Looking for Italian romance? Weddings in Tuscany are a dream come true

Couples are flocking to Tuscany for a dream wedding — followed, naturally, by a bucolic honeymoon in the magical landscapes.According to recent research from jewelry firm Mark Broumand, Italy accounts for an average of 7,428 monthly searches from engaged couples, putting it in the top 4 for a destination wedding. Tuscany, a province in the northwest, is often top of mind.Not only is there the art of Florence and the history of Pisa, there’s also the jaw dropping eye candy of the countryside.“It is simply a dream location,” said Carlotta Albanese, director of events at Castelfalfi, a 5-star, 2,700-acre resort in the heart of the Tuscan countryside.

“Landscapes resemble live paintings, and the medieval castles encapsulate the essence of a fairytale.”Castelfalfi itself has plenty of history.The hilltop estate — which has no gates or walls, blends seamlessly into the hills of San Gimignano visible on the horizon — and has been inhabited since Etruscan times. In 2021, entrepreneur, Sri Prakash Lohia embarked on the idea of forming the area into a resort “with community at its heart,” weaving existing structures and industries into a working luxury estate.  Certified organic, the surrounding farmland supplies the hotel kitchen with seasonal produce; the 62 acres of vineyards provides six varieties of wine available to taste in the wineries.

In co-op fashion, the 10,000 olive trees are pressed in a communal frantoio (mill) utilized by the locals for their own extra virgin olive oil.The hotel itself sprung up from a tobacco warehouse from the 1900s and has just emerged from a new makeover by Henry Chebaane, Affine Design and Caberlon Caropp.Now housing 146 rooms (31 of them in the original building) the style is sleek and contemporary, merging modern art with those alluring views.Outside its doors is a restored medieval hamlet, overlooked by the impressive turreted Castelfalfi Borgo (castle) first documented in 754 AD.In July, it opened as a skill...