Italy’s first observatory on destination wedding tourism was presented in December 2019, revealing the preferences of international couples choosing to marry in the country. The sector represents significant growth for Italian tourism, with three regions dominating the market: Tuscany captured 25.6% of weddings, followed by Campania at 15.3% and Lombardy at 14.3%—together accounting for 55.2% of the market. Other substantial regions included Veneto (8.2%), Lazio (7.2%), and Puglia (6.1%).
Within these regions, specific locations emerged as wedding leaders. Tuscany’s strength lay in Florence, Siena, and Val d’Orcia, while the Amalfi Coast dominated Campania. Lombardy saw most weddings at Lake Como, followed by Milan and Lake Garda. Lazio, beyond Rome, showed growing demand in the Viterbo area. Tuscany’s success partly reflected its ability to promote small villages alongside major brands, a strategy increasingly attracting couples.
Preferred venues and new trends
When selecting wedding locations, foreign couples in 2019 most frequently chose historic villas and estates—comprising 25.1% of celebrations and including traditional masserie farmhouses. Significant shares went to small towns (11.1%), beaches (9.6%), agriturismos and country houses (9.4%), castles and fortresses (9.4%), luxury hotels and relais (9.1%), gardens (8.9%), and historic sites such as walls and plazas (8.2%).
The observatory identified emerging trends redefining destination weddings. Couples increasingly sought unconventional locations with fewer formal conventions and more celebratory moments, incorporating symbolic rituals from handfasting to sand ceremonies, alongside local experiences like wine tastings and cooking classes. Trending wedding formats included prosit weddings in wineries, breweries and distilleries; adventure weddings on mountain peaks or near waterfalls, popular in the Dolomites, Aspromonte, and Gennargentu; and industrial-chic celebrations in abandoned factories, warehouses, and mines with exposed architectural elements.
Additional growing formats encompassed intimate affairs in small villages, high-altitude refuges, lighthouses and islands; forest and wooded weddings using natural landscapes as settings; glamping weddings in luxury tent lodges; green luxury events in winter gardens and botanical parks; traveling weddings spanning a week across multiple locations; and train weddings using historic locomotives. A notably strong trend was the demand for traditional Italian touches—whether through regional cuisine, cultural traditions, or local experiences—with international couples seeking authenticity and locally produced goods as core elements of their celebrations.
Frequently asked questions
Which Italian regions attracted the most destination weddings in 2019?
Tuscany led with 25.6% of the market, followed by Campania (15.3%) and Lombardy (14.3%), with these three regions together holding 55.2% of the sector.
What venue type did foreign couples prefer for weddings?
Historic villas and estates were the most popular choice, representing 25.1% of celebrations, followed by small towns (11.1%) and beaches (9.6%).
What emerging wedding trend emphasized unconventional locations?
Unusual weddings with less formality and more celebration moments were gaining traction, held in non-traditional spaces such as industrial buildings, forests, vineyards, and mountain peaks, often incorporating symbolic rituals and local experiences.
