The Wedding Atlas · Malta · Valletta and Grand Harbour
Getting Married in Valletta and Grand Harbour
A Baroque capital of golden limestone, built by the Knights of St John around the Grand Harbour. Valletta is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area and one of the densest historic cities in the Mediterranean. The Knights of St John planned it on a grid after the Great Siege of 1565 and built it entirely of local golden limestone. The Grand Harbour sheltered their fleet, and the Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua face the capital across the water.
Part of the Valletta and Grand Harbour destination guide.
- Best months
- April-June and September-November
Where to marry
Where to Get Married in Valletta and Grand Harbour
Valletta old city
The UNESCO capital on its peninsula. St. John's Co-Cathedral holds Caravaggio's The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, the Grand Master's Palace is now the president's seat, and the Barrakka Gardens look over the harbour.
The Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua)
Fortified towns on peninsulas across the water, older than Valletta. Vittoriosa, also called Birgu, holds Fort St Angelo. The streets are quieter than the capital's, with a fine view back across the harbour.
Photo: Villa Arrigo Naxxar and Attard (Central Malta)
Towns on the central plateau. Palazzo Parisio at Naxxar is the main private palace venue, and Attard has Villa Bologna, an eighteenth-century country house with formal gardens, near the presidential gardens of San Anton.
Valletta Waterfront (Pinto Wharf)
Restored eighteenth-century warehouses along the harbour edge, now restaurants and event spaces. The limestone architecture and open harbour make a strong backdrop, and several spaces take large events.
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A Wedding in Valletta and Grand Harbour
A Baroque capital of golden limestone, built by the Knights of St John around the Grand Harbour
Malta suits legal destination weddings. Foreign nationals can marry with simpler paperwork than in most European countries, and the law allows the legal ceremony at licensed venues beyond the registry office: palaces, gardens and baroque chapels. A wedding at Palazzo Parisio or Fort St Angelo can therefore be the legal ceremony, led by a registered civil celebrant. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2017.
For couples from the United Kingdom the case is practical. Flights run year-round from almost every UK airport, English is a co-official language, the currency is the euro and traffic drives on the left. Winters are mild.
Choosing a setting
Choosing a wedding setting in Valletta and Grand Harbour
Grand hotel
Established hotels just outside the city gate at Floriana and in Attard offer gardens, several ceremony settings and the room stock for larger parties.
Historic fortress (private evening events)
Fort St Angelo at Vittoriosa, the Hospitaller command post during the Great Siege, is part of Heritage Malta and takes private evening events for small groups, with the fortifications and harbour lights as the backdrop.
Country house estate
Villa Bologna at Attard, with formal gardens and a working pottery, and the garden areas near San Anton give a Mediterranean garden setting without the formality of a full palace hire.
Photo: Villa ArrigoThe season
When to get married
Malta works in every month. Winter weddings, from December to March, bring the easiest venue access, clear skies and good photographic light, with little competition for dates. The sea is too cool for swimming then, but little else suffers. Summer is hot and suits the water better than formal outdoor events.
Recommended wedding months: April-June and September-November. Peak season is July-August (35-40C, very hot, popular for sea swimming but challenging for formal outdoor events), and the shoulder months are December-March (15-20C, dramatically lower tourist density, exceptional photography light at low sun angle).
Getting there
How guests arrive
Malta has one airport, close to Valletta, served year-round from almost every UK airport.
Malta International Airport (MLA). Several UK and Maltese carriers fly here daily from London and regional airports. The palace venues at Naxxar are a short drive away.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
The best-placed stays are at Floriana, outside the capital's gate, and in the central towns of Attard, Naxxar and Mosta. Valletta itself has boutique options.
Floriana, beside the city gate
A grand hotel from 1947 with formal gardens, a pool and several ceremony settings.
Inside Valletta's walls
A small boutique hotel in the old city with terrace views over the harbour from the walls.
Attard, San Anton area
A large resort-style hotel beside the presidential gardens, with full hotel facilities.
Inside the palace at Naxxar
Villa rooms within the baroque palace, let on an exclusive-hire basis, so the wedding party sleeps inside the venue.
Photo: Villa ArrigoFood and drink
Eating and drinking in Valletta and Grand Harbour
Maltese cooking blends Sicilian, North African and British colonial traditions with local ones.
Pastizzi
Flaky pastries filled with ricotta or peas, best known from a bakery in Rabat, near Mdina. They make a simple late-night snack at a wedding.
Fenek (rabbit)
The national dish: rabbit braised in red wine with garlic, tomato and herbs, the traditional Sunday lunch around Rabat. It works as a group lunch in a wedding programme.
Hobz biz-zejt
Dense Maltese bread rubbed with ripe tomato, dressed with olive oil and sea salt, and topped with capers, tuna and fresh mint. It suits a welcome reception.
Good to know
Before you book
English as a co-official language
English has been co-official since independence in 1964. Government papers, legal procedures, hotels and menus are all available in it, and certified translations into Maltese are not needed.
Driving on the left
Malta drives on the left, so UK guests with hire cars find the roads familiar. Traffic can be heavy around Valletta in the busy season, but the island is small.
The Valletta Waterfront
The restored warehouses along the foreshore make a useful strip for evening drinks, at their best at night when the fortifications across the water are lit.
Marsaxlokk fish market
The Sunday morning market in this fishing village shows the catch beside the traditional luzzu boats, painted with the Eye of Osiris. It is free.
People who work in Malta
Planners, photographers and other wedding professionals based in Malta.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
Can St. John's Co-Cathedral host a wedding?
It was completed in 1577 and holds Caravaggio's largest painting. It is an active Catholic church, so Roman Catholic weddings can be arranged through the parish in the usual way. Couples who are not Catholic cannot use it for a ceremony.
Can Palazzo Parisio be hired exclusively?
Yes. The palace and gardens are offered for exclusive hire, and the villa rooms can be reserved for the wedding party.
When is the best time to marry in Valletta?
Malta works in every month. Winter weddings, from December to March, bring the easiest venue access, clear skies and good photographic light, with little competition for dates. The sea is too cool for swimming then, but little else suffers. Summer is hot and suits the water better than formal outdoor events.
Where do wedding guests stay in Valletta?
The best-placed stays are at Floriana, outside the capital's gate, and in the central towns of Attard, Naxxar and Mosta. Valletta itself has boutique options, including a small hotel in the old city with terrace views over the harbour from the walls. At Naxxar, villa rooms within the baroque palace are let on an exclusive-hire basis, so the wedding party sleeps inside the venue.
Which airport serves a Malta wedding near Valletta?
Malta has one airport, close to Valletta, served year-round from almost every UK airport. Several UK and Maltese carriers fly to Malta International Airport daily from London and regional airports. The palace venues at Naxxar are a short drive away.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in Valletta and Grand Harbour
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.