Sicily, Italy
Taormina & SicilyWedding photography
A Greek theatre above the sea, with a volcano behind it.
We photograph destination weddings in Taormina and across Sicily — clifftop terraces above the Ionian with Etna on the horizon, baroque palazzi in the honey-coloured towns of the southeast, and country estates inland. Two photographers, on site two days early, from $22,000.
There is no other wedding destination in Europe where sea, cliff, ancient ruin and an active volcano appear in one frame. That is the argument for Sicily, and on a clear day in May with snow still on the summit it is sufficient.
Taormina sits on a terrace of rock high above the Ionian Sea with Etna filling the view to the south, and there is no other wedding destination in Europe with that combination: sea, cliff, ancient ruin and an active volcano in one frame. The ancient theatre above the town is the picture everyone knows, and it earns its reputation.
Sicily as a whole is larger and stranger than Taormina suggests — baroque towns in the southeast built entirely in honey-coloured stone after an earthquake, Greek temples standing in fields on the south coast, and a light that is properly Mediterranean, hard and bright and dry. It is the southernmost destination on this list and it behaves like it.
Demand here has risen sharply and the good venues now book as far out as Como does. The logistics are more involved than mainland Italy — it is an island, the drive from Catania takes longer than it should, and the coast road is slow in season.
The light
When to marry in Taormina & Sicily.
The part a visitor cannot look up, and the reason this page exists rather than a list of packages.
April to May
Green, flowering and warm without heat. Etna still holds snow, which is the best version of that view.
June to August
Hot and hard. Scirocco can bring haze and dust from North Africa; the middle of the day is unworkable outdoors.
September to October
Warm sea, softening light, the harvest in, and the island much quieter. The best month is September.
The venues
Where to be married in Taormina & Sicily.
The rooms this market is built on, and what each one does to a photograph. Listed as places rather than as partnerships — we have no preferred-supplier arrangement with any of them.
Teatro Antico di Taormina
Greek theatre, Taormina
A protected monument, so any organised use is by authorisation applied for well in advance with conditions attached. Never something to build a day around before it is confirmed.
Grand Hotel Timeo
Clifftop hotel, Taormina
Terraces directly below the ancient theatre with Etna filling the southern view. The mountain is the backdrop the schedule should be built around.
Villa Sant’Andrea
Seafront villa, Mazzarò
At sea level below the town, reached by cable car or a long road. Water and pebble rather than cliff, and a completely different register from the terraces above it.
Dimora delle Balze
Nineteenth-century estate, Noto
In the southeast, all pale limestone and almond groves. The stone here goes gold in the last hour in a way the volcanic north does not.
Baglio Occhipinti
Wine estate, Ragusa
A working baglio with a courtyard and vines. Inland and higher, so the evenings are cooler than the coast and the light lasts slightly longer.
The kind of place
- Clifftop hotels and terraced gardens above the sea at Taormina
- Ancient sites — theatres and temples — which are protected ground with their own rules
- Baroque palazzi in the southeastern towns, all honey limestone and grand stairs
- Working country estates inland, with citrus, almond and Etna on the horizon
What a Taormina & Sicily wedding plans around
- Ancient monuments are protected sites. Access for a ceremony or an organised photography session is by authorisation, applied for well in advance, and is not something to assume.
- It is an island. Everything and everyone arrives via Catania or Palermo, and the transfer to Taormina takes longer than the distance implies.
- High summer can bring scirocco haze off North Africa, which flattens distant views including Etna.
- The old town is pedestrian and stepped; vehicles do not reach most of it.
Frames
From Taormina & Sicily.
The commission
Photographing a wedding in Taormina & Sicily.
A Sicilian wedding is a destination commission from $22,000: two photographers, two days on site before the date, full coverage of the day. Travel at cost and itemised; everyone arrives via Catania or Palermo and the transfer takes longer than the distance implies.
The authorisation question gets settled first. The ancient sites here are protected monuments, access is granted in advance with conditions, and a day built on the assumption that a theatre will be available is a day with a hole in it. We plan the photographs for both outcomes and walk the alternatives in the two days before, so a refusal is a change of route rather than a lost afternoon.
Preview within seven days, the complete hand-graded set within eight weeks, full-resolution files, a private archive and a print release with no expiry. Nothing published without your written consent.
- Destination Wedding, from
- $22,000
- Photographers
- Two
- Preview
- 7 days
- Full delivery
- 8 weeks
Wedding photography commissions in Taormina & Sicily
Every commission on this site is available in Taormina & Sicily. See all seven.
Taormina & Sicily wedding photography — questions
How much is a Sicily wedding photographer?
From $22,000 for a destination wedding with two photographers, two days on site beforehand and full coverage of the day. Travel is quoted at cost on top.
Can we be married at the ancient theatre?
It is a protected monument and any use of it is by authorisation obtained in advance, with conditions attached. Your planner leads that application, and we plan the photographs for both outcomes so the day does not depend on it.
When will Etna be visible?
Clearest in spring and autumn. High summer can bring scirocco haze off North Africa that flattens distant views entirely, including the mountain, which is the single best reason to avoid an August date here.
Which month?
September is the best combination — warm sea, softening light, a quiet island. April and May are green and flowering with snow still on Etna, which is the most photogenic version of that view.
How hard is Taormina to move around?
The old town is pedestrian and stepped; vehicles do not reach most of it, and the sea-level hotels are connected by cable car or a long switchback road. Both are schedule facts rather than inconveniences.
Is Sicily only Taormina?
Not at all, and the southeast is the part most couples have not considered — baroque towns rebuilt entirely in honey limestone after an earthquake, with almond groves around them and far fewer weddings in them.
Nearby
Married in Taormina & Sicily?
Tell us the date and what you are planning. We reply personally, usually within two business days.