The Best Ideas for an Italian Destination Wedding Theme
Italy is one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world, and it is also one of the most popular wedding destinations and honeymoon destinations among couples.
Planning a destination wedding in Italy is not only a dream come true for many couples, but it is also an experience you and your wedding guests will remember forever.
But even an Italian destination wedding needs some planning, as beautiful as your wedding venue might be, you must choose beautiful wedding decorations and table settings to create a stunning ambiance.
If you are looking for wedding planners and photographers in Italy, visit this section.
To create an Italian-themed wedding, remember to include the little details that make you think of Italy. For example, olives, olive oil, lemons, and other details you can include some stonework and stone vases that will remind your guests of the Italian Riviera.
We have seen many lovely Arab couples tie the knot at destination weddings in Italy, which is a popular destination wedding location among Middle Eastern couples. To take further inspiration from these weddings, visit our Real Destination Weddings section.
Whether you are having your wedding in Italy, or just want that Italian vibe and feel at your wedding in your hometown, these wedding Italian wedding decoration ideas will give you lots of inspiration.
Lemons Everywhere
Lemons are very popular in Italy, and for a true Italian wedding decor why not have a zesty lemon wedding theme inspired by the beautiful lemon-filled streets of Capri or Sorrento.
Andrea and Chant had a beautiful wedding at Lake Como that included lots of lemons displayed on the tables along with olive branches. Add to that blue-colored bottles for candles, and white roses and you get a charming Italian feel to your table setting. See more from this Lake Como wedding here!
For their Sicilian wedding, Tatiana and Wadih had a pre-wedding dinner with long rustic wood tables decorated with authentic blue and white vases and laid with blue, white, and gold tableware. Yellow roses were mixed with other yellow and white blooms and greenery. Lemons and Kumquats added a fresh Sicilian vibe to the tablescape.
Tania and Andrey had a romantic wedding in Florence, and their wedding tables were lined in rows and covered in rustic flowers and lemon trees. For more Italian wedding theme ideas click here!
Rustic and Country Inspired Decor
Nothing is more romantic than a wedding inspired by the Italian countryside, a rustic Italian wedding decor with woodland touches, and fairy lights!
The enchanting venue in Sicily, Castello Xirumi, inspired this 'woodland' wedding theme for this destination wedding for Tatiana and Wadih. The wedding ceremony was held underneath a natural forest accentuated with hanging chandeliers and furnished with beautiful green chairs that seated all their wedding guests. Arrangements of light pink roses, natural greenery, and pampas grass were used to line up the aisle.
For Tania and Andrey's wedding in Tuscany, the couple made sure their guests felt at home with a wedding and dinner hosted in the garden in front of the villa with tables lined in rows and covered in rustic flowers and lemon trees.
A rustic Italian wedding theme was planned for Rasha and Amer in Tuscany. The decor was unique and had beautiful rustic elements in it, for example, the name tags were written on wine corks and bottle centerpieces were used to decorate each table.
Old World Charm
Italy is known for its old-world charm, so why not go back to a luxurious and romantic time on your wedding day? Gold details, vintage chandeliers, old and historic venues all play a major role in creating an old-world vibe at your wedding.
We love the luxurious gold details and vintage candle holders at this wedding in Rome for Nicolas and Ayla, see more here!
Melissa and Mohammed chose to have their wedding at Castello Di Vincigliata which truly made the guests feel that they were in the presence of royalty. Melissa let the castle speak for itself by simply accenting it with tasteful floral designs and a soft color scheme of lavender and lilac.
Biana and Hazim had their romantic wedding at Lake Como, and Bianca had a fairytale wedding in mind, so it is only natural to enter her wedding in a vintage white horse-drawn carriage.
Apulian Themed Wedding
Puglia is located in Southern Italy, and an Apulian themed wedding is not only charming and rustic, but it is also cultural and entertaining.
MY Event Design created a beautiful Apulian dinner in Puglia, the tablescape comprised of a contrasting and colorful arrangement of basil leaves, tomatoes, red peppers, and greenery, all of which are popular local ingredients among the Apulian culture. See more of this here!
A Pasta and Pizza Wedding
When you think of Italian food the first thing that comes to mind is pasta and pizza! So no Italian wedding theme is complete without serving pasta or pizza!
Include dry pasta in your wedding decor and have it hanged over the buffet or placed in vases on the tables. White and red chequered tablecloths will complement this Italian wedding decor beautifully.
And of course, a must-have is a pasta station and a pizza station - yummy, yummy
Italian Decor Inspired Wedding
For your Italian wedding theme, draw your inspiration from different aspects of Italy.
For example, Italy has always been the country of drapers, tailors, and, more recently, high fashion dressmakers: so consider having draping or curtains in different areas at your wedding.
Don't forget about the most beautiful Italian tile patterns! Use these beautiful patterns in the design of your wedding stationery and menus, and even have some tiles to present your food on. We love the Italian tile patterned menu from Andrea and Chant's wedding at Lake Como!
All About Italian Cuisine
Why not make your wedding all about Italian foods and cuisine? Include some details in the decor and have an extraordinary Italian dinner or buffet with a beautiful setup.
For example, for an Apulian themed pre-wedding dinner, MY Event Design decorated the tablescape with a contrasting and colourful arrangement of basil leaves, tomatoes, red peppers and greenery, all of which are popular local ingredients among the Apulian culture. The buffet tables were set up in a way to surround the venue flow. Between each table, ladders were placed that served as arbours. Different Apulian items were hung from the arbours surrounding the area.
An Italian antipasto station is great to have at an Italian-themed wedding. The traditional first course of a formal Italian meal, the antipasto, includes typical ingredients of cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar.
Can you have an Italian dinner, whether it's for a wedding or a pre-wedding party, without having pizza or pasta? If you're not a carbs eater, that's fine, but if you're planning an Italian-themed event without a pizza oven or a live pasta making station, you're denying your guests some great Italian essentials.
Italian-Inspired Wedding Favors
There are so many amazing ideas for Italian-inspired wedding favors your wedding guests will love and definitely use!
- Small olive oil bottles.
- Limoncello bottles.
- Sugar-coated almonds also are known as Italian confetti.
- Small individual wine bottles.
- For a more luxurious wedding favor, you can have Murano glass items such as keychains or bottle stoppers.
- If you are having your wedding in Venice, beautiful Venetian masks make great wedding favors.
- Delicious amaretti biscuits.
- Dried lavender or basil in pretty pouches.
A Godfather Wedding Theme
Love classic Italian movies? Is your groom obsessed with The Godfather? Why not have a Godfather wedding theme and get your guests into character! Consider distributing hats to the men, have some delicious cannoli for dessert, for a luxurious touch you can have a cigar station as favors.
Or even better than all this, have your wedding The Godfather's house! Tatiana and Wadih had their pre-wedding dinner at Catello Degli Schiavi which is recognized as the Godfather's House. The venue was famously used for the wedding scene of Michael Corleone in The Godfather, and also for scenes in Godfather II. Thus, the inspiration for the pre-wedding theme was none other than the legendary movie The Godfather!
La Dolce Vita
Treat your wedding guests to some sweet Italian desserts, here are some ideas:
- A gelato station
- Tiramisu cups
- Cannoli
- Italian trifle
- Italian almond tart
- Chocolate or cranberry panna cotta cups
Traditional Millefoglie Wedding Cake
One of the most popular Italian wedding cakes is called Millefoglie or Mille Feuille. Millefoglie comes from French millefeuille and it is essentially made of layers of flaky, crispy pastry dough finished with whipping cream outside.
Some couples love to have a traditional Italian wedding cake at their wedding, not only is it delicious but it is also so beautiful!
For their wedding, Tatian and Andrey's cake was a traditional Italian wedding cake, with layers of mille-feuille and creme, and topped with fresh fruit and powdered sugar.
Melissa and Mohammed also chose to have a huge and beautiful Millefoglie wedding cake for the dream Tuscany wedding.
Romance on a Boat
Nothing is more romantic than getting married on a boat or arriving at your wedding in one! Imagine getting married in Venice or Lake Como and taking beautiful pictures with your loved one on a charming Italian boat.
We were all mesmerized by Amal Alamuddin and George Clooney's wedding, especially when they showed up the next day surrounded by their wedding party all in boats cruising the Grand Canal in Venice.
Lebanese couple Krystel and Elie got married at Lake Como and had the amazing chance to have a beautiful photoshoot on a boat. Read: Top Villas To Rent for a Destination Wedding at Lake Como.
Breathtaking Landscapes
Italy is known for its magical nature and breathtaking landscapes, so make sure you take advantage of the beautiful landscaping, especially if you love Italy's countryside and rural area and want to get married there surrounded by the most beautiful scenery and nature.
Beautiful landscapes will make a perfect background for your wedding pictures. For example, take a look at Bianca and Hazim's stunning wedding pictures at Lake Como, you will also fall in love with where Amer and Rasha got married, the couple got married in a small village in Tuscany called Borgo Corsignano, The view was spectacular as they said their vows overlooking the hills and a castle.
Take Advantage of The Architecture
Italy is known for its beautiful historic architecture and many couples choose to have their weddings in magical castles and charming historic villas.
Sara and Shahin got married in a dreamlike wedding venue, The Odescalchi Castle! This majestic Renaissance castle, just 50 minutes away from Rome, is set over Bracciano, a small hilltop town, with spectacular views over the lake below and has hosted several high-profile weddings like the ones of Martin Scorsese and Isabella Rossellini, as well as, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
Nicolas from Lebanon and Ayla from Syria tied the knot in a lavish 3-day wedding, and they had their pre-wedding get-together dinner in an exclusive villa in the heart of the Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica or what is also known as the old Roman Appian Way, one of the oldest and most important roads from Rome.
Melissa and Mohamed, a lovely couple from Dubai got married at Castello di Vincigliata, on the Hills around Florence in Italy. Their wedding at Castello Di Vincigliata truly made the guests feel that they were in the presence of royalty. Melissa let the castle speak for itself by simply accenting it with tasteful floral designs and a soft color scheme of lavender and lilac.
For their Amalfi Coast wedding, Mariane and Marc's wedding took place in a historical and charming venue, the Hotel NH Antico Convento di Amalfi, an ancient monastery of the XIII century perched above the mountains offering a panoramic view of the entire Amalfi Coast.
A Sicilian Inspired Night
For the perfect Italian garden wedding theme, a Sicilian-inspired wedding is perfect! It is not only romantic but also fun and fresh, we love everything about Sicilian decor and vibes, you can see so many beautiful ideas for a Sicilian wedding theme by MY Event Design for a wedding that took place in Amman, click here to see this stunning Sicilian wedding theme!
Sicilian Tropical Vibes
Sicily, with its stunning beaches, lush gardens, and vibrant culture, offers a unique blend of tropical vibes and Sicilian traditions. By combining tropical decorations with the essence of Sicily, guests can immerse themselves in the captivating spirit of the island while enjoying its natural beauty.
Whether it's the vibrant colors of tropical florals or the lively atmosphere reminiscent of Sicilian festivals, this fusion creates an enchanting experience where guests can bask in the tropical vibes and embrace the charm of Sicily's scenery and traditions.
Sicilian Beach Themed Wedding
Host an unforgettable wedding with a mix of tropical decoration and Sicilian traditions, highlighting the beauty of Sicily with its lovely beaches, lush gardens, and rich culture, allowing guests to soak up the tropical vibes while experiencing the captivating spirit of Sicily.
Decorate your venue with candles, seashells, and Sicilian blue and yellow lighting.
Use exotic flowers, greenery, a touch of gold, and lush tropical leaves to add to the vibrant energy of the celebration to complete the tropical mood.
