Why get married near Florence (and not deeper in Tuscany)

Tuscany is bigger than most couples expect. Val d’Orcia and the Maremma coast are gorgeous, but they’re two hours or more from Florence. If your guests are flying in from the US, Canada or the UK, being close to the city makes life a lot easier.

Florence airport is small, but Pisa and Bologna are both about an hour away by train or car, and there are plenty of connections. Guests can stay in the city, see the Duomo and the Uffizi between wedding events, and take a shuttle out to the venue. And the hills around Florence (Fiesole, Chianti, the Valdarno) still give you cypress lines, olive groves and vineyard views. You don’t have to give up the Tuscan countryside to be close.

Wedding venues near Florence at a glance

Venue	Area & drive from Florence	Style	Est. price	Website	Instagram
Villa Medicea di Lilliano	Grassina, ~20–30 min	Medici villa & wine estate, rooftop terrace, up to 250 guests	~€33,000–€38,000 (3-night weekend)	medicivilla.com	@villamediceadililliano
La Selva Giardino del Belvedere	Cavriglia, ~1 hr	Private hillside estate, olive groves & vineyards, up to 150 guests	On request (a real 70-guest wedding: ~€45,000 all-in)	tuscany-villas.net	@laselvatuscanvilla
Villa di Maiano	Fiesole, ~20 min	Neo-Gothic villa, formal gardens, views over Florence	On request	villadimaiano.it	@villadimaiano
Villa Gamberaia	Settignano, ~20 min	Famous Florentine garden villa, exclusive use	On request	villagamberaia.com	@villagamberaia
Villa Le Fontanelle	Florence hills, ~20 min	Villa with city views, pool & gardens, 7 suites, up to 150 guests	~€11,000–€30,000 (high season)	villalefontanelle.com	@villalefontanelle
Villa Tolomei	Marignolle, ~15 min	14th-century estate & hotel, 17 ha of olives & vines	On request (hotel packages)	villatolomeihotel.com	@villatolomeihotel
Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte	Impruneta, ~25 min	Medici villa, frescoed halls, gardens	On request	villacorsini.com	@villa_corsini
Tenuta di Artimino	Carmignano, ~35–40 min	UNESCO Medici villa “of a hundred chimneys”, hotel & borgo	On request	artimino.com	@artimino
Il Borro	Valdarno, ~1 hr	Medieval village & wine estate, Relais & Châteaux	Luxury, on request	ilborro.it	@ilborro
Castello di Meleto	Gaiole in Chianti, ~1 hr 15 min	Chianti castle among vineyards	On request	castellomeleto.it	@castellodimeleto

One venue, many settings: skip the classic setup

Here’s something most venue lists won’t tell you. A typical Tuscan villa isn’t one space. Most give you at least three different areas, often more: a garden, a terrace, a courtyard, a loggia, a cellar, a spot with the big view. Over a full wedding day, that easily adds up to five different settings in one place.

So you get to decide where the ceremony, the aperitivo and the dinner happen, and you can mix them however you like. My advice: don’t just copy the classic setup the venue shows every couple. Walk the grounds, think about where the light will be at each moment of the day, and build your own flow. Your guests get a day that keeps surprising them, and your photos get real variety without anyone getting into a car.

Top 10 wedding venues in Tuscany near Florence

Drive times are from central Florence and approximate. Traffic on a Saturday in June can add a good chunk to them. Prices are rough estimates from venue listings, so always confirm current rates with the venue.

1. Villa Medicea di Lilliano (Grassina, about 20–30 minutes)

A former Medici villa and wine estate in the hills just south-east of Florence, only about 11 km from the center. I photographed Eva & Jon’s wine wedding here, and what I love is the variety: a rooftop terrace, a big garden and characterful indoor rooms, all within a few steps. It’s one of the best examples of a venue where you can mix it up, with plenty of options for where the ceremony, the aperitivo and the dinner go. It hosts up to about 250 guests and sleeps around 44 on site. Listings put a 3-night weekend package at roughly €33,000–€38,000 for 32 staying guests (La Lista, venue site).

2. La Selva Giardino del Belvedere (Cavriglia, about 1 hour)

A private estate in the hills between Chianti and the Valdarno, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, with gardens for outdoor ceremonies and room for up to about 150 guests. I photographed Emilie & Jake’s September wedding here, with 70 guests and a total budget of around €45,000 (this was in 2025). It’s a good example of what a relaxed, countryside-style wedding near Florence can cost. It’s also a great place for drone shots over the hills (venue site).

3. Villa di Maiano (Fiesole, about 20 minutes)

A historic villa in the Fiesole hills with formal gardens, a pond and wide views over Florence. It was rebuilt in the 1800s in a neo-Gothic style, so it has more drama than the usual Renaissance villa (history). The gardens and the view over the city make it easy to get variety in portraits without walking guests far.

4. Villa Gamberaia (Settignano, about 20 minutes)

One of the most famous gardens in Italy, up in the hills of Settignano above Florence, with water parterres, clipped hedges and views down the Arno valley. The whole villa and garden are reserved for your event, so it feels completely private (venue site). A great fit if you love design and want a true Florentine garden without the crowds. The garden rooms, terraces and lawns give you plenty of different spots for the ceremony, aperitivo and dinner.

5. Villa Le Fontanelle (Florence hills, about 20 minutes)

A villa about 7 km from the centre with views over both the city and the countryside, plus a pool, terraces and manicured gardens. It holds up to about 150 guests and has 7 suites for your closest people. Listings show high-season prices from roughly €11,000 to €30,000 depending on the package (venue site). The symmetrical gardens are great for clean, classic portraits.

6. Villa Tolomei (Marignolle, about 15 minutes)

A 14th-century estate on 17 hectares of olive groves and vineyards, only minutes from the city. It’s a hotel, so most of your guests can stay on site, and there’s a loggia, a panoramic terrace and an old olive press for different parts of the day (venue site). It’s the easiest option if you want Florence and countryside at the same time.

7. Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte (Impruneta, about 25 minutes)

A former Medici villa on the edge of Chianti, known for its gardens and one of the most beautiful frescoed halls in Tuscany. Great if a chance of rain worries you, because the indoor rooms are just as photogenic as the gardens (venue site).

8. Tenuta di Artimino (Carmignano, about 35–40 minutes)

Home to Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda, the Medici “villa of a hundred chimneys” and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The estate has a hotel and a small borgo for guests, and the hilltop spot gives you wide views over vineyards and olive groves (venue site).

9. Il Borro (Valdarno, about 1 hour)

A restored medieval village and wine estate, now a Relais & Châteaux resort. You get the chapel, the village streets, the vineyards and the villa all in one place, so the photos have lots of variety without moving your guests (venue site).

10. Castello di Meleto (Gaiole in Chianti, about 1 hour 15 minutes)

A real Chianti castle with towers, vineyards and rustic stone interiors. It’s the furthest one on this list, but if Chianti vineyards are the picture in your head, this is where you’ll find them (venue site).

Worth the drive: venues further from Florence

If views matter more than being close to the city, these are worth the extra hour or two. Villa La Foce in the Val d’Orcia has that famous zigzag cypress road (venue site). Borgo Santo Pietro is a 13th-century hamlet near Siena, about 90 minutes away (venue site). And down in the Maremma, about two hours from Florence, I photographed Laken & Chad’s wedding at La Pescaia, a 16th-century estate with over 1,000 acres of hills, vineyards and forest.

What a wedding near Florence really costs

Venues rarely publish prices, so here are some real numbers. At La Selva, Emilie & Jake’s wedding for 70 guests came to about €45,000 in total. At La Pescaia, Laken & Chad planned a 3-day celebration for 50 guests. The venue was about €25,000 of a roughly €70,000 total. I broke the whole budget down in my La Pescaia wedding cost post.

For the venues on this list, expect venue hire from roughly €10,000 for a single day at a smaller villa up to €30,000–€40,000+ for a multi-night weekend buyout. Catering, flowers, a planner, music and transport all come on top. Many estates ask for a 2–3 night minimum stay in high season. Treat these as ballpark figures and confirm current prices with each venue.

FAQ

How much does a wedding in Tuscany cost?

As a real-world guide, two Tuscany weddings I photographed came to about €45,000 (70 guests, one main day) and about €70,000 (50 guests, a 3-day celebration), including the venue, food and vendors. The venue alone often runs from about €10,000 to €40,000, depending on the season and how many nights you book.

Can we get legally married in Florence?

Yes. Civil ceremonies can take place at Florence’s town hall in Palazzo Vecchio, and there’s paperwork to sort out in advance. Many couples do the legal part at home and have a symbolic ceremony at the venue, which gives you total freedom with timing and location.

Which airports are closest to Florence?

Florence has its own small airport, and Pisa and Bologna are both about an hour away. Many international guests fly into Rome or Milan and take the fast train to Florence.

When is the best time for a Tuscany wedding?

May, June, September and early October. You get warm days, green or golden hills and gentler light than in peak summer.

Should our guests stay in Florence or at the venue?

It depends on the size of your guest list. Most villas sleep 15–45 people, so a common setup is to keep family and the wedding party at the venue and have everyone else stay in Florence, with a shuttle on the wedding day.

Planning a wedding near Florence?

I’d love to hear what you’re planning, whether it’s an elopement for two in Fiesole or a full weekend at a Chianti estate. Tell me about your plans here, and we’ll see if we’re a good fit. You can also browse my real weddings, read what couples say, or see why I still love shooting 35mm film under the Tuscan sun.

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