Wedding venues and villas in Tuscany: a guide by province

The venue is often the first thing you choose for a wedding, even before the photographer: that’s only natural, as it forms the backdrop to the whole day. But someone who has been photographing weddings throughout Tuscany for years looks at a villa or a farmhouse with a different eye to yours: not just how beautiful it is, but how it interacts with the light at different times of day, where the best spots for portraits are, and where the celebrations can unfold naturally without anyone having to pose. In this guide, you’ll find out how to assess a venue for photos, the most common types of venues in Tuscany province by province, and what changes if the wedding is outside the region.

What makes a venue perfect for photos – not just for the party

A venue that works very well for catering and music does not always work quite as well for photography, and vice versa. It is worth considering it from both these perspectives before signing the contract with the venue’s management.

Natural light and the time of the ceremony

La luce è l’ingrediente che decide più di ogni altro come verranno le foto, e dipende dall’orientamento della location rispetto al sole oltre che dall’orario della cerimonia. Un giardino esposto a ovest regala una luce morbida nel tardo pomeriggio, perfetta per i ritratti; la stessa location a mezzogiorno, in piena estate, può dare ombre dure che un buon fotografo sa gestire ma che è meglio evitare quando è possibile scegliere l’orario con calma, magari spostando la cerimonia anche di un’ora rispetto alla prima idea.

Venues for the couple’s portraits and for the wedding photography

A good location for photos also features passageways: a footpath, a porch, a row of olive trees, a glimpse of the valley. You don’t need huge gardens; what you need is variety: changing the backdrop every now and then helps to capture the day without always repeating the same shot. At the same time, you need space to move around and take candid shots during the reception, without tables and chairs blocking every view and without corridors that are too narrow between the tables and the guests.

Have you already chosen the venue but aren’t sure how to make it look its best in the photos? Drop me a line – I’ll come and have a look round with you before the wedding day.

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Villas and farm stays in Tuscany: where the couples I photograph get married

In vent’anni di matrimoni in Toscana ho fotografato ville storiche, agriturismi tra le colline e casali isolati in mezzo alla campagna: ogni provincia ha il suo carattere, ed è utile saperlo prima di iniziare a cercare.

Florence and Chianti: historic villas

Firenze e le colline del Chianti sono la zona con la più alta concentrazione di ville d’epoca e dimore storiche della Toscana: giardini all’italiana, limonaie, affreschi nei saloni. Sono location che regalano foto molto scenografiche, ma spesso hanno regole precise su orari e accesso dei fornitori: vanno organizzate con un po’ più di anticipo rispetto a una location più semplice.

Lucca and Pistoia: farm stays and gardens

Lucca and Pistoia mainly offer farm stays and villas with more secluded gardens, nestled in the countryside amongst olive groves and vineyards. These venues are ideal for a more intimate wedding, with less travelling between the ceremony and the reception, and are therefore often easier to organise, even for those planning the event from outside the region.

Siena e Val d’Orcia: casali con vista

Siena e la Val d’Orcia sono sinonimo di casali in pietra con vista sulle colline, cipressi e strade bianche: è la Toscana più fotografata al mondo, e non a caso. Sono location che danno il meglio nelle ore prima del tramonto, quando la luce calda esalta i colori della campagna e rende quasi inutile lavorare troppo in post-produzione.

Would you like some advice on how we’ll use your venue during the shoot? Let’s discuss it before the wedding day.

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Venues in every province of Tuscany

I work in all ten provinces of Tuscany, and each area has its own typical locations and distances that need to be taken into account when drawing up a quote.

• Florence: ville storiche e giardini all’italiana, la zona con più scelta in assoluto
• Prato: villas and farm stays just a few minutes from Florence, often at a more affordable price
• Pistoia: my home turf, farm stays in the hills and the Pesciatina area of Switzerland
• Lucca: historic villas within the city walls and farm stays in Garfagnana
• Massa-Carrara: a location between the Apuan Alps and the Versilia coast
• Pisa: country cottages and venues near the coast
• Livorno: location con vista mare e location nell’entroterra
• Arezzo: stone farmhouses between Val di Chiana and Casentino
• Siena: la Val d’Orcia e le crete senesi, la cartolina più riconoscibile della Toscana
• Grosseto: the Maremma, with its farm estates and seaside locations

How to find your way around if you’re not from the area

If you don’t live in Tuscany, choosing the right province can seem complicated: the difference is often less about aesthetics and more about logistics – in other words, how easy it is for you and your guests to get there, and how much time you have for travelling between the ceremony and the reception venue. It’s one of the first things I discuss with couples organising their wedding from outside the region, even before we talk about photography, because it affects how the day’s schedule is put together.

If you’re not sure where to start looking, just tell me the area and the style you’re after: I’ll suggest the most suitable counties.

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Weddings outside Tuscany: the case of Lake Como

Not all the weddings I photograph take place in Tuscany: I also travel to other locations for weddings, such as Lake Como, un’altra zona che vive della stessa logica tra luce e location, solo con uno sfondo diverso, tra ville sul lago e i monti che si specchiano nell’acqua. Vale lo stesso principio: prima si guarda come la luce e gli spazi lavoreranno nelle foto, poi si costruisce il programma della giornata intorno a quello.

If you’ve already got a venue in mind, whether in Tuscany or on Lake Como, tell me about it: I’ll tell you how I’d photograph it. Wedding photographer in Tuscany.

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Massa-Carrara, Pisa, Livorno, Arezzo and Grosseto: other provinces worth exploring

Florence, Chianti, Lucca, Pistoia and Siena are the areas most often mentioned when it comes to weddings in Tuscany, but the other five provinces are just as good, especially for those looking for something a bit different from the classic farmhouse set amongst the cypress trees.

Versilia and the Apuan Alps: destinations by the sea or in the mountains

Massa-Carrara and the Pisa area offer a combination that is hard to find elsewhere in Tuscany: venues just a few minutes from the seaside in Versilia, or country houses with the Apuan Alps in the background. It’s an appealing option for those who want to experience Tuscany but aren’t necessarily looking for the hills, perhaps to make it easier for guests arriving from outside the region.

The Maremma and the Livorno coast: more space and fewer crowds

Livorno and Grosseto, along with the Maremma, offer very large country estates and seaside venues that are less crowded than the more touristy areas: for those looking for a spacious venue with few time constraints imposed by other events taking place on the same weekend, these areas are well worth considering, even if they are less frequently featured on social media.

Arezzo: the lesser-known side of Tuscany

Arezzo, situated between the Val di Chiana and the Casentino, remains the least frequently mentioned province in Tuscany in wedding guides, but for this very reason it offers venues that are just as beautiful, often at a more affordable price: stone farmhouses, less touristy villages, and the chance to book venues that elsewhere would already be fully booked during peak-season weekends.

Still not sure which province to start looking in? Tell me what you’re after and I’ll point out the most suitable areas.

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Frequently asked questions about choosing a wedding venue

How much does it cost to hire a villa or a farmhouse for a wedding in Tuscany? Varia moltissimo in base a provincia, dimensione e periodo dell’anno: è una voce separata dal preventivo del fotografo, che si tratta direttamente con chi gestisce la location o con il wedding planner, se ne avete uno.

Is it better to choose the venue before or after finding a photographer? Non c’è un ordine obbligato, ma avere almeno un’idea di location prima di parlare con il fotografo aiuta a capire subito tempi di spostamento e luce disponibile, e a costruire un preventivo più preciso fin dal primo contatto.

Is it better to choose a venue near where the bride and groom live, or can you choose anywhere in Tuscany? It depends on how many guests are coming from out of town: if most of them are travelling from a distance, a central, easily accessible venue often matters more than the county itself.

Le location più famose della Val d’Orcia sono sempre prenotabili, o conviene muoversi con anticipo? The most popular and well-known venues need to be booked well in advance – often a year or more beforehand – particularly for weekends between May and September: if you already have a specific venue in mind, it’s worth getting in touch with them as soon as possible.

Posso cambiare location all’ultimo momento se il tempo non lo permette? Molte location in Toscana hanno già una soluzione interna per il maltempo, come una sala coperta in alternativa al giardino: è una delle prime cose da chiedere quando si visita una location, proprio per non doverci pensare all’ultimo momento con il rischio di dover improvvisare, magari il giorno stesso.

Is it a good idea to do a site visit with the photographer before the wedding? If the venue is unusual, or if I’m not already familiar with it from other shoots I’ve done in the area, even a brief site visit helps us both: I can work out where I’ll find the best light at the times you’ve chosen, and you can ask me straight away where I’d recommend taking the main portraits.