Amalfi Coast & Capri

Pastel villages stacked on cliffs, lemon terraces and a deep blue sea — with Capri a boat ride away.

South of Naples, the Sorrento peninsula drops straight into the sea. Along its southern side runs the Amalfi Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, villages stacked on the cliffs, terraces of lemon trees and one winding road between them. Capri lies just off the tip of the peninsula.

Weddings here are about the view: a ceremony on a garden terrace high above the sea, dinner on a hotel terrace, a church with a tiled dome, a boat to Capri the next day. Places are small and the season is short, so it pays to book early.

A bride and groom at a window above Positano

Rows of white chairs for a ceremony in the garden of an old villa

Through the year

When to marry on the Amalfi Coast & Capri

May, June and September have warm days and the season in full swing without August’s crowds. July and August are hot and busy, and the coast road is slow. October is still mild, with more rain; from November most hotels close until spring.

January: Quieter
February: Quieter
March: Quieter
April: Good with planning
May: Best
June: Best
July: Good with planning
August: Good with planning
September: Best
October: Good with planning
November: Quieter
December: Quieter

SpringThe season opens around Easter: gardens in flower, clear air and a sea still too cool for most swimmers.
SummerHot, bright and lively; boats fill the bays and cars fill the road. Plan the day around the heat and the traffic.
Early autumnSeptember has softer light and a sea still warm from summer; October is quieter, with the first storms.

Places

Where couples marry here

The kinds of places — ask your photographer which ones they know well.

Garden terraces above the sea
In Ravello, high on the ridge, old villa gardens look straight down the coast — the classic ceremony view.
Hotel terraces and village churches
A ceremony in a small church with a tiled dome, then dinner on a terrace with the village lit up below.
Boats and coves
A wooden boat between the villages, portraits on the water, a cove you can only reach from the sea.
Capri
Gardens, cliff paths and whitewashed lanes on the island — for an elopement, or the day after.

Light

How the light falls

The coast faces south, so the villages stand in sun for most of the day and turn pastel and pink at dusk, while the mountains behind them bring the evening shade early. For the sun going down into the sea, Capri’s western side is the place. Midday on white walls and water is very bright.

Travel

Getting there

Fly into Naples. The coast is an hour or two away by car on narrow, winding roads, or by ferry in season; Capri can only be reached by boat. Drivers for the guests make the day much easier.

Photographers