desirable wedding destinations lists AGAIN. Why? Oh, there are countless reasons! This region in central Italy is worldwide known to the famous Chianti, delicious food, astonishing sights and…. luxury. By luxury, I mean ‘the experience’ in general because in Tuscany it does not matter whether you stay. You could land at a 5-star hotel or an idyllic agritouristic yurta, and it would probably be luxurious.

From what I have observed, an average wedding in Tuscany equals a very big fat wedding somewhere else. Moneywise, of course. A typical ‘wedding in Tuscany’ is very expensive but you have to pay for the quality these days. I, however, managed to find a place where you don’t have to spend an average 40k euro for your Big Day. Keep reading…

There is no doubt the landscapes are the main ingredient of a wedding in Tuscany: vineyards and cypress alleys, endless spaces and tender hills. All this under the Tuscan Sun.…

Last Month, I visited a potential agritouristic wedding venue and an idyllic luxury SPA Hotel in the southern part of Tuscany. I don’t intend to compare them to one another, as it would not be possible. The two venues are completely different and correspond to different needs but they would also work for the same couple.

What they have in common is the beautiful location and a very good house wine.

How to get to Tuscany?

By car – Italy is known for having a great net of toll roads or…

…by plane. The connections are many, and the airports are very close to one another. You can choose from flying to Florence, Piza or Bologna. The fee of a flight depend on your needs but it could be a low fare 30€ return flight from the UK, Germany or Poland ( Ryanair operates the majority of airports). The flights to Tuscany are running twice a day and are rather affordable in comparison to the rest of the famous European summer destinations, such as Amalfi Coast or Santorini.

From the US it is a matter of $1000 return offseason, but it could be cheaper if you purchase in advance. It is best to fly to Florence, as there are several direct flights from the major US cities, such as New York.

IF FLYING, you would have to rent a car…

I recommend renting a car from GOLDCAR, where you could also use my 15% discount with the code: CARMELATTE15

The price of a small car (like our feminine Fiat500) is around 25€ per day (+insurance!!), but I would recommend renting a very comfortable SUV, such as FIAT500L for around 50€ per day +insurance. The fuel policy it full to full. The toll roads cost from 8€ to 16€, it depends where you are going from.

• from Florence it takes around 1h30mins to get to Follonico and La Suvera
• from Bologna it takes around 2,5 hours to get to Grosseto
• from Piza it takes around 2h 20 minutes to get to Grosseto and around 2 hour 50 minutes to get to Hotel Adler

When is the best period to get married in Tuscany?

We were told it is the best to plan your big day between the period of half May to half June. The climate in Tuscany is a bit tricky. The summer is extremely hot and dry, while autumn and winter are often cold and foggy. The Spring is usually nice, but the weather is not guaranteed. It was about 20 degrees (day) in March but only around 5 degrees at night, and chilly evenings. Hence you probably want your wedding to be outside, under the skies, it is recommended to choose your date wisely.

Are you also enchanted by the cypress alleyways, vineyards and the charming sunsets? You are not the only one, Tuscany has recently become the real ‘star’ among the wedding destinations. A wedding in Italy would probably be the biggest dream come true but it could easily appear to be a nightmare too. With Tuscany being such a popular destination, some places might take advantage of that and… make you pay more or double book the venue. This is the main reason I would recommend to hire a professional, trustworthy and well-experienced wedding planner. I found Mariella Santoni Wedding Planner on Instagram (1,1k followers) and automatically fell in love with the wonderful detail-feed. I also spotted a few amazing venues, happy couples and loads of great work. As a matter of fact, this lady has more than 10 years of experience in weddings& destination weddings. On top of that, Mariella graduated from ‘Event Designer – Organization of Public and Private Events’ at the Garini Immagina Studio, Milano and the ‘Wedding Planner and Reception Scenography‘ seminar at the Wedding Planner Academy. She supervises all the projects herself to ensure every couple gets the most of what her company has to offer. The brand was featured in countless publications, such as ‘RMW rock my wedding’ and awarded some of the most prestigious prices – ‘Couple’s Choice Awards 2019 by Wedding Wire and World’s 100 Best Wedding Planners in 2018 ! Only by looking at the testimonials you could tell the couples loved the experience! ‘It’s a pity there are only 5 stars… if there would be 100 I would give her all’ – to name a few 🙂

Personally, I love the fact Mariella Santoni Wedding Planner is very open-minded and up-to-date brand with a lot of presence on social media ( they run a blog and Instagram channel). I think being on social media helps them to discover what people really want, what is so-to-say trendy, what to avoid and simply to understand the Millennials a bit more. The team speaks multiple languages, such as English and Italian, and are always there for your disposal.

AGRI WEDDING

I name this place the coolest 2019 finding for a boutique wedding and elopements! An Agri wedding is a huge thing in 2019! After all, being eco seems to become trendy these days.

It was not our first time at the agricultural estate but it was definitely the most unique stay! We arrived quite late, at around 8 PM. It was March, which means it was also quite dark and a bit chilly. March might not be an ideal time to visit Tuscany, if I have to be honest. We were greeted with an organic (what else?) dinner, some house wine and a brief explanation of our agenda. After that, Monia, who takes care of the farm and its guests, took us to our cosy yurta. There are two massive Yurtas in azienda, each of which equipped with a heater, a small kettle, some candles and a private bathroom. There is also a hot tub, and it could be used by the couple or their guests. The view from the hot tub is a wow 🙂

So. As for the organisation, the capacity of a wedding at GLAMPING IL SOLE is something in between of 35-40 people. The farm itself accommodates 15 people at once but the staff is able to help with finding a place in the area should you wish to find a place to sleep for the rest of your guests. She speaks English and is very kind. Alternatively, you could ask a wedding planner.

The set menu starts from €40 per person, and it includes wine! Every single ingredient at Glamping Il Sole is organic and comes from their farm/garden. The food is delizioso!

There is a possibility for quad excursions, cooking classes and wine tasting for either the couple or their guests.

Glamping Il Sole has never done a wedding – it is something new for Azienda! Nevertheless, they are open for suggestions, new ideas and innovations. Wedding planners are welcome to join their team as well!

The address:

Perfect Honeymoon

Tuscany is full of amazing wineries, wedding-perfect cottages, luxurious hotels or lovely castles. I was, however, on a mission to find a perfect honeymoon place as well! I was thinking more of a resort, Maldives-vibes but set among the Tuscan landscape… Looks like I managed to find such gem. It seems Adler SPA Resort Thermae is a very popular destination for the Germans, people from the US and the UK. The place has a great reputation of being ‘your home away from home’. I would describe it as idyllic, luxurious, peaceful AND honeymoon-perfect!

We arrived in the afternoon, just in time for a delicious lunch. I have to mention that there are countless vegan dishes to choose from, which is not typical in Italy. I am not a vegan myself but many couples are after healthy food while on their honeymoon, from what I learned. ‘Make eating and drinking an experience‘ is what we were told at Adler SPA Resort. After our meal, I was treated to a special treatment Adler SPA Resort offers to the honeymooners. It was an amazing slow travel experience, and I recommend it to the ‘unstoppable’ ones.

As a matter of fact, the resort looks like it is a perfect place for a wedding but it is not. Parties, ceremonies and even conferences are highly restricted as the resort cares for its slow travel reputation. Not only thermal waters and daily sunrise yoga sessions but also the piano bar with distinguished music or a wine cellar by candlelight. Not to mention the resort’s location and the view…

The way I see it, Adler SPA Resort is a perfect resort for the ‘busy’ couple but definitely not for the party animals. The thermal waters will help you to relax, reflect and be yourself for a little longer but there is no place for 5 am drunken dance.

Honeymooners are welcomed at the resort with a bottle of prosecco and fresh fruit. The spa package Adler SPA Resort recommends is the following:

JUST AMORE

1 Brunello Ritual

1 ADLER Revive Ritual

1 Salt Grotto Exclusive for two

1 Oriental ceremony

1 Rasul Bath

€ 377 per person.

A 4 nights-stay including half board and the spa package JUST AMORE for two persons start from € 2,302.

I am going to write another Wedding Destination Feature from Tuscany, this time it is going to be ‘A Wedding in Florence’.

I also encourage you to visit my Wedding Destination column here.