Getting married in Puglia

Puglia is the easiest region in the south to move around: it's flat, the roads are good, and venues are close enough together that a wedding weekend doesn't turn into a logistics exercise. Guests can drive themselves without anyone worrying. The masseria is the reason most couples come here. A fortified farmhouse with a courtyard, rooms for your guests and a kitchen that has been feeding people for two hundred years — the venue, the accommodation and the dinner in one place, which solves half the problems of a destination wedding before they arise.

The Valle d'Itria, Ostuni, Alberobello, Polignano and Lecce are all within an hour of most venues, and there are two coastlines to choose from — the Adriatic on one side, the Ionian on the other, each with a different character. Because so many masserie have their own rooms, guests often stay where the wedding is. That changes the feel of the whole weekend: breakfast together the morning after tends to become one of the parts people remember.

Civil ceremonies take place in town halls and in venues approved by the individual comune. Several masserie in the Valle d'Itria hold that approval, which means the legal ceremony and the reception can happen in the same place — worth checking early, because it simplifies the day considerably. For foreign couples the requirements depend on nationality rather than on the region. I confirm what each of you needs at the start and deal with the town hall directly.

Comparable to Sicily, and for a masseria wedding often slightly higher because the venue usually includes accommodation. For a hundred guests, expect something in the range of forty-five to eighty-five thousand euros in total, excluding my fee. Taking a masseria exclusively for two or three nights adds significantly, and for many couples is the single decision that most changes the budget.