The best Sorrento Wedding Reception Venues - how to choose

Choosing a wedding venue in Sorrento…

So you’ve chosen to get married in Sorrento – congratulations! Sorrento is the perfect choice for an Italian destination wedding and has been a popular tourist destination for almost two centuries. Situated on a terrace overlooking the breath-taking Amalfi coastline, this famous southern Italian town offers so much… pavement coffee shops, family run restaurants, tucked away antique shops, clothing boutiques and bustling piazzas, together with the beautiful scent of the orange and lemon trees. Your perfect wedding in Sorrento is ready to be customised to you - so let us help start you on your destination Italy wedding planning journey!

Here are a few important questions to consider when starting your search for the perfect Sorrento wedding reception venue:

How many guests are you looking to invite to your Sorrento wedding?

The number of guests you invite to your wedding is important when considering what reception venue is going to work best for you. Some locations are suitable for smaller numbers, such as boutique hotels or smaller villas/restaurant locations. Often if you have a smaller number of guests you don’t need to think about hiring a wedding venue in exclusive use as you may find the space is too big. If, however, you have a larger wedding (60 guests or more) then we would recommend a private Villa or larger hotel setting to ensure that you and your guests can use all of the spaces available and can have full flexibility on the timings of the day.

Are you looking for a Sorrento wedding venue that offers complete privacy?

When you choose a Sorrento wedding venue with exclusive use it ensures that you have complete privacy and also flexibility when planning the timings of your wedding day. You are not going to encounter other hotel guests and with exclusive use you are usually safe to have music at a louder volume as the venue will not need to worry about the comfort of other guests on site. Exclusive use usually does come with a separate fee so do ask us for more information on which venues offer exclusivity and what the cost may be.

Do you prefer a location that offers accommodation so you can stay on site?

Some of the villas in Sorrento do not offer accommodation or if they do, they offer accommodation for 1 or 2 nights which means you will need to move from location to location during your wedding week. Is this a problem for you? Do you prefer to be on site to be able to organise other events during your time at your chosen Sorrento wedding villa (such as a welcome pizza party) or would you prefer to stay in a separate hotel to your reception venue so your guests have a complete surprise on arrival on the day? Villas in general offering a large number of bedrooms are not widely available in this region and they do come with a higher price tag so it may be worth considering a hotel base instead and a villa just for the day of the wedding. Or you may prefer to stay in a hotel which offers wedding packages as well as accommodation.

What type of ceremony are you looking to have?

Civil ceremonies in Sorrento must be celebrated in recognised locations connected to the town hall, whereas symbolic ceremonies in Sorrento can usually be held in the same venue that you choose for your reception. If you are set on having a legally binding ceremony, then have a look through the selected ceremony locations (linked here) and discuss with us the proximity to your chosen reception location. For some you will need to build in transportation of your guests into your overall budget. Others may be within walking distance. If you are happy to have a symbolic ceremony this will give you the flexibility to host everything ‘under one roof’ and works well for larger celebrations, especially the villas with exclusive use.

Do you prefer formal dining or buffet style options?

Some locations only offer the option of formal dining whereas others give you the possibility to have more informal dining/buffet style options. The chances are if you are looking at a five star hotel there will only be formal dining available. Consider what style suits you best.

Are you planning to invite a lot of children to the wedding?

If your Sorrento wedding party includes lots of children, be sure to ensure that the reception venue you are looking at is child friendly. Some venues have swimming pools/infinity pools that will feature in your reception space, therefore it is vital to consider the age of the children coming and whether, considering the features of your venue, you will need to set aside some budget for activities/childcare for them too.

Finally… think about your overall wedding budget

As difficult as it may be, try to establish a realistic and affordable budget and stick to it. There are venue suggestions to fit many different budgets but it certainly helps us as wedding planners if you have a clear idea before we start exploring all of the different options available. Try to also think about which areas are most important when distributing your budget … is floral design essential to you? The best photographer or videographer? Offering an open bar to all of your guests? Try to consider these aspects as well so we can establish which vendors are the best fit to your requirements. We want to ensure that every aspect of your wedding is perfectly suited to your needs and wedding vision.

For more information or to start your Sorrento wedding planning journey contact us here. We would love to hear from you.