Visiting Abbazia di San Galgano - My wedding venue in Tuscany!
Planning My Wedding In Italy!
When I was five years old my mom and her friend rented a villa just outside the picturesque Tuscan hilltop town of Montalcino. Little did I know then, that summer would become the most magical summer of my life! I have vivid memories of chasing my older brother through vineyards, eating peaches so ripe the juices would run down our arms, and feeding our neighbours goat. Looking back, it was one of the most carefree and happy summers of my life and it’s where my love for Italy really bloomed.
Now at thirty five my love for Italy only continues to grow and over the years I have had the good fortune of returning several times. One of my most recent trips was in 2017 with Adam after 5 years of dating. We started in Florence, spent a night in Cinque Terre, and then drove through Tuscany to Montalcino for a few days before ending in Rome. It was Adam’s second time in Italy but only his first time experiencing the beauty of the Italian countryside. Of course I knew he enjoyed our trip, but It wasn’t until a few months ago when he suggested we get married there that I realized how much he also loved Italy.
So this past winter, my mom and I decided to plan a trip to Italy for the end of April to start planning my wedding!
The Small Luxury Boutique Hotel we stayed at while in Rome - Hotel De’Ricci Roma
One Day In Rome
Since we were flying into Rome we decided the best way to manage our jet lag was to spend our first day and night there. After 10 hours of travel we checked into the cutest luxury boutique hotel in Rome called Hotel De’Ricci. Located near some of our favourite Rome attractions, Hotel De’Ricci is a boutique hotel with 8 spacious and luxurious contemporary suites. Its cozy bed and chic decor couldn’t keep us from heading out to explore the city though and we kicked off our arrival with celebratory Aperol Spritz in Piazza Navona! Having both visited Rome many times before we didn’t feel the need to rush around to see everything but we did make sure to visit a few of our favourites including Chiesa Sant'Agnese, the Trevi Fountain, where I threw in a coin for good luck, and the beautiful Spanish Steps! After walking around for hours, we ended the evening with dinner in Trastevere followed by a good nights rest at our hotel.
P.s. If you are looking for some good restaurants to try out in Rome, check out my Rome food guide.
My mom and I in Piazza Navona - one of the Rome’s attractions that we walked to from our hotel on our first day in Italy!
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH
Adam and I’s wedding venue in Italy - Abbazia San Galgano Abbey
Planning My Wedding in Tuscany - San Galgano Abbey
After a great first day and a good nights rest, my mom and I checked out of our hotel in Rome and took a bus to Siena before grabbing our rental car and heading straight to Abbazia Di San Galgano.
Located in the Tuscan countryside of Italy, San Galgano Abbey is one of the most unique and breathtaking destinations in Tuscany and where Adam and I are planning to tie the knot. Built in the 13th century, the abbey is a stunning example of Gothic architecture and is regarded as one of the most important church ruins in Italy. The abbey's remote location adds to its otherworldly beauty, making it a popular destination for both national and international visitors. While the abbey is not currently used for religious services it is one of the most beautiful wedding venues in Italy and features an open air cathedral!
I first learned about San Galgano Abbey a few years ago while scrolling Instagram. I thought it was one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the world and had saved it to one of my folders without much thought. It wasn’t until Adam suggested we get married in Tuscany that I remembered the photos of San Galgano and searched to find them. Once I showed Adam the photos of the Abbey it was pretty much a done deal as he too was taken by its beauty.
Fun facts about Abbazia San Galgano & the legend of the Sword in the Stone:
The abbey's most iconic feature is the sword in the stone. Legend has it that the man who was later to become San Galgano was a knight who thrusted his sword into a rock and declared that he would give up his life as a soldier to serve God. The sword still stands in the chapel, serving as a potent symbol of San Galgano's legendary story and the power of faith.
Villa Podernovo in Monticiano, the heart of Tuscany, Italy - an18th century Tuscan holiday villa that we are renting for the wedding
Our Wedding Villa in Tuscany
After spending about an hour at San Galgano Abbey taking photos and droning, my mom and I headed towards the villa we would be renting for the wedding. Located 8km from Abbazia Di San Galgano and just outside the small town of Monticiano, Villa Podernovo is an18th century Tuscan holiday villa with sprawling lawns, courtyards, and even a pool. The villa itself features 5 apartments with a total of 9 spacious bedrooms (many with en suite bathrooms) that can sleep about 18 adults. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, a stunning living room with a fireplace, and comes with access to a beautiful outdoor terrace where you can soak up the Tuscan sun and enjoy an al fresco meal with friends and family.
Adam and I will be staying at Villa Podernovo for a few days before and after the wedding as well as hosting all our other wedding festivities there, but for the purpose of this trip my mom and I had planned to stay at the villa for only one night so that we can meet with our wedding planner, legal paperwork coordinator and florist. Since our meetings weren’t until the following day I spent the majority of that first afternoon running around taking photos and droning while I still had some beautiful afternoon light and once the sun had set, we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant in a nearby town.
Getting Married in Italy
To excited to sleep, I woke up early the next day and went down to breakfast to meet with our wedding paperwork coordinator.
Originally, Adam and I had planned to get legally married in Canada before our wedding. When we went to book the Abbey for our ceremony however, we learned that the local municipality only permits two symbolic marriage ceremonies at the Abbey a month. Unfortunately for us, both spots had already been filled for the month of September so if Adam and I wanted to still get married at San Galgano, we would need to legally get married in Italy.
Introduced to us through our wedding planner, Antonella will be our wedding paperwork coordinator. She will be guiding us through all the documentation requirements, coordinating with the embassy in Rome, organizing appointments and helping with anything else we may need to obtain our marriage license in Italy. Since she speaks fluent English and Italian, I know she is going to be such an asset to Adam and I as we plan our wedding in Italy and has already eased any worries I was feeling around what legally getting married in Italy would entail.
ENJOYING THIS CONTENT? CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER TRAVEL BLOG POSTS!
Our Wedding Planner in Italy
The next meeting my mom and I had scheduled was with our Italian wedding planner who also happens to be the owner of Villa Podernovo. Diana Grandi, has been organizing weddings at the villa for several years and offers her wedding organization and coordination services to guests who rent the entire villa for their wedding.
During our meeting we discussed transportation to the Abbey, planned out the room chart for those who would be staying at the villa, did a walk through of the grounds, discussed how we envisioned each day playing out, talked about decorations and possible layouts for the reception, and addressed any outstanding questions we had.
Prior to meeting in person she had also provided me with a list of vendors she recommended so I could select people I would like to meet while in Italy as well as arrange our tasting menu. Having a wedding planner in Italy has been so helpful and is something I would definitely recommend. Not only has she made sure my ‘wedding vision’ doesn’t get lost in translation but she has also saved me hours of research and time spent going back and forth with unknown vendors.
Tuscany Wedding Florist
Our last meeting of the day was with the local florist Martha who came highly recommended by Diana. Prior to the meeting I had shared my wedding Pinterest board with Diana and Martha which I think was very helpful in giving both ladies a visual idea of what I would like my bouquet to look like and the overall colour palette. Having Diana present at the meeting also proved to be very helpful as she made sure to translate any questions I may of had and relay answers to my concerns.
It was so nice to meet everyone in person and get to know them more intimately. It honestly made any anxiety melt away and gave me the confidence to let go and not worry about micromanaging everything.
My mom and I enjoying an afternoon in Montalcino, Tuscany at Casa Raia Winery in Italy
Montalcino, Tuscany
After our last meeting my mom and I packed up our bags, got in the car ,and headed to Montalcino. My mom had not been back in 30 years so I was excited to show her how much it had changed.
While in Montalcino, my mom and I would be staying at the same quaint hotel Adam and I stayed at back in 2017 called Si Montalcino. Located less than a kilometre from the town centre, it offers comfortable and renovated rooms with either a terrace to enjoy a glass of wine on or a small stone garden area. Although very charming, my mom and I didn’t have any intention of spending a lot of time at the hotel so we quickly dropped off our bags and headed to our friends villa and winery, Casa Raia, for afternoon drinks outside and dinner.
Tasting Menu for Our Wedding In Tuscany
Once again the beauty and allure of Montalcino had captured our hearts, but we still had a few more items to check off our list before we could completely finish with the wedding planning, so we jumped back in the car once again and headed towards Florence.
Truth be told, this entire trip to Italy was planned around doing our tasting with the wedding caterers. When Adam and I showed my mom the extensive menu we had to choose from for the wedding, my mom suggested we plan this trip around the tasting. Recommended by Diana, our tasting appointment at Roland Social and Business Catering was held at their facility 30 minutes outside Florence. Over the course of 5 hours we drank Prosecco, tried five different signature cocktail options, went through all the cold and hot appetizers Adam and I selected, and enjoyed first, main and side dishes (all paired with wine) before ending with a mini version of our traditional Italian wedding cake.
Overall, the tasting went well and in addition to our original selection, Roland’s also provided a few more menu suggestions to try like their risotto with zucchini and saffron, which ended up being my favourite dish of the whole meal. We were also able to spend some time with one of their coordinators after the tasting who guided us through their ‘mise en place’ selection and I ended up finding the perfect table setting to fit the wedding palette.
Planning my wedding in Italy - Doing my hair and makeup trial while in Florence, Italy
One Day In Florence, Italy
Following our tasting my mom and I dropped off the rental car and checked into our hotel in Florence. Since we were absolutely stuffed from eating all day and tired from all the moving around, we decided to take it easy and have an early night. The following day would be our last day in Italy and I had one last appointment for hair and makeup before all our wedding planning duties were over.
It was really only during my hair and makeup trial that the gravity of this whole experience really began to hit me. The week leading up to this point had been go-go-go with a lot of moving around and meetings. It was only then when I got to take a break, breath and process that I began to realize how incredible of an experience this all was. I had the best time planning my wedding in Italy with my mom and am so grateful for this special time we got to spend together.
Since it was our last afternoon in Italy, my mom and I decided to grab a panini from a Florence landmark a ‘whole in the wall’ sandwich bar called L’Fratellini, before walking around the city on foot to some of our favourite spots like Piazza Del Duomo, Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio!
Restaurants in Florence, Italy
Florence was surprisingly packed despite it being only April and thankfully I had the foresight to book our dinner reservation in Florence weeks before our trip. Regina Bistecca Al Duomo is one of the best steak restaurants in Florence and where my mom and I splurged on a nice bottle of wine and feasted on steak tartar, bone marrow and of course their famous steak Florentine. It was an epic evening to end our trip to Italy and both the service and food were excellent. I’ll definitely be taking Adam here when we return for our wedding in September and look forward to spending more time with him in one of my favourite regions of Italy.
Thank you so much for joining me on my wedding planning trip to Italy. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments below, otherwise don’t forget to subscribe as I’ll be back with more wedding content soon! CIAO!
- Soheila
MORE BTS PHOTOS FROM THIS TRIP TO ITALY
