Headlands overlooking the sea, cerulean blue waters, the scents of the Mediterranean scrub, fiery sunsets and starry nights in the moonlight. Here are all the wedding ingredients that will leave you and your guests speechless. The magic word, to be pronounced slowly, is a sea view wedding.
Tuscany is one of the most popular areas for this type of ceremonies, thanks to a long and varied coast that offers endless glimpses on the water's edge. In recent months, we have told 15 beautiful locations to get married in Tuscany, dedicating a specific article to villas and al beach wedding, with hints and tips based on our personal experience. Today we will instead go in search of sea-themed structures from Livorno to Elba to inspire you and help you choose the place where you will crown your dream of love.
I take many sea view wedding photo shoots and I know very well the locations I will tell you about below, from the owners to the brigades of waiters who will serve the meals. Working in synergy with the location and those who live there is humanly stimulating and also useful for the final result.
Among other things, I often accompany my married couples on an inspection of the chosen or to be chosen structure. I like it a lot because I have the opportunity to get to know them better and at the same time to review the suppliers with whom I work most often before the season, so as to know the novelties they have in store.
Astragalus Club (Castiglioncello)
We are a stone's throw from Livorno city, in the small town of Castiglioncello.
This is certainly one of the most incredible views of the entire Etruscan Coast, a pearl that hardly goes unnoticed. In fact, the Astragalo Club overlooks the suggestive Quercetano bay, whose rocky bottom makes the water very clear. Spacious and very elegant interiors, enriched by a terrace which is the ideal setting for a romantic wedding. The structure is accredited by the Municipality of Rosignano Marittimo for the celebration of the civil or symbolic rite.
The Astragalus is one of the locations I work with the most. I appreciate it for its scenographic rendering and for the fact that it is versatile, suitable for both a more informal and exclusive wedding. And then the impeccable organization, which is often what makes the difference. When you put your heart into what you do, it shows.
Typology: restaurant
Internal capacity: up to 135 guests
Outdoor spaces: terrace overlooking the bay
Exclusive: only one event
Accommodation: no
Other: possibility of civil ceremony inside
Photos by: Freedrone
Grand Palace Hotel (Livorno)
A scenic sea view and a series of versatile environments make it perhaps the most complete location of all. The Grand Hotel Palazzo is one of the historic buildings of the city, witness of its period of splendor at the end of the 19th century, when it was the favorite holiday destination of many European royals. Thanks to its Art Nouveau style, it still smells of the Belle Epoque today: perfect for those looking for a princely wedding amidst verdant gardens and a majestic staircase. The panorama is that of the Mascagni Terrace, seen from the fifth floor, an infinite chessboard suspended over the sea. The whole is also enriched by a presidential suite, a wellness center and a roof bar.
Elegance is what strikes me most about this location. As a Livornese, I can only deeply love the moment of sunset, which here becomes magical thanks to a position that allows you to have it behind you during the photos of the cake cutting by the pool. Magic and dream photos guaranteed, I guarantee!
Typology: 5 star hotel
Internal capacity: up to 300 guests
Outdoor spaces: 5th floor terrace, roof bar, gardens
Exclusive: only one event per day
Accommodation: yes, 123 total rooms and one presidential suite
Other: facilitated access for the disabled, wellness centre
Photos by: Freedrone
Villa Parisi (Castiglioncello)
Profusion of elegance for this location nestled between the sea and the greenery of the Mediterranean scrub. Getting married here is a unique sensory experience, lulled by the sea breeze and flooded by the scents of the pine forests that surround it. Suspended on a promontory, it offers a poetic glimpse of the gulf of Castiglioncello and also direct and reserved access to the sea. The terrace and the swimming pool offer a suggestive setting for the party, even if the top is reached by a platform practically on the water's edge, ideal for carrying out the most beautiful moments of your big day, from the celebration to the cutting of the cake. Villa Parisi is the municipal house, and it is therefore possible to celebrate the civil ceremony - but there is also a very close church for the religious one, the top for those looking for wedding venues in Castiglioncello.
Here, too, they come very often to shoot. The peculiarity that I appreciate is the fact of being able to carry out the entire service without the need to move elsewhere. For example, there is a very intimate little cove where you can go down for some photographs. Even the bedrooms, used for the preparation of the spouses, are enchanting and have a sea view.
Typology: villa and historic home
Internal capacity: up to 180 guests (veranda with sea view and room with glass window)
Outdoor spaces: terrace, swimming pool and platform on the rocks
Exclusive: only one event per day
Accommodation: yes, 22 rooms total
Other: facilitated access for the disabled, possibility of a civil ceremony inside and a religious one in the adjacent church, internal parking.
Photos by: Freedrone
Villa Margherita (Quercianella)
The villas always have their charm, and if they overlook the sea, everything is amplified. This is the case of Villa Margherita, always a short walk from Livorno. The interiors are versatile and suitable for different styles, to which are added a swimming pool, lit up in the evening, various terraces to enjoy the panorama, one of which is covered in glass, and an exclusive descent to the sea for unforgettable shots, the real icing on the cake of this location. The proposed menu is very interesting, with the formula of appetizers in islands that rewards finger food of various kinds. Particular care of the set-up and of the external scenography. Fairytale wedding? Yes thanks.
I like it because it offers great possibilities for customizing the civil ceremony, thanks to its size and panoramic spaces. The setting of the buffets is very spectacular, where the sea creates the perfect frame for the many guests who sip colorful aperitifs in a suspended atmosphere.
Typology: villa
Internal capacity: up to 200 guests
Outdoor spaces: terraces, swimming pool and private access to the sea
Exclusive: only one event per day
Accommodation: yes, guest rooms and a bridal suite
Other: large outdoor area, swimming pool with night lighting, easy access for the disabled, internal catering only
Photos by: Freedrone
Mariva (St. Vincent)
We are in the heart of the Etruscan Coast, in San Vincenzo, embraced by endless pine forests overlooking the blue sea. Here is the Mariva Beach Restaurant, certainly a different location from those mentioned above, but always characterized by the sea view. The architecture integrates harmoniously with the natural park in which it is inserted, thanks to the choice of buildings made of wood. The sea is an essential element, to be fully experienced during the ceremony, perhaps pronouncing the fateful yes barefoot on the sand. Three possibilities for the civil or symbolic ceremony: the internal room with large windows, the swimming pool surrounded by trees or a very romantic and intimate private beach. Wedding between the sea and the greenery, for those who don't want to miss anything.
Mariva is the location that I consider most different among those mentioned above, but still characterized by the sea view. The scenario changes, no longer the Livorno cliffs but the golden sand. For me, the icing on the cake is the dark wood furnishings and the possibility of shooting both in the wild beauty of the Mediterranean scrub and in the more romantic situations of the beach it overlooks.
Typology: restaurant within a tourist complex
Internal capacity: up to 140 guests
Outdoor spaces: private beach and swimming pool
Exclusive: only one event per day
Accommodation: yes, many rooms and apartments in the tourist area
Other: internal catering, natural park with access to the beach, easy access for the disabled, possibility of a civil ceremony, ample parking
Photos by: Freedrone
Sea view wedding on the island of Elba
And finally the dream of dreams, getting married on an island. But there's no need to look across the globe. The 7 islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are small jewels ready to shine and, among these, the island of Elba is one of the most renowned destination wedding destinations, capable of giving original experiences characterized by an astonishing nature, exclusive locations, intimacy and scenography. Here are some Elba ideas for an island wedding.
The Hermitage hotel enjoys a very convenient location, just 7 kilometers from Portoferraio and overlooking the Gulf of Biodola, one of the most beautiful beaches ever. A super exclusive structure, 5 stars, practically the only luxury location on the whole island that has also hosted VIP wedding ceremonies. It integrates perfectly with the natural environment of rocks and golden sand of the bay. It offers the possibility of celebrating the religious rite in the private chapel of the Madonna dell'Uva, where the panorama opens up in all its magic, and has several restaurants of different prices and styles. Recommended choice for those who want to linger, perhaps with some guests, to enjoy the island and indulge in a little relaxation.
Even the Hotel Airone in Portoferraio does not fail to amaze with its panoramic view and an immense park-garden that slides down to the sea, arriving in front of the suggestive Rocca Medicea. The night atmosphere is enchanting, when in the silence of the island the lights of the town, the fortresses and the stars in the sky come on. Here too you have the opportunity to celebrate the civil ceremony in a truly enchanting atmosphere, which only the islands can offer.
Finally, let's move on to Porto Azzurro, to the La Caletta restaurant. Overlooking the Gulf of Mola, we will be enchanted by the profound silence of the small bay, where the colors of the sails of many boats stand out against the intense blue. The terrace overlooking the sea is the ideal place for wedding receptions and banquets characterized by Mediterranean cuisine revisited in a modern key. Then at night, only the emotion and the glitter of the sea remain.
I know, after reading this article it will be difficult to tame your imagination and get back down to earth. At the sight of these marvelous locations overlooking the sea, you will have already begun to dream of your yes with a little heart pounding. It's hard not to be enchanted by the majesty of the sea and those scents of the Mediterranean maquis that inhabit the coast of Livorno. It happens to me too, when I find myself shooting sea view wedding services in Tuscany and I think I'm very lucky to do this job.
