A Medieval Castle Wedding with Country Weddings Italy.

I was recently very lucky to spend 3 days in a gorgeous 15^th century lakeside castle in my much-loved area of Italy. I was there on a course (I’ve now got my Advanced Wedding Planner certificate under my belt!) but given the nature of what we were studying, we were allowed to enter the magical world of weddings in a fairytale castle, because this place is a wedding venue open to all!! What girl wouldn’t love to get married in a  real Medieval castle?! Better than anything I ever dreamed up with my Barbie dolls when I was a youngster!

Do the names Tom Cruise and Petra Ecclestone ring bells for anyone? This is the place they chose to get married! The celebrity list is a long one: in fact, before spending time at the castle, I thought it would be well out of most people’s price range, but I now know that the castle caters to many pockets. It truly is possible to plan a multi million-dollar wedding there, but it is also possible to spend amounts that are within many people’s wedding budget. Prices depend on the various areas of the castle hired for the wedding and getting married here during the week is less expensive that choosing a day at the weekend.

The setting is superb and the staff in charge of weddings, headed by the amazing Sanda Pandza, are all warmhearted and wonderfully efficient.  I learned so much during my stay at the castle and know for sure that any Country Weddings Italy couple who should decide to get married here will enjoy the experience of a lifetime.  The castle still belongs to the aristocratic family that purchased the castle at the end of the 17^th century, when the original owners found themselves in financial difficulties and had to sell off many of their assets. The current owner of the castle, (a real princess!) still has private apartments in the castle, although the castle is also open to visitors each day, for guided tours.

Symbolic wedding and commitment ceremonies can be organised within the castle grounds, indoors or outdoors, or a civil or religious wedding can be held just outside the castle walls, at the local cathedral or town hall. Moving on to the post-ceremony celebrations,  aperitifs are often served in the Secret Garden, while the wedding breakfast is normally served indoors, in one of the castle’s majestic halls off the main courtyard, or even in the castle’s traditional kitchens, with their huge fireplaces. Dancing and entertainment can continue  in the courtyard after the celebratory meal, and at night the castle can be lit up with candles and torches, and even fireworks so that it is seen for miles around. There is no end of possibilities to planning a wedding here!

As I’ve often said in the past, a country wedding doesn’t necessarily mean not holding an elegant celebration. This is an absolutely perfect setting for any lady who wants to be a true princess on her wedding day. If you would like more information about holding your wedding here, together with all the other services Country Weddings Italy can provide to make your wedding in Italy just perfect, then write to us at: countryweddingsitaly@gmail.com

Credits: We would like to thank Castello Odescalchi for all the photos.