Wedding With a View Blog

Let’s see…Tuscany, Chianti, Rome and Venice.  These are the most often requested destinations when couples are in the planning stages of their honeymoon in Italy.  But I wonder: is this because these spots are actually ideal for your honeymoon or simply because they’re the first that come to mind?

Frequently, I get requests for honeymoons that seem more like touristic ‘tours de force’ than relaxed, romantic getaways: five cities in five days.  You’ve hardly put your suitcase down long enough to look around before you’re already departing for the next stop. 

Maybe I’m a hopeless romantic, but when planning my honeymoon I really tried to do that once-in-a-lifetime trip.  As I love horses, we spent a week together on a working ranch in Wyoming. (It’s still slightly embarrassing to remember the face of the policeman in Philadelphia when he asked me incredulously, ‘Why are you going to Wyoming?! Are you joking?’)  It was the perfect start…gorgeous natural surroundings and not much to do outside your cottage!   We followed our week as ranch-hands with a road trip from Santa Fe to Los Angeles, complete with lots of culture and adventures, and then we ended the dream vacation with a relaxing week in the beautiful Virgin Islands.  I can still remember all the excitement, happiness and fun of my honeymoon.

That’s my point…a honeymoon should be, above all, memorable!

In Italy we don’t have any working ranches, but we do have our very own Caribbean: Sardinia.  White beaches, warm water and those characteristic carved-stone villas make this island a little paradise all its own.

Or, if you’re one for windswept, dramatic view, the cliffs overlooking the sea in Portofino, Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast could be your ideal destination.

Nature lovers and enthusiastic foodies will find their little slice of heaven in the Chianti or the Crete Senesi. (Actually, Italian cuisine enthusiasts will be pretty happy wherever they go in this country).

My best advice for planning your Italian honeymoon is to focus on one, main theme without trying to squeeze too much ‘stuff’ into too little time.  Your honeymoon is a time to enjoy each other to the fullest, so pick a place where you can both relax and be your best, most loving selves.