The wedding weekend in Italy: welcome dinner, guest experiences and the day-after brunch

A wedding in Italy with guests from abroad does not last one day. Whoever flies in from New York, London or Sydney stays at least three nights, and the formula high-end venues propose for 2026 and 2027 is almost always the same: welcome dinner on Friday, wedding on Saturday, brunch or an afternoon by the pool on Sunday. In between, guests have free hours that the couple can leave free or fill with organised experiences, and that is where a wedding becomes a trip to remember.

Guests who cross an ocean for a wedding don't come for one evening: the whole weekend is the couple's gift to them.

This page lines up the moments of the weekend and the most requested experiences for the three main destinations, Lake Como, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, with prices published in 2026 by operators and planners. For the cost of the wedding itself, see our guide to luxury wedding costs in Italy.

The welcome dinner

It is the first time guests meet, often tired from the journey. Planners agree: keep it informal, close to where guests are staying, not too long, over by 10 or 11 pm so everyone arrives rested for the next day. The formats that work best are a single long table, a wood-fired pizza night at the villa, a barbecue, or in Tuscany a dinner in a winery among the vines.

The cost, according to planners' 2026 guides, is generally 70 to 100 euros per head for a generous but informal dinner, with individual venues offering from 35 euros in Sicily to 165 at a Tuscan villa for a three-course dinner. Aisle's October 2026 cost index estimates about 6,700 dollars for the welcome dinner alone at an 80-guest Italian wedding.

Lake Como: the boat

On the lake the experience par excellence is the boat, for a ride between Bellagio, Varenna and Villa del Balbianello or simply to bring guests from the hotel to the party. Operators' 2026 rates: a vintage Riva Tritone with captain, for up to six people, from about 2,500 euros for two hours to 4,600 for eight; a classic wooden boat with driver, up to ten people, from 350 euros an hour; a modern boat, up to twelve people, from about 250 euros for one hour to 1,260 for four hours with stops at Bellagio and Varenna. A large group needs several boats or a bigger yacht, and prices must be requested for the exact date.

Tuscany: the wineries

In Tuscany the most requested experience is a tasting at a Chianti Classico estate, ideally with the winemaker. 2026 rates: a tasting at the winery starts at a few tens of euros per person, while a private tour from Florence with driver, several wineries and lunch costs from about 230 euros per person in a group of eight to 460 euros for a couple. The alternatives foreign guests love most are a pasta-making class, a morning on a Vespa through the hills, and in autumn a truffle hunt.

Amalfi Coast: the gozzo

On the coast the experience is the sea: a gozzo, the traditional wooden boat, with a skipper, for a day between Positano, Amalfi and the coves reachable only from the water. A private full-day charter generally costs 800 to 1,200 euros per boat, for seven to twelve people depending on the boat; prices rise when departing from Positano or Naples and for larger boats. For a group of guests the usual solution is to book several gozzi from the same port, with lunch at a restaurant on the water.

The welcome bag

It is the first gift guests find in their room. Italian planners' guides suggest the weekend programme with times and addresses, a map, something local (cantucci and Vin Santo in Tuscany, limoncello on the coast, extra virgin olive oil everywhere) and a few practical things: water, sunscreen, and for long-haul guests an eye mask and earplugs. The same guides put the cost at 25 to 45 dollars a bag. For guests arriving on the wedding day itself, better to skip the bottles.

The day after

The day-after brunch is a thank-you, not another event: an Italian breakfast with local pastries, fruit and coffee, or a barbecue by the pool, at the hour guests wake up. It is also when departing guests say goodbye to the couple, and the reason to hold it where guests are staying. Many villas and borghi include it in their three-night formulas.

How to organise it, in practice

• decide early what the couple offers and what is optional and paid by guests, and put it in the programme;
• book boats, wineries and guides months ahead for weekends in May, June and September;
• plan the transfers: in Tuscany and on the coast distances are short but roads are slow;
• keep at least half a day free: guests also come to see Italy on their own;
• give the guest programme to the wedding planner or a local agency, so times and suppliers don't overlap.

Sources

• Italian Venues, three-day wedding weekend venues in Italy 2026-2027
• Sicilian Wedding and Event, welcome dinner ideas for destination weddings
• Aisle, destination wedding cost index (ottobre 2026)
• Salimar, Lake Como boat tour prices 2026
• Lake Como Travel, Riva boat tours
• Lake Como Boat, Classic Boat Angelina
• Italy and Wine, private Chianti Classico wine tour from Florence
• Kiss From Italy, private boat tour on the Amalfi Coast: costs
• Sposiamovi, wedding experience list for Italy 2026
• Exclusive Italy Weddings, Italian welcome bags