Breathtaking Backdrops for Your Elopement in Italy 

The meaning of “elopement” is rather outdated in the sense that you elope only because your family did not permit you to marry, whether you were thought to be too young or perhaps making the wrong decisions with the wrong person. However, eloping seems to mean differently now than before as the term has come to define how couples get married in private or in secret, normally to either save money from organising a traditional, extravagant one or simply just because they wish to experience an intimate wedding celebration and focus on the two of them.

With everything that’s going on in the world, many are considering planning an elopement in Italy to take the pressure off all the planning amidst the uncertainty. Eloping to Italy is a popular choice for couples from all corners of the world, and we totally understand why. We can’t even begin to describe the many beautiful places where you can organise your intimate Italian wedding celebration and photoshoot.

Italy offers so many scenic places for a wedding photoshoot, with picturesque landscapes and historic locations, you can use the country’s natural beauty as backdrops for your wedding and even capture your experiences as memories in a photo book! Let’s discover some of the most breathtaking backdrops you can pose against for your wedding in Italy.

A landmark of architectural beauty, home to Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, and the capital of Italy, Rome is utterly timeless and is an iconic spot to shoot your wedding photos. St. Peter’s Basilica makes it to the top of this list with the Sistine Chapel not too far off, as a must-visit location for newlywed couples. If you’re keen to avoid the crowds, head over to Castel Sant’Angelo, one Rome’s most famous and important monuments, where you can pose amongst its dramatic settings.

How about capturing a romantic moment in front of the Trevi Fountain, where you can make your dream wishes and toss coins in the fountain, or even capture memories up on the sweeping Spanish steps as your background. The Pantheon can often get too crowded as well as the Colosseum, but if they’re on your shot list, make sure you head down there in the early hours of the morning.

Lastly, for a more private shooting location, you can head over to the Villa Borghese Park and walk hand in hand through their beautiful landscape gardens. Rome boasts a plethora of hidden vista and buildings that hold ancient history. Feel free to wander between alleyways and take advantage of all the city has to offer.

Why walk when you can drift through the maze-like canal waterways of Venice? Built on top of a hundred or so small islands with no roads to walk on, the magic of riding a gondola with just you, your partner, and the romantic serenading of the gondolier, is a different sort of experience.

You can capture surreal photos during your gondola ride, surrounded by mesmerising Renaissance and Gothic palaces, then glide past the impressive St. Mark’s Square. If you happen to be there in the evening, you can try shooting once the lights turn on at 8pm, which is an enchanting sight to see.

Exploring the city invites you to discover secret doors and charming little squares to act as your alternate backdrop.

Terracotta-tiled rooftops, streets lined with the Renaissance architecture, and a city teeming with arts and craftsmanship, Florence provides so many opportunities to photograph your Italy wedding memories with idyllic backdrops. In fact, one of the most photographed places in the world is in Florence; the Giotto’s Bell Tower of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral.

A living art in itself, the city boasts architectural masterpieces and buildings that are still standing throughout centuries. Places like the UNESCO historic centre, Uffizi and the Art Palace of Italy are among the many historical backdrops you can consider.

A chain of pastel-coloured centuries-old villages on the Italian Riviera coastline resting beside harbours teeming with fishing boats, the Cinque Terre National Park is a truly unique location. The park location houses five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso, which boast the most breathtaking seaside backdrops for your wedding photos.

And you certainly shouldn’t miss walking amongst some of the Cinque Terre trails to find that special spot for your elopement photoshoot in Italy. It is recommended to walk the Sentiero Azzuro Cliffside Hiking Trail which links the villages together and provides some of the best panoramic sea views for the perfect seaside shot.

Famed as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Verona is an old medieval town which boasts an assortment of beautiful villas decorated with sprawling ivy. This quaint city ignites the inner romantic of anyone stepping on its soil. No doubt, this could be one of your Italy elopement photo backdrops that will surely be memorable.

Stroll the streets and wander into the river Adige for a panoramic moment, and maybe pose infront of the Verona arena, which is a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre hosting large-scale performances of plays and orchestra. These historic locations are timeless and capturing your wedding photos here is in a way, like writing a part of your history.

All in all, a wedding ceremony is memorable in itself because it symbolises the beginning of your lifelong journey as spouses. It’s even more magical that you say your vows and immortalise your memories surrounded by Italy’s breathtaking beauty. But no matter where you get married in Italy, do not forget to remind yourself that whether it’s an intimate elopement or a full-blown wedding, what matters most is that you are finally at the beginning of the long beautiful road to facing this life together.