A wedding in Florence is photographed in two very different ways, depending on where you marry. In the centre, among palazzi, churches and piazzas, you work with architecture and with crowds. On the hills, in a villa or on a terrace above the city, you work with the view over the dome and a great deal more calm.
This page is for couples looking for a Florence wedding photographer who want to understand how the day unfolds from the point of view of the photographs: where to get married, where to take portraits, which permits are needed and which timings to choose. To show you how it works in practice, I'll walk you through the elopement in Florence of Danielle and Daniel, stop by stop, from Piazza della Repubblica to sunset on the hills.
Getting married in Florence: in the city or on the hills
In the centre you have Florence on your doorstep: Palazzo Vecchio for a civil ceremony, the basilicas for a religious one, the Lungarno a few steps away. In exchange you deal with the limited traffic zone, the tourists and a tight schedule. The photographs are urban, full of marble, stone and history.
On the hills, between Fiesole, Settignano and the hills of the Oltrarno, the villas have Italian gardens, loggias and the dome in the distance. Ceremony, aperitivo and dinner are in the same place, guests don't have to move, and the late afternoon light arrives unobstructed.
Many couples choose a middle way: a villa on the hills for the whole day and an hour of portraits in the city. The venues I like best, by type, are in my guide to Florence wedding venues.
How to get married in Florence
For a civil wedding in Florence the classic venue is the Sala Rossa in Palazzo Vecchio, alongside the other venues authorised by the city; dates, documents and availability are handled by the city's wedding office, which has the final word. A symbolic ceremony, after a legal wedding at home, can be held anywhere: in a villa garden, on a terrace above the city, even without guests. Many couples who elope in Florence choose this second option, because it leaves them free to decide the place and the time around the light. For the paperwork for foreign couples, read my guide to planning a wedding in Italy from abroad.
An elopement in Florence, stop by stop
Danielle and Daniel chose Florence for their elopement: just the two of them, a few hours in the city and sunset on the hills. This is the route we followed, and it is the one I suggest to anyone who wants the most famous places in Florence in their photographs without spending the whole day chasing them.
Piazza della Repubblica
We started in the centre, among the cafés and the great arch of Piazza della Repubblica, a few steps from the Duomo. The streets around it are busy, but walking together through them gives natural, moving photographs, with no need to pose.
Piazza del Duomo: Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery and Giotto's Bell Tower
Piazza del Duomo is the heart of every wedding in Florence. The marble of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi's dome, the Baptistery of San Giovanni and Giotto's Bell Tower give white, green and pink backgrounds that work in every light. The trick is to get close: a few metres from the walls, the crowd disappears from the frame and the marble fills it.
Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi
From the Duomo it is a ten-minute walk along Via dei Calzaiuoli to Piazza della Signoria. Here there are Palazzo Vecchio, with the copy of Michelangelo's David at the entrance, the Fountain of Neptune and the Loggia dei Lanzi with its statues and the Medici lions. It is the most theatrical square in Florence: it works best with the light of late afternoon, when the stone turns warm.
The Uffizi
Right next door, the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery is a long corridor of columns and statues of famous Florentines. Two people alone in the middle of all that symmetry: it is one of the most elegant photographs you can take in Florence.
The Arno and Ponte Vecchio at sunset
From the Uffizi you come out onto the Lungarno, with Ponte Vecchio in front of you. When the sun drops over the Arno, the river turns gold and the bridge lights up: it is the best moment for portraits with the river behind you. Arriving here at golden hour, after the centre, is the key to the whole route.
The hills above the Oltrarno: the view over the dome
To finish, we went up to the hills of the Oltrarno, the area of Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte, where the whole city opens up below you: the dome, Palazzo Vecchio, the bell towers and the hills of Fiesole on the horizon. At sunset this is where the most romantic photographs of the day are taken: balustrades, stone stairs, cypresses and Florence turning pink.
The best places to elope in Florence
If you are looking for places to elope in Florence or simply for the best spots for your wedding photos, these are the ones I suggest, with the right time for each:
- Piazza del Duomo: Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery of San Giovanni and Giotto's Bell Tower. Early morning or late afternoon.
- Piazza della Repubblica and Via dei Calzaiuoli, for photographs walking through the centre.
- Piazza della Signoria: Palazzo Vecchio, the Fountain of Neptune and the Loggia dei Lanzi. Late afternoon, when the stone is warm.
- The Uffizi, with the symmetry of its colonnade.
- Ponte Vecchio and the Lungarno: at dawn, before the shops open, or at sunset over the Arno.
- Oltrarno and Santo Spirito: quieter lanes and soft light for much of the day.
- Boboli Gardens and Bardini Garden: terraces, statues and views. They are ticketed historic gardens, with their own rules for photographs.
- Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato al Monte and the Rose Garden: the most famous view over the city. Deserted at dawn, busy at sunset.
- Basilica di Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella: two great church facades, perfect backdrops in the centre.
- Fiesole and Settignano: on the hills, for villas and gardens with the city in the distance.
Many couples also add a session in the Chianti countryside, half an hour from the city, for cypresses and vineyards.
Traffic zone, permits and rules
Almost the whole centre is a limited traffic zone (ZTL). The couple's and suppliers' cars need a permit, usually requested by the venue or the wedding planner: it has to be arranged in good time. For an elopement like Danielle and Daniel's the problem doesn't arise: the centre is explored on foot, and the hills can be reached by car or taxi.
Some churches, museums and gardens have rules on flash, tripods and hours. I don't use flash in church in any case, but it is best to check what is allowed beforehand, not on the day.
Light and timings
In summer the city is very hot and the midday light is harsh. For a ceremony, around 5:30-6:00 pm solves both problems; for an elopement in the city, the route in this page works best starting in the late afternoon, so as to reach the Arno and the hills at golden hour. In spring and autumn everything can be earlier. In winter sunset is at 5 pm: the whole schedule has to start a couple of hours earlier.
I have described a typical day, hour by hour, in my Tuscany wedding day timeline, and how many hours of photography an elopement needs in my guide to the first look and elopement coverage.
How I work
I tell the story of the day as it happens, without directing it: it is the approach I explain on my page about being a candid wedding photographer in Italy. In Florence this also means knowing how to use the city as a backdrop without letting it take over: the photographs should be about you, with Florence around you.
What a wedding photographer in Florence costs
Prices for a destination wedding and what they depend on are in my guide to what a wedding photographer costs in Italy; my collections are on the pricing page. I live in Terni: for Florence, travel is included with the fuller collections and stated clearly in the quote with the others.
Frequently asked questions
Can you elope in Florence?
Yes. You can have a civil ceremony at Palazzo Vecchio or another venue authorised by the city, or a symbolic ceremony anywhere after a legal wedding at home. Many couples then spend a few hours exploring the city for photographs, from the Duomo to Ponte Vecchio.
Where are the best places for wedding photos in Florence?
Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria with Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi, the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio and the Lungarno, and the hills of Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte for the view over the dome.
Can you take wedding photos on Ponte Vecchio?
Yes, but only very early in the morning can you have it without crowds. At sunset it is better to photograph it from the Lungarno, with the bridge behind you.
Do you need a permit to take wedding photos in Florence?
In public spaces, for private photographs with light equipment, generally not. Churches, museums and historic gardens such as Boboli have their own rules, to be checked in advance.
Where are civil ceremonies held in Florence?
In Palazzo Vecchio, in the Sala Rossa, or in the other venues authorised by the city. For dates and availability, the city's wedding office has the final word.
When is the best time to get married in Florence?
May, June and September. In high summer an evening ceremony is the better choice; in autumn the city is less crowded.
Related reading
- Florence wedding venues: the best for photography
- Elopement in Italy: the first look and how many hours you need
- Best time to get married in Tuscany
- Tuscany wedding photographer: areas, villas, light and costs
If you are planning a wedding or an elopement in Florence, look at the portfolio and the wedding stories, or tell me about your wedding: I answer every message personally.
