The ultimate guide to weddings in Sorrento.
Close your eyes. Whisper the words “I do” and imagine yourself gazing into your partner’s eyes in one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world. It’s easy to understand why weddings in Sorrento have caught the imagination of couples who want to make their special day even more memorable.
Sorrento has always been a dreamy location thanks to it’s Mediterranean climate, stunning views and warm hospitality but its popularity, far from waning, appears to be increasing year on year.
Getting married in Sorrento is a wonderful way of enhancing what will already be a very very special day and it also offers families and friends of the couple an opportunity to share in the magical atmosphere of a Sorrento wedding.
We will try and walk you through, step by step, what you need to consider, how you need to plan and what to expect from your dream Sorrento wedding.
Why choose Sorrento for your wedding day?
- Warm, blue skies and sunshine!
Sorrento is located in the south of Italy and enjoys a Mediterranean climate. You can expect warm ,and often hot, weather from May through to the end of September.
The weather, especially RELIABLE weather, is very important when you’re planning a wedding abroad. Part of the pleasure of getting married in another country is that it feels different to the changeable and cooler weather back home.
Wedding guests, and even the bride and groom, can dress differently, perhaps choosing light coloured linens or a more summery style wedding dress for the bride.
- Achingly beautiful scenery
Sorrento is located on the Bay of Naples, across from the volcano, Mount Vesuvius.
The clifftop roads and towns that snake their way to Sorrento provide stunning views along the way and from the water.
There are many, many places in Sorrento where the views are breathtaking and the wedding venues in the town make no apologies for highlighting the views as a backdrop to your wedding celebrations.
3. Some of the best restaurants in the world!
Sorrento and towns on the Amalfi coast lay claim to having some of the finest restaurants in the world. Within this relatively small geographical area are an excellent selection of Michelin star restaurants and an even greater number of excellent and reputable restaurants to suit everyone’s budget.
4. Only a three hour flight time away
Naples is the closest international airport to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast and from most UK airports you’re only looking at a three hour flight (or less).
Compared to flying away to the Bahamas or somewhere equally as exotic it makes practical sense to have a wedding with family and guests that is a little closer to home.
Who can get married in Sorrento?
Anyone can get married in Sorrento. The question you need to be asking yourself though is what type of wedding ceremony do you want and do you want it to be legally binding or just symbolic?
Different types of wedding ceremonies available in Sorrento
Catholic Wedding Ceremony
If you do not have Italian citizenship then unfortunately you cannot have a Catholic wedding ceremony in Sorrento. Unfortunately, Sorrento falls within a church diocese which prohibits Catholic foreign nationals from having a Catholic wedding ceremony in Sorrento.
This isn’t a problem in other towns on the Amalfi coast, for example in Amalfi, Positano or Ravello, it is possible to have a Catholic wedding ceremony. You could even have your wedding ceremony in one of these towns and then have your wedding reception in Sorrento.
Civil ceremony for Catholics
Non-Italian Catholics can still be married in Sorrento through a civil ceremony. Obviously these cannot be held inside a church but Sorrento has some truly beautiful outdoor venues which will not disappoint.
There are three approved civil wedding venues in Sorrento.
Villa Fondi
Villa Correale
Chiostro di San Francesco
Civil weddings in Sorrento are limited to the venues which have been officially approved. If you’re looking for more flexibility as to wedding venues then a symbolic wedding ceremony would be your best bet. A symbolic wedding ceremony would not be legally binding whereas a civil ceremony would be legally binding.
Legal requirements to having a civil wedding ceremony in Sorrento
The bride and groom both have to be over 18 years old or written parental consent if between 16 years old and 18.
If the bride is divorced or widowed, under Italian law, she would have to wait until 300 days have elapsed before re-marrying. A divorce certificate or death certificate would also be required.
* A valid passport
* Original birth certificate
* You will need to make an appointment with your local Registrar (in the UK0 to obtain a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI). It is critical that the names you give the Registrar for the certificate as exactly the same names which appear on your passports. For example, do not give your name as “Tom” if your passport name says “Thomas” as otherwise the Italian authorities would reject the document.
Please note that the CNI will only be valid for six months.
A Statutory Declaration. This will need to be done before a public notary or solicitor in the UK. A bilingual form can be downloaded from the government website (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/italy-bilingual-statutory-declaration-for-marriage).
* Once you have your CNI and completed the steps for your Statutory Declaration they will need to be sent to the legalisation office in Milton Keynes for a formal approval known as an “apostille” (the formal authentication of a document for use in a foreign country).
* You will need to get the CNI translated into Italian by an official translator (based in Italy). As the Statutory Declaration is already bilingual then no further translation is required.
All of these steps are perfectly doable by yourself but I think you can see why so many couple prefer to use the services of a professional wedding planner as it makes it so much easier and stress free when somebody else is coordinating everything for you!
Protestant Wedding Ceremony
Unfortunately, there are no Protestant churches in Sorrento so it is not possible to have a Protestant church ceremony there, however, Amalfi cathedral DOES allow Protestant wedding ceremonies if you have a strong preference to be married in a church.
Alternatively, the same options area are available to Protestant couples as Catholic ones in that legally binding civil weddings and symbolic weddings are possible (with the same legal requirements).
Non-Denominational and Same Sex Wedding Ceremonies
For same sex couples and couples who are not affiliated with any religion it is possible to have a legally binding civil wedding ceremony in Sorrento.
The same requirements typically apply as described previously.
Best Wedding venues in Sorrento
Chiostro di San Francesco
Sorrento is blessed with stunningly beautiful views almost around every corner so it isn’t difficult to find a wedding venue that can provide a breathtaking backdrop to your wedding ceremony.
Popular with civil wedding ceremonies is the Chiostro di San Francesco, Situated next to the Villa Communale in the centre of Sorrento, the Chiostro di San Francesco is a 14th Century built cloisters.
The open aired courtyard is surrounded by ancient arches and Mediterranean foliage and despite being in the middle of town provides a peaceful and quiet refuge for those seeking some peace and quiet or…….for those wanting to hold their civil wedding ceremony there.
Despite being metres away from one of the most popular beautiful views in Sorrento the Cloister itself doesn’t have a view of the Sorrento seascape as it’s more of an internal courtyard. However, there the space does have a feeling of being in a church and for couples who want the next best thing to a Sorrento church wedding then the Chiostro di San Francesco is a very good alternative.
Villa Correale
The Villa Correale is the cultural hub of Sorrento and regularly plays host to a full calendar of cultural events throughout the year.
The 18th Century villa is also one of only three venues in Sorrento officially allowed to perform civil wedding ceremonies.
Wedding couples can choose between having the ceremony in the dignified Hall of Mirrors inside the villa or having the ceremony in the beautiful gardens outside including the Belvedere Terrace which has jaw dropping views of the Gulf of Naples.
Villa Fondi
Located just outside of Sorrento in Piano de Sorrento the Villa Fondi offers spectacular views over the Sorrentine Peninsula and remains a favourite amongst couples choosing to have a civil wedding ceremony in Sorrento.
The venues we have mentioned so far as being the best in Sorrento are for those couples wanting civil ceremonies i.e. a legally binding ceremony. If you choose to opt for a symbolic ceremony (non legally binding) then the options available to you really start to open up.
Many of the luxury hotels in Sorrento offer wedding packages such as Grand Hotel La Favorita or Mediterraneo, in Sant Agnello.
If you have a decent budget then the Grand Hotel Excelsior has to be one of THE most iconic locations, not only in Sorrento but in the entire Amalfi region as you can follow in the footsteps of Sophia Loren, Jack Lemmon and drink in the views and ambience of this historic and achingly beautiful classical hotel.
Sorrento wedding price packages
We all have dreams for many of us being able to get married in a beautiful part of the world is one of them. The question is whether the dream of a wedding in Sorrento is an affordable one or not.
There are many wedding organiser companies who will put together a price package for your Sorrento wedding. These packages differ from company to company and dependant upon the services included and the minimum number of guests the price is based on.
We cannot give you a definitive price list due to the variety of services and venues but we can share with you examples of some of the wedding price packages available for a Sorrento wedding ceremony.
As you can see above the prices range dramatically depending on what you would like included in your wedding package and the actual wedding venue.
Small weddings in Sorrento are possible, but wedding packages will typically be based on a minimum number of people. Generally, 25 adults is considered to be the minimum number of wedding guests (including bride and groom).
If you wanted a micro-wedding i.e. a very small number of guests, perhaps even only the bride and groom then it might be more cost effective to try and plan the wedding yourself without the need of a wedding planning company but beware of the many regulations and types of paperwork you would need to organise yourself.
In our price package graphic above we have collected three different Sorrento wedding price packages.
The first package, from the Wedding Travel Company, shows what you can get for a relatively modest amount of money. This first package is priced at £ 3999 (based on a minimum of 25 adults).
This includes a civil wedding ceremony at the old monastery at Chiestro di Francesco , in the heart of Sorrento.
A UK based wedding planner and a Italian based wedding coordinator are all included in the price as are the bridal flowers.
This particular package does not include any post-ceremony events but that does give you the opportunity to book your own restaurant or venue which a lot of people prefer.
The second price package option is from a company called Ionian Weddings. There’s no disguising the fact that this price package is significantly higher, at £ 14995, than the first wedding package we have just discussed but when you look at all the additional services included then it begins to look more appealing.
The package from Ionian Weddings also includes a civil wedding ceremony at the monastery cloisters in the middle of Sorrento (Chiestro di Francesco) but the additional extras included demonstrates why this is a good option for couples wanting more than a “no frills” wedding ceremony.
This package includes a Mercedes limo to the wedding venue AND two mini buses to take wedding guests after the wedding to the wedding reception.
Musicians are even included for the duration of the wedding ceremony at the cloisters and a DJ is provided for the reception.
This price package includes a three course meal for 30 guests as well as the wedding cake and cocktails and canapes and table dressing.
As you can see, it is a much more comprehensive package, and this is reflected in the price.
The third package option we have featured is from the Wedding Travel Company again. This is similar to the package provided by Ionian Weddings but this is for a symbolic wedding ceremony, rather than a civil one.
This ceremony is at the most famous hotel in Sorrento, the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria. This is a stunningly beautiful hotel set amongst lush gardens with breathtaking views from the terrace.
The package includes a aperitifs, canapes and tapas as well as a three course meal and a reception in the hotel’s Orange Grove.
We hope we’ve been able to give you an idea as to some of the approximate wedding costs if you’re planning on getting married in Sorrento.
The budget is whatever you decide it to be. The main thing is to ensure you have a memorable time.