VENICE ELOPEMENT GUIDE
HOW TO ELOPE IN VENICE, ITALY
Venice is an all time-favorite, international top travel destination and one of the most romantic places on earth to elope and get married. It's a one of a kind city with its narrow canals, multi-story stone buildings, rich history and waterways instead of roads. Here is all you need to know when planning your elopement wedding in Venice!
WHAT SEASON TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT
When is the best time to ELOPE IN Venice?
Truth be told, there isn't ever a time when it's not busy in Venice - but there are times when it's not as crowded and relatively pleasant to roam the streets. Some famous locations like Piazza San Marco with the Dodge palace are always popular - for most visitors it is THE main attraction. However, Venice has different neighborhoods with hundreds of stone, iron and even wooden bridges that cross smaller and bigger canals, as well as countless little alleys. It is a fascinating labyrinth where you can always find a quiet corner or alley.
Each season has its pros and cons, so let's talk about what the best months to visit and elope in Venice are!
If there is something like low season in Venice, it's in the winter months from November to February. This is a time where you can roam some of the most visited alleys without feeling like a sardine. Another pro: Lots of hotels and airbnbs offer discounted rooms (especially when booking last-minute). So if you are thinking of booking that room with a rooftop or canal view - that's the best time to go. The con: it's acqua alta (flood) season (Nov-Jan) - meaning you could be wading through calf-high saltwater - bring your rain boots just in case! Another con: in winter time, there's always some construction or renovation going on somewhere and buildings or piazzi might be fully or partly covered up.
Times to avoid: The hot and busy summer months of July and August, as well as Carnival season in February (usually lasts for two weeks)- it doesn't get any more packed than during this time - and Italian Easter Holidays.
Best time to elope in Venice: The fall months of September and October (though can see rainy days) as well as the spring months of late March and April (with cooler temperatures and the occasional rain shower), May (almost summer in Venice) and early June.
By plane: Venice has its own international "Marco Polo" airport located on the mainland. From there you can either take a bus, shuttle, private watertaxi or public boat (Alilaguna Line) to Venice. YES - Venice airport as a pier connection in walking distance directly outside next to the car rental Terminal.
By car: While the historic city center and pretty much all of Venice is car-free, the island of Venice is connected via bridge with the mainland. This means that you can easily arrive by car and park at the outskirts at one of the many parking garages, for example at Tronchetto island. From there it's only a 5 minute walk either to the automated people mover which transports you to Piazzale Roma (a main transportation hub where tour busses arrive), or to the nearest Vaporetto line (water bus) station of Tronchetto Mercato. The Vaporetto Line Nr. 2 will take you directly into the heart of Venice within 25 minutes.
By train: Venice has a fantastic public transport connection with its own train station (Santa Lucia). In front of the station you will find different Vaporetti lines - depending on where you want to go. It doesn't get easier!
Rialto Bridge at sunrise
When in Venice, the question is: what place isn't? Photo locations and possibilites in Venice are endless. Don't get hung up on finding certain location, Venice is charming everywhere. The best places are often not the ones listed in a bucket-list-travel-guide blog post. However, here are a few iconic locations you might not want to miss:
-The neighborhood of Cannaregio
-San Polo neighborhood
-Ponte Rialto and Canale Grande in the morning
-Piazza San Marco in the morning
So how do you get Venice all to yourself for your elopement? The answer is quite simple: getting up early! Not only is the light the best in the morning (and evening) hours, it's also the most quiet time, especially to see all the most famous sights like Rialto Bride, the Lido or Piazza San Marco. Especially in the spring and summer months when sun rises pretty early, chances to see an "empty" Venice are pretty high early morning. Bonus tip: Make it a Sunday morning and it's even more quiet as there are no delivery boats around.
After sunrise and during the day the best tip to beat the crowds is explore the less travelled neighborhoods, indulge in gelato, espresso and Aperol Spritz in a café. The second best time is sunset and dawn, when it starts to get more quiet again as everyone who doesn't stay in Venice for the night leaves. Venice by dawn and night, when all the lights are on is a special time to be out and about.
Venice has an amazing mix of luxury old style hotels with canal views and stylish-modern boutique apartment rentals that you can find on platforms like Airbnb. One feature I've found that really pays off and makes your visit more unique as it adds another perspective, is looking for places which have a rooftop terrace. The hustle and buzz of the busy city underneath surprisingly fades away and leaves you with peaceful tranquility overlooking the narrow city labyrinth. Add a glass of wine and enjoy dessert together, overlooking the roofs of Venice - it doesn't get more private and romantic!
Your accommodation in Venice can serve beautifully as an extra location for photos or an intimate pre-wedding couple session and will give your gallery more variety.
BONUS TIP: GET SIDETRACKED IN Burano
One of the places you absolutely can't miss when visiting Venice is the colorful fishing village of Burano which also is located in the Lagoon of Venice. With its rainbow colored houses it looks like it came to life from a children's story book. It is well worth the 45min boat ride from Fondamenta Nuovo in Venice, especially if you have purchased a 1, 2 or 3 day public transportation pass. The island of Burano offers cute bakeries, artisan stores and a frightingly slanting clock tower.
Color THEMED Burano AIRBNBS
Colorful Fishing Village Burano, Italy
✓ Get lost in the streets and canals of Venice
✓ Enjoy Gelato in one of the best gelaterias of Venice
✓ Visit popular locations at sunrise, like Rialto Bride, Piazza San Marco or Zaccaria
✓ Take a Gondola Ride to see Venice from a different perspective
✓ Take a break at one of the Canale Grande restaurants for an Aperol Spritz
✓ Walk Venice and the canals by night
✓ View Venice and Canale Grande from above at the rooftop terrace of Fondaco dei Tedeschi
✓ Ride the Vaporetti lines along Canale Grande
✓Taste a croissant, Venetian butter cookies and espresso at one of the cafes away from the main squares
✓ Enjoy a glass of Friulian wine at the end of the day on your apartment's rooftop terrace
