A Venice vs Portofino wedding comparison starts with price: our published packages for 50 guests cost €59,000 to €79,000 in Venice, while Portofino packages run from €59,000 for 30 guests to €199,000 for a three-day abbey wedding. Both include venue, food, cake, open bar, flowers, photographer, videomaker, DJ and a planner. Venice suits couples who want palaces and art; Portofino suits couples who want the sea, a small harbor and a cliff-top setting.
Venice vs Portofino Wedding Packages Compared
Every row below is a live Kiss Me Italy package, with the price published on its product page. Prices are in euros.
| Package | Destination and setting | Guests | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Noble Palace Wedding — Venice | Venice: Second Piano Nobile of a Grand Canal palazzo, frescoed halls | 50 | €59,000 low season / €65,000 high season |
| The Grand Canal Luxury Wedding — Venice | Venice: five-star palace on the Grand Canal with a private garden | 50 | €69,000 |
| The Grand Canal Venice Wedding — Ca’ Sagredo | Venice: Ca’ Sagredo Music Hall or Portego Hall, plus private rooftop | 50 | €72,000 low season / €79,000 high season |
| The Iconic Portofino Castle Wedding | Portofino: symbolic ceremony on the Castello Brown terrace, reception on the Piazzetta | 30 / 50 / 70 | €59,000 / €69,000 / €85,000 |
| The Splendido Legend Wedding — Belmond Portofino | Portofino: Secret Garden ceremony, dinner at the Splendido Grill | 60 | €94,000 |
| The Riviera Abbey Wedding — La Cervara | Portofino promontory: abbey in exclusive use for three nights, rooms for 34 | 30 / 50 / 100 | €149,000 / €164,000 / €199,000 |
Close to Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure adds two more options: The Aristocratic Villa Durazzo Wedding (€59,000 for 30 guests, €69,000 for 50, €85,000 for 70) and The Seafront Boutique Hotel Wedding at Grand Hotel Miramare (€49,000 for 50 guests, €72,000 for 90 with an overnight stay).
Cost: Which Destination Is More Expensive?
For a 50-guest wedding the two cities start at the same published price. The Noble Palace Wedding in Venice and the Castello Brown wedding in Portofino both cost €69,000 or less for 50 guests.
The gap opens at the top. The Venice range stops at €79,000 for 50 guests. Portofino reaches €94,000 at the Belmond Splendido and €199,000 at La Cervara, where three nights of rooms are part of the package.
| Comparison point | Venice | Portofino |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest published wedding package | €59,000 for 50 guests | €59,000 for 30 guests |
| Price for 50 guests | €59,000 to €79,000 | €69,000 (Castello Brown) to €164,000 (La Cervara) |
| Price per guest at 50 guests | About €1,180 to €1,580 | About €1,380 to €3,280 |
| Season pricing | Low and high season prices on two packages | Prices set by guest count |
| Guest rooms in the package | Not included | Included at La Cervara (34 guests, three nights) |
| Elopement packages | €2,500 to €9,800 | €2,400 to €9,800 |
| Vow renewal packages | €2,100 to €4,900 | €1,900 to €4,800 |
For the full breakdown of each city, read our guides to Venice wedding cost and Portofino wedding cost.
What the Packages Include
The six wedding packages share the same core. The differences are in the setting and in what comes on top.
- All packages: reception with aperitivo or welcome cocktail, wedding lunch or dinner, cake, open bar, florals, photographer, videomaker, DJ, dedicated wedding planner and Kiss Me Italy Concierge.
- Venice: exclusive use of a palace floor or hall. Ca’ Sagredo adds the private rooftop and table styling with printed menus and table plan.
- Portofino: a symbolic ceremony is part of the Castello Brown and Splendido packages, the second one with a celebrant.
- La Cervara: a pre-wedding aperitivo, Ligurian wines and three nights in the abbey rooms with breakfast.
Guest Count and Venue Size
Venice packages are priced for 50 guests. The palaces offer large halls, so the space itself is rarely the limit.
Portofino packages publish several guest tiers. Castello Brown and Villa Durazzo go up to 70 guests, La Cervara up to 100 and Grand Hotel Miramare up to 90.
For a small group, both destinations have elopements. In Venice, Venice In Love costs €2,500 and The Grand Canal Love Story €4,500. In Portofino, Our Secret Portofino costs €2,400 and Lost In Paradise Portofino at Castello Brown €3,700.
Season and Weather
Both destinations work best in late spring and early autumn. May, June, September and early October bring mild days and softer light for photos.
Venice
Venice is busy for most of the year. Two of our Venice packages publish a lower price for the low season, which makes spring and autumn dates worth checking.
From late autumn to winter, high tides (acqua alta) can flood low parts of the city. A palace reception on an upper floor is not affected, but walking routes for guests may change.
Portofino
Portofino is a sea destination. Summer brings warm evenings on the terraces, but also peak boat traffic in the harbor.
Outdoor ceremonies, such as the Castello Brown terrace or the Splendido Secret Garden, need a covered plan in case of rain. Your planner arranges it with the venue.
Guest Logistics
Getting to Venice
Venice Marco Polo airport serves the city, and guests continue by water. Inside Venice there are no cars: everyone moves on foot, by vaporetto or by boat.
Water taxis cost €300 to €600 per trip, and water transport for an intimate wedding costs €3,000 to €8,000. These are the ranges already published on Kiss Me Italy.
Getting to Portofino
The nearest airport is Genoa. Portofino is a small village at the end of a narrow coastal road, so many guests stay in Santa Margherita Ligure and arrive by boat or shuttle.
A private coach costs €1,200 to €2,500 per day, a car with driver €80 to €150 per trip and a private boat €400 to €1,200 per hour. La Cervara removes most of the problem, because 34 guests sleep at the venue.
For shuttles and coaches in both regions, see our wedding transportation page.
Ceremony Options
The Portofino packages include a symbolic ceremony: on the Castello Brown terrace, in the Splendido Secret Garden or at the venue in Santa Margherita. A symbolic ceremony has no legal value, so you can complete the legal part at home before or after the trip.
In Venice, legal civil ceremonies take place in the venues of the City of Venice, with official fees. Our guide to a wedding in Venice lists the venues, the fees and the documents by nationality.
For the legal steps in any Italian town, read how to get married in Italy as a foreigner.
Which One Fits You
Choose Venice If
- You want a palace reception with frescoes, a Grand Canal view or a rooftop over the city.
- Your guests will enjoy museums, churches and walks between the islands.
- You plan for about 50 guests and want a published price from €59,000.
- You like the idea of arriving at your reception by boat.
Choose Portofino If
- You want a sea view, a castle terrace or a garden above the harbor.
- You prefer a small village and a slower pace for your guests.
- You want a smaller wedding of 30 guests, or a multi-day stay at La Cervara.
- Your guests will enjoy boat trips along the coast and a few beach days.
For more settings on the Riviera, see our list of Portofino wedding venues. For the city, start from our Venice wedding page, and for the coast from our Portofino wedding page.
Extra Costs in Both Destinations
These services are not part of every package. The ranges are those already published on Kiss Me Italy.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Celebrant for a symbolic ceremony | €800 to €2,500 |
| String quartet for the ceremony | €2,000 to €3,500 |
| Live band, evening | €3,000 to €12,000 |
| Second photographer | €1,500 to €4,000 |
| Welcome dinner photography | €1,500 to €3,500 |
| Airport transfers for 50–100 guests | €3,000 to €6,000 |
| Planning consultation with Kiss Me Italy | €720 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Portofino wedding cost?
Our published Portofino wedding packages start at €59,000 for 30 guests at Castello Brown, with €69,000 for 50 and €85,000 for 70. The Belmond Splendido costs €94,000 for 60 guests. La Cervara, with three nights in the abbey, costs €149,000 to €199,000. Elopements start at €2,400.
Can you get married in Venice?
Yes. Foreign couples can have a legal civil ceremony in the official venues of the City of Venice, after preparing their documents. They can also choose a symbolic ceremony. Our Venice wedding packages for 50 guests cost €59,000 to €79,000, and elopements start at €2,500.
Venice or Portofino for a destination wedding?
Choose Venice for palaces, art and a city your guests can explore on foot, at €59,000 to €79,000 for 50 guests. Choose Portofino for the sea, a castle or garden ceremony and a smaller village, from €59,000 for 30 guests. Guest logistics are simpler in Venice; privacy is greater in Portofino.
Is a Portofino wedding more expensive than a Venice wedding?
At the entry level, no: both start at €59,000 in our catalogue, for 50 guests in Venice and 30 in Portofino. At the top, yes. The highest Venice package costs €79,000, while Portofino reaches €94,000 at the Splendido and €199,000 at La Cervara with three nights of rooms.
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