The Wedding Atlas · Italy · Sicily
Getting Married in Sicily
Baroque towns, volcanic coast and farm estates on a large Mediterranean island. Sicily is large enough to hold several different settings: baroque hilltop towns, volcanic beaches, Greek temples and farming estates that produce wine and olive oil. A wedding here is planned around one part of the island rather than the whole.
Part of the Sicily destination guide.
- Best months
- May, June, September and October
Find your area
Sicily on the map
Choose an area to see the venues we list there. Every name is a plain link to its listing.
Sicily
The 5 venues we list in Sicily. Choose an area on the map, or tap a pin to open a venue.
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Our selection
Where we would start
Three of the 5 Sicily venues we list, chosen by our editors to show the range.
Ballium Luxury Relais
Ballium Luxury Relais is a restored Sicilian baglio in the Cavagrande del Cassibile nature reserve near Avola, with gardens, olive groves and 15 rooms for wedding stays.
La Plage Resort
La Plage Resort is a beach resort on the sand at Isola Bella below Taormina, with sea-view ceremony spaces, a beach club, a spa and 77 rooms and suites.
Pittalumari Makari
A small Sicilian estate on the north-western coast beneath a sixteenth-century pirate-watch tower, taken exclusively for slow, multi-day weddings above the Tyrrhenian Sea.
People who work here
The owners, wedding directors, planners, photographers and chefs behind weddings in Sicily.
Samuel LippkeLead Photographer, Samuel Lippke Studios
Michaela TheodorakakouFounder and creative director, Mitheo Events
Angela SalzanoFounder and destination wedding planner, Angela Salzano
Freddie MarquisDirector, The Luxury Travel Book
Francesca CavallaroWedding Planner, Effecreazioni Event
Ilaria GuarinoCo-founder, Italian Event Planners
Luca MelilliCo-founder and Wedding Designer, Panta Rhei Wedding
Viviana FortunatoCEO and Creative Director, Cygnus Events
Cristina VergerFounder and event planner, Cristina Verger Event Planning and Production
Samantha PrettoBridal hair and make-up artist, founder, Samantha Pretto
Marco FiciliPhotographer and filmmaker, Marco Ficili
Glenda MarradiFounder, wedding planner and designer, Il Giorno Perfetto di Glenda Marradi
Maurizio RelliniWedding photographer and co-founder, Rellini Art Studio
Pierpaolo PerriWedding and proposal photographer, founder, Pierpaolo Perri
Laura ComparettoFounder and wedding planner, LOVIÙ Events
Rossana SaporiCo-founder, TheKnotInItaly
Antonella ArgiròWedding photographer and co-founder, Ordine della Giarrettiera
Sara MazzeiFounder and creative director, Infinity Weddings and Events
Helen FalzonFounder and wedding planner, Jewel Weddings
Stefania SilvestroCEO, wedding and event planner, Stefania Silvestro
Nino LombardoWedding photographer and studio founder, Nino Lombardo Photographer
Cinzia CianiFounder and CEO, Diamante Your Wedding in Italy
Roberto RaspolliniFounder and creative director, RoRas Destination Wedding
Valentina d'AmelioFounder and wedding planner, Il Mio Matrimonio
Alessandra BentivoglioCo-founder and lead wedding planner, Wedding Sicily
Claudio SichelFounder and lead videographer, Whitesfilm Wedding Videography
Paola LapiFounder and wedding planner, Paola Lapi Luxury Event
Marta MaioliCo-founder and wedding planner, More Than Weddings
Elisa PratiFounder, wedding planner and designer, Elisa Prati Wedding Italy
Mariangela SpinellaFounder and project manager, Taormina Weddings
A Wedding in Sicily
Baroque towns, volcanic coast and farm estates on a large Mediterranean island
The baroque towns of the Val di Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage area, give ceremonies a stone-built setting of pale limestone. Inland, masserie, baglio farmhouses and converted palaces offer privacy and open landscape.
Sicily also suits couples who want a wedding away from the international circuit. Local food and local hospitality shape the day, and the guest experience is closer to a stay in a place than to a staged event.
Choosing a setting
Relais or resort
Photo: Ballium Luxury RelaisThe season
When to get married
Late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable months. The long dry season keeps the risk of rain low for outdoor ceremonies from April to October.
Getting there
How guests arrive
Both main airports have European connections, and Catania has more international routes. Transfers across the island are long, so the choice of airport follows the choice of area.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
Wedding accommodation in Sicily ranges from baroque palazzi in Noto and Palermo to estate hotels on the foothills of Etna and resorts on the western and southern shores.
Southern coast resorts
Large resort estates on the south-west coast combine golf, a private beach and an events team. The scale suits big celebrations in one place.
Inland masserie
Farmhouse estates in the mountains inland from Palermo can be hired in full. They suit couples who want privacy and a rural Sicily away from the coastal resorts.
Palermo Art Nouveau villa
A nineteenth-century Art Nouveau villa in a botanical garden in the city centre, now a cultural foundation, is available for private hire. It suits couples who want an urban setting with architectural character.
Noto and the baroque estate belt
The towns of Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Modica are surrounded by masserie and converted noble palazzi. The baroque architecture is the main reason to choose this area for ceremony photography.
Photo: La Plage ResortFood and drink
Eating and drinking in Sicily
Sicilian cooking draws on Greek, Arab, Norman and Spanish influence over many centuries, and the island's ingredients, wines and dishes differ from those of the mainland.
Arancina (or arancino)
The fried rice ball is contested. In Palermo it is called arancina, is round and is filled with meat ragù or butter and ham. In Catania it is arancino, cone-shaped and filled with ragù.
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta with fried aubergine, fresh tomato, salted ricotta and basil, named after Bellini's opera and associated with Catania. It depends on freshly fried aubergine and good ricotta salata.
Marsala wine
A fortified wine made around the western city of Marsala, from dry to sweet styles. It has been produced since the 1790s and is still made by historic houses.
Good to know
Before you book
Three airports
Sicily has three international airports: Palermo, Catania and Trapani. Palermo serves western and central Sicily, Catania the east, Etna and Taormina, and Trapani the Egadi Islands and the western coast. Catania is usually closer for Noto and Ragusa, and guests should compare routes into both main airports.
Heat in July and August
Temperatures inland are very high in July and August. Coastal sea breezes help, but midday is still intense. Outdoor ceremonies need shade, cooling and sensible timing, and May, June, September and October are more comfortable.
Noto and the 1693 earthquake
Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and Caltagirone were rebuilt in a unified baroque style after the 1693 earthquake, and the group gained UNESCO status in 2002. Noto Cathedral partly collapsed in 1996 and was rebuilt, and it is now stable and available for events.
Etna and winery visits
Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and a significant wine zone, with Nerello Mascalese vines grown on its slopes. Wineries take visitors by appointment, and a winery visit works as a pre-wedding activity for guests.
Entering Italy
UK and Canadian visitors may stay up to 90 days in any 180. ETIAS is not yet operating, and the Entry/Exit System has run since 10 April 2026. Check the guidance for your own passport.
Marrying legally in Italy
Checked 5 November 2026The ceremony
A civil marriage at the town hall (the comune) has legal effect. A Catholic ceremony can carry civil effect. A non-Catholic religious ceremony needs a civil ceremony first.
The paperwork
A foreign partner needs a nulla osta, or its embassy equivalent. Documents from outside the EU need an apostille and an Italian translation, and must be under six months old.
On the day
Two adult witnesses with photo ID are required, and an interpreter if a spouse or witness does not speak Italian. Each comune sets its own checklist, so contact the one that will marry you well ahead.
Sources: Italian Ministry of Justice, US Mission Italy, gov.uk, the Government of Canada and the EU travel portal.
From The 5 Star Edit
Stories from Sicily
Visits, real weddings and planning notes from our editors.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
Which side of Sicily suits a wedding better, east or west?
The east, around Taormina, Catania and the Val di Noto, has the most established wedding venues and the best air connections through Catania. The west, around Palermo and Trapani, has coastal venues that are less visited and more local in character.
Can a legal marriage take place in a Sicilian baroque church?
A church wedding is open to couples of the relevant faith, or where the concordat applies. Many international couples hold a symbolic ceremony in a historic church and complete the legal paperwork at home.
How is Sicily for vegetarian and dietary requirements?
Sicilian cooking is built on vegetables, with dishes such as caponata, pasta alla Norma and grilled vegetables, so vegetarian guests are well served. Vegan and other requirements are manageable if the caterer is told in advance.
Is Sicily safe for international visitors?
The tourist areas are safe and well serviced, and standard travel precautions apply as in any major destination.
When is the best time of year for a wedding in Sicily?
Late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable months, which means May, June, September and October. The long dry season keeps the risk of rain low for outdoor ceremonies from April to October. Temperatures inland are very high in July and August, so outdoor ceremonies then need shade, cooling and sensible timing.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in Sicily
Tell Aura the setting, the season and the size of your day. She shortlists the venues and professionals that fit, and explains why.
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This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.