If your wedding celebrates the union of your love, your honeymoon celebrates the romance. Leave the twenty-first century behind and step back in time to the most romantic place on earth where your desire
can take flight in the wandering waterways of Italy’s heart of romance; Venice.


The Grand Canal

LAY OF THE LAND
Venice occupies several islands and islets
connected by bridges and canals but most
people identify it as all one island. The
city traces its origins back to ancient Rome
when citizens fleeing invasions of Germanic tribes built a town they thought would be impervious to attack. What followed was centuries of growth, commerce, intrigue and romance, the home of Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus and Casanova, and the subject of theater, art and cinema from Shakespeare to Indiana Jones. The city is connected to the mainland via the railwayand Ponte della Liberta highway, but in the city the best method of travel is by boat or on foot.


TOP MUST-SEE'S MUST-DO'S
The best way to get a first look around
is to take a vaporetto from the Piazzale
Roma and ride along the Grand Canal to
get a feel of the city then wander at your
leisure. Venice has two dozen museums
and galleries showcasing the rich history of
art and architecture of the city through its
centuries. Waterside cafes and gastronomic restaurants will dazzle you with Italian cuisine and Venetian seafood stylings. You won’t find a hopping nightlife in Venice, but the city after dark is breathtaking and who needs a crowd when you have each other in the center of Italian romance.


Piazza San Marco

The most famous view of Venice is the
Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark’s Square, and a photograph in front of the domed Bascilica di San Marco is a must for your honeymoon album.

Rialto Bridge

Tour the city via its famous bridges the 400 year old Rialto Bridge (photo above) designed by Antonio da Ponte, who beat Michelangelo to be awarded the task, is also one of Venice most famous sights. You will find exclusive shops and boutiques on the Rialto Bridge and at the Piazza San Marco incase your eyes become too accustomed to the stunning architecture and beautiful surroundings.

Kiss as you Glide beneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset in your gondola and you will be assured eternal love. Prisoners on their way to the dungeons caught their last glimpse of the canal through the grill work, perhaps the bridges legend of romance comes from one of the prisoners, Cassanova, passing over the very spot.


Gondolas on The Grand Canal

Visit the island of Murano and witness the
artistry and craftsmanship of world famous
glass blowers who create art in glass, and
while you are there tour the Glass museums and shops showcasing their works. Beyond the city on the mainland you will find vineyards and castles of Verona, Padua, and Vicenza to explore and experience. Here too you will find a rich history of Italy and the rich and famous who have come to visit.

WHERE TO STAY:

Hotel Gritti - www.gritti.hotelinvenice.com
Located on the Grand Canal, Venice most
famous five star hotel has hosted many
celebrities and dignitaries over the last
century.


Facade of Hotel Gritti

This former residence of the Doge of Venice offers rooms decorated in elegant
Venetian style with views of the Grand Canal and Santa Maria del Giglio square. The Club del Doge restaurant provides fine dining with fresh foods and ingredients from the Rialto market and views of the Grand Canal.


Hotel Gritti Salon


Hotel Gritti Delux Canal View Room

Back To Destinations

Locanda Cipriani - www.locandacipriani.com
A favorite destination of many celebrities
and made famous by Ernest Hemingway
in Across the River and Through the Trees,
which he partially wrote while staying at
Locanda Cipriani.



Three single rooms, two junior suites and one senior suite with garden views, canal or courtyard, each room is named for an ancient Roman city on the mainland or the canal it over looks, and each possesses its own history of famous guests who have stayed there. The Inn’s restaurant has dining in the garden in the fall and summer and in Rooms Gritti and Portico year round provide foods with the “Cipriani Style”. A truly elegant romantic site to focus on the most important aspect of your honeymoon, each other.

Hotel Cipriani - www.hotelcipriani.com
Across the Giudecca Canal on the tip of
Giudecca Island offers a panoramic view of
Venice as well as the amenities of a resort. A heated Olympic sized pool and tennis court, right off the bay, and fitness center are available on the grounds along with access to the only golf course in Venice, on Lido Island.


Hotel Cipriani Pool

To reach the golf course and tour the canals Hotel Cipriani offers their private boat the Shirley, available through the concierge. The Casanova Wellness Center, named for the legendary lover who held trysts in the same gardens, offers the pampering and skin care that will draw gasps of awe from your own Casanova.

Your Venice Wedding
Planning a wedding in Venice can be
daunting but engaging an event planner is
can help avoid the pitfalls of red tape involved. Venice Events (www.veniceevents.com) can handle the details of your special day and offer suggestions to transform it into a truly
Venetian event. Let them help you “turn the
wedding celebration into a 2 or 3 day event, in true Italian style. The night before, hold a party in a traditional or rustic inn or a palace beside the water - the wedding can be in any number of incredible venues. Then the day after, take brunch in the skyline bar of the new Hilton Molino Stucky, with its birds-eye view of Venice”. Lindsey Coleman and Jayne Seddon, both originally from the U.K., have lived in
Venice for many years, know the city and have gained a good reputation with local suppliers. They offer very personal and friendly service, with great attention to detail and are fluent in Italian – another great advantage.

CLIMATE
The summer months of July and August are sometimes very hot and often humid with maximum temperatures of 80?F. April, May, June, September and October are all more mild with temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s.
Winters are relatively cool and often rainy. Snow is infrequent, but possible, usually December through March. During the Winter months fog is also possible,
particularly in the morning. There is very little tourism traffic between the months of November and January, you may manage to feel you have Venice all to yourself.

LANGUAGE
The official language of Venice is Italian, while many native people speak Venetian, a “romance language” that is closely related to Italian. English, French and German are often spoken in many of the resorts and by people connected with tourism.

TIME ZONE
Central European time GMT+ 1hour

DESTINATION WEDDINGS
Handled via Venice Events at www.veniceevents.com.

ELECTRICITY
The electrical current in Italy is AC - the cycle is 50Hz 220V. If you plan on bringing electrical appliances to Italy, be sure to also pack a transformer or a plug adaptor.
Electric sockets and plugs in Italy are round and not flat; therefore an adapter plug is required. Transformers and plugs can be also bought at a local shops in Italy.

CURRENCY
Italy is one of the twelve members of the EU, and in 2002 changed it’s currency from the Italian Lira to the Euro. Traveler’s checks are accepted in all of Italy’s major
cities and tourist areas. Most reputable establishments will accept major credit cards and will display logos of accepted cards in their front windows.

TIPPING
In restaurants leave 5-10% in cash, bell boys a couple of Euros, Gondoliers negotiate their prices on the spot

GETTING AROUND
Venice is the world’s only pedestrian city - it is easily walkable. The Rialtine Islands, the “main” part of Venice, is
small enough to walk from one end to the other in about an hour. If you want to get around a bit more quickly, there are numerous vaporetti (water buses) and water taxis. If you are going to be in Venice for a few days, it is more economical to get the vaporetti than to get private water taxis. Be sure to experience Venice by gondola!

SHOPPING
Each U.S. tourist may bring back $400 worth of goods purchased abroad to the U.S. duty-free. The goods must
accompany the traveler. A flat rate of 10% is assessed on the next $1,000 worth of goods purchased. Parcels
containing gifts may be shipped to the U.S. duty-free, providing the total value of each does not exceed $50. Each package should be marked as “Unsolicited Gift”. The amount paid and the contents of the package should be
declared.