I'm getting married in Italy. Which town on the Amalfi coast do you suggest for views of the sea but also plenty of things for my guests to do? I don't want my wedding to be around a million tourists, but I don't want to be isolated in a town where my guests and I have to go through a lot of hassle to travel to other areas.

I've been doing quite a bit of research on the AC, as we will be there this May.
I'd suggest Positano.
Praiano is also supposed to be very nice but quite a bit smaller. Ravello is also quite small and is high above the sea.

Hi mcwedding, I think you had better stick with Positano on the Amalfi Coast. Praiano is small and really has nothing for your guests to do except look at the scenery and go to the few restaurants. Positano is mostly shops, restaurants and views too and so is Amalfi for that matter.

You will have a million tourists give or take a few depending on the time of year. All of the towns have great views and it is the same hassle to travel from town to town no matter which one you stay in. The bus hits them all and so do the tourists. So aside from not really helping you I have probably confused you even more.

MC - Personally I think Positano wins hands down.

It's the most photogenic and is central for visiting the rest of the coast as well as Capri, Pompei, Sorrento ...

Ravello is inconvenient by public transport, Amalfi's less picturesque, and Praiano's too small.

Steve

Hi mc,

Positano.

However, be prepared for tourists if you are going in season.

Wherever you are on the AC, your guests will have to take buses or ferries to get anywhere else, unless they want to spring for taxis or hire limos.

While I agree that basing guests in Positano is probably preferable in terms of maximum amounts of restaurants and shopping, I think Ravello is a better place for the actual wedding, if you can have the ceremony or reception at the Villa Cimbrone or a hotel like the Palazzo Sasso. Ravello is high above the sea with absolutely breathtaking views of the sea and coast for miles, and would be a more memorable setting, IMO, than Positano. I assume you have researched whether a church wedding is necessary to be married under Italian law (I think it is). Both Positano and Ravello have several nice churches.

I would also say that in-season especially, Positano can be very noisy at night as everything is quite on top of each other as the town spills down the hillside. You might want to offer several options to your guests, as I personally would stay at the Santa Caterina hotel outside Amalfi and go to Positano or Ravello as necessary. Some might prefer to spend more time relaxing than anything else. The area is in fact quite small and there are ferries and buses connecting them all. The bus or ferry trip from Positano to the town of Amalfi is less than half an hour.

I would also choose Ravello which is by far the most scenic town on the Amalfi Coast.I recently attended a Wedding in Atrani with the reception at the Cimbrone in Ravello. Ravello is easily reached by car from Amalfi in 10/15 minutes or by bus in 20/25 minutes.Many locals choose Ravello for their wedding photographs.

Ravello is my recc, MUCH more romantic!!!

why not consider sorrento it is at the beginning of the amalfi coasstal drive ,a larger town with more to se and do. you can easily access naples,amalfi drive, capri. vesuvio eetc from here and there are several very nice placess for the wedding and reception.. there is ample room for guests to tke long and enjoyable walks. look on a map and consider it

Don't know if we have chatted at all, but I just got married in Positano last month. If I can help, my email is [email protected].

We were married at the town hall there. Very nice. We spent 6 nights in Positano and travelled around the other week. It was a great location, easy to get the boat or bus anywhere in about a half hour. I recommend Positano. Good luck!

"Hotel Belvedere" in Conca Dei Marini. beautiful place, great food, feels almost like staying with friends. couple of miles from town of Amalfi. Sita Bus stops right at the hotel door that runs up and down the Amalfi coast. A bus from amalfi also goes up to Revello. We spent a week at the Hotel Belvedere in september and loved it, especially for the location. they have a website with photos and all the information.

Does anyone ever get married on Capri?

Does anyone recommend a wedding planner for the Amalfi coast?

MC - One which has been recommended several times here is:

http://www.lacalla.it/

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Ravello is gorgeous but unless everyone has access to a car, it is a little more difficult to get in and out of than Positano, which is gorgeous and easily accessible by ferry or bus. By the way, although we did not spend lots of time there, I would NOT recommend Sorrento, it lacks the charm of both Positano and Ravello. One poster commented that Positano was "noisy"? We stayed at the Hotel Marincanto (same street as Ancora and Sireneuse) and didn't think so at all.

There are definitely more tourists in Positano than Ravello, though. Although that was true, we enjoyed getting to know a fair number of Americans, Canadians, and Brits on our trip, so that actually was not as big as a negative as we were anticipating.

In any event, I'm probably biased because I was just married in Positano in October and would be more than willing to help and/or offer you more detailed advice. If you would like any help/recs, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. I had so much help from people on these chat boards, I would be glad to repay the favor anytime!

Also, mcwedding, I have heard good things about La Calla planners from posters on this board. I did not use them because I think they were more expensive than the planner I used, which was Alessandra at the Book of Dreams. I would be happy to discuss her services offline - there are pros and cons, I think.

jej
This forum has a clearly stated rule against commercial self promotion of any kind.

I am getting married in Italy also....are you using a planner?

Could someone recommend a good wedding planner in Italy?