When you visit Sardinia, you’ll feel like you’ve retreated to a real life version of paradise. This gorgeous island is situated off the coast of Italy. It carries every bit of the mainland’s romance, history, and beauty. With its towering snow capped mountains, natural parks, rocky terrain, rolling hills, and long sandy beaches bordered by the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia is a destination wedding couple’s dream location.
Planning a wedding in Sardinia is not paradisiacal as actually holding the wedding ceremony. But with the right resources, it will become a breeze.
For our Sardinia Destination Wedding Guide, we put together a list of places on the island to draw inspiration from, and possibly choose as a location for your destination wedding. We also did our research (so you don’t have to) about important details like the cost of a destination wedding in Sardinia, the weather on the island, and the legal requirements for marrying in Italy. Finally, we’ve selected our top wedding planners and venues in the hope that we can make all that decision making easier for you.
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Inspiration: Top 5 Best Locations For Your Destination Wedding In Sardinia
Costa Smeralda
Costa Smeralda is one of the poshest locations in Sardinia. It’s an area that occupies a stretch of Sardinian coastline with white sand beaches and stunning views of the bright blue Mediterranean Sea. It’s populated by a few little towns as well as resorts, and attracts many celebrities as well as other wealthy individuals. Costa Smeralda is also home to the Giants’ grave: an ancient gravesite built during the Bronze Age by the island’s original natives, the Nuragic civilization.
Elegant and expensive, but well worth all the money for the views, the weather, and the attractions, you can’t go wrong holding your destination wedding in the Costa Smeralda.
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia with a long, rich history reaching back millenia. It is situated across limestone hills with views looking out onto the Gulf of Cagliari, also called the Gulf of the Angels. The waters bordered this coastal city are truly heavenly, and there are plenty of hotels and resorts nearby from which you can easily reach the beaches. You can hold your destination wedding ceremony by the sea, or you can head farther into Cagliari and have it in sight of one of the city’s historical sites, such as the Basilica of Our Lady Bonaria, one of the libraries, or one of the Art Nouveau style buildings. There’s no shortage of venues in Cagliari, and one of them is bound to be the one that suits your unique sense of style.
Gennargentu
Gennargentu is a series of snow capped mountains that march across the horizon in central-southern Sardinia. These beautiful, impressive edifices are literally as old as the hills (probably older). Today, they are home to the island’s only ski resorts. They also make a fantastic backdrop for your destination wedding. Imagine the strength and longevity of these mountains, and let it spark a grand romantic theme for your marriage vows.
Valle dell’Erica
Valle dell’Erica is the ultimate luxury resort, and a lovely location or accommodation for your destination wedding in Sardinia. Located on the north part of the island, Valle dell’Erica features two hotels that offer every convenience, seaside activity, and relaxing experience you could wish for. You’ll find spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea here, as well as access to the beach, a spa, a verdant green park, swimming pools, golf courses, and more! You and your future spouse deserve a lot of R&R before, during, and after your big day, and this Sardinian resort delivers.
Maddalena Archipelago
The Maddalena Archipelago is a series of tiny islands off the coast of Sardinia. They make up a quiet retreat, a big change from some of the fun, but still crowded tourist regions we’ve discussed so far. Here, you can get married at the local Municipio or on a lovely, private beach with just you, your spouse, and your guests, with the Mediterranean Sea as a witness to your marriage vows. If you truly want to get away from everyone and everything and just have your day be about you and your significant other, the Maddalena Archipelago is the best location in Sardinia for your destination wedding.
Planning Your Destination Wedding In Sardinia
Now that you’re completely inspired, let’s move on to the nitty gritty details of planning your destination wedding in Sardinia.
Cost
According to Make Love In Italy, beach weddings in Sardinia are expensive. This is because many of the beaches are exclusive and cost more to use as an outdoor venue. If you have a lot of money to spare, then this won’t be a problem. However, if you’re on a tighter budget, you might want to look at a more traditional indoor venue in one of the towns or resorts in Sardinia. You can also hold your ceremony at the local courthouse or in a chapel. These options will be cheaper than a beach wedding. But for some people, there’s nothing like exchanging marriage vows with the soothing sights and sounds of the sea in the background.
Weather
The weather in Sardinia varies depending on where you are on the island. If you’ll recall, Sardinia is home to many different types of terrain and elevations. In the Gennargentu area, for example, you’ll experience generally colder temperatures. Closer to the coast, the temperature will fluctuate between 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and the upper 80s in deep summer. In the winter and autumn, Sardinia gets heavy rainfall. In general, we recommend spring or summer for your destination wedding on the island.
Legal Requirements
Tying the knot legally in Italy means going through some red tape first. To start, here are some documents you’ll need to bring with you in order to start the official marriage process (per the official US Embassy website):
- Valid US passports
- Birth certificates (officially translated into Italian)
- Official documentation proving the termination of any previous marriages, either by death or divorce (again, officially translated into Italian)
- An Affidavit sworn before a US consular officer accredited in Italy stating that there is no legal impediment to your marriage according to official US law in the state you reside. This Affidavit should be obtained in the location where you want to get married, and then it must be taken to the Legalization Office of the local Prefettura so it can be made official by the Italian government.
- An Atto Notorio. This is another document that reaffirms the lack of a legal impediment to your marriage according to US law. This document may be obtained at your local Italian Embassy in the US in order to avoid waiting lists.
Finally: When you have all the above documents in hand, you must present them all to the Marriage Office in the town hall of the location you plan to marry in, and make a Declaration of Intention to Marry. From there, you can hold a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony.
Pro tip: If you choose to hold a religious ceremony, please keep in mind that the Italian government requires that any religious marriage ceremony which does not use a Roman Catholic clergyman must be preceded by a civil ceremony first.
Wedding Planners
Planning your destination is a challenge, especially when the destination is in a foreign country. Professional wedding planners, such as the ones we’ve highlighted below, will take the stress off your shoulders so you can actually enjoy the experience.
Sara Carboni
Sara Carboni specializes in luxury weddings in Italy and Sardinia. But these are not loud, gallant affairs. Instead, Sara plans intimate events in exclusive locations. She loves the romance of a secluded wedding. Collaborating with services and suppliers from around Sardinia and the mainland, Sara and her team of wedding planners will expertly weave together a detailed, elegant event for you and your loved one that you won’t soon forget.
Elisa Mocci Events
Elisa Mocci Events has been called “the greatest Italian wedding planner” in Business Insider. It’s easy to see why. They offer top notch professional wedding planning services with luxurious, sophisticated results. The owner, Italian native Elisa Mocci (who also happens to be one of the top 3 Italian wedding designers for Elle magazine) will work tirelessly with her team to ensure that your destination wedding in Sardinia is as magical and beautiful as what’s in your mind’s eye.
The Princess Wedding Events
Sara Marangoni owns Princess Wedding Events. A wedding planner native to Sardinia, who better to choose to plan your destination wedding on the island? She knows it, she loves it, and she wants your day to be as wonderful as a fairytale dream come true. Anyone who calls themselves “the Wedding Planner who thinks like a bride” is someone you can put your trust into. She will arrange every little detail, making sure that everything turns out unique and perfect.
Suggested Wedding Venues in Sardinia
To streamline your decision making process, we’ve included some of our favorite wedding venues for you to peruse below.
Sa Pedra Beach
Sa Pedra Beach is a small but charming venue in Sardinia. You can book for a lovely wedding ceremony by the sea. Not only will you have access to your own private beach. You’ll also be able to visit the onsite garden and stay with your guests in the rooms set up for your convenience.
Villa Pangher Devoto
The Villa Pangher Devoto was first built in Sardinia in 1934 and became the home of the Devoto family. Now, it is a lovely wedding venue. You can hold your ceremony either indoors in one of the villa’s spacious rooms. Or you can take your vows outside into the garden amid classic-style statues and fountains and lush green lawns. The stately appearance of the building and grounds call for high-end, tasteful decor, and will be appreciated by the sophisticated couple. All in all, Villa Pangher Devoto is an elegant, private place to book your destination wedding in Sardinia.
Sardinia Wedding Photography Packages
Ready to start planning your Sardinia destination wedding? Don’t forget the photographer! We offer some wonderful photography packages for your special day.
What’s included in each package:
8hr & Full-day photography packages
2 Photographers (Manuela & Martin)
Assistance with planning and finding vendors that will fit your style.
Retouched pictures with maximum resolution you can download and print.
All travel fees included!
Let’s get in touch and we will send you all the information you need:
Conclusion
You’ve got the inspiration and the groundwork, now it’s time to start planning! Refer back to this guide for a destination wedding in Sardinia as you move forward in your journey toward a dream destination wedding on the Italian island of Sardinia.
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