Getting married in Rome

Rome solves the problem every destination wedding has: getting people there. Direct flights from most of the world, guests who can arrive the same morning if they must, and a city that entertains itself without anyone organising anything. It suits couples who want something urban rather than rural — a rooftop rather than an olive grove, dinner in a courtyard rather than under a pergola. And it works in months that are difficult elsewhere, because a city has shade, cooling and somewhere to go when it rains. For couples with older relatives or small children travelling, Rome is consistently the kindest choice on this list.

They'll need less help here than anywhere else, which is unusual and worth using. What I arrange is the things that are difficult without someone local: early access to the Vatican Museums before the crowds, a table at the restaurant that says it's full, and cars for the places taxis won't go. Most guests extend the trip by two or three days, and a good number use Rome as the start of a longer journey through Italy.

Rome has several civic halls approved for civil ceremonies, each with its own character, capacity and booking calendar — and the most requested are taken many months ahead. Some historic venues also hold approval to host the legal ceremony directly. For religious ceremonies, Rome offers possibilities that exist nowhere else, but they come with their own requirements and a longer timeline. Both are things to start early.

Broadly comparable to Tuscany, with more variation: a rooftop dinner for sixty and a palazzo for two hundred sit at very different points. For a hundred guests, expect something between fifty-five and a hundred thousand euros in total, excluding my fee. The city premium shows up in venue hire more than in catering, and there are excellent options just outside the centre that cost noticeably less without feeling suburban.