Despite being considered unusual up until some time ago, in recent years winter weddings have become increasingly popular. This is particularly true in Western Sicily, where the mild climate all year round allows you to choose among incredible fairy-tale sceneries in every season.

Would you like to discover all the advantages of getting married in winter? Get ready: in this article we’ll be looking at the best Sicilian locations for a civil ceremony and the most beautiful churches where to celebrate a religious wedding. Not only that, we will also be giving some real insider tips to help you choose the perfect colours and flowers!

Yet, let’s start from the beginning…

Why get married in the winter?

If you are planning your wedding, the first thing you are wondering is whether it is a good idea to get married in the months that go from December to March.

Spoiler: the answer is yes!

Read on to discover 5 benefits of a winter wedding.

1) Originality

First of all, your wedding will be decidedly more original than weddings celebrated in spring or summer. The clothing, the location, the setting and – above all – the atmosphere will distinguish your event in an unequivocal way.

2) Savings

As part of the ceremonies, the winter season is considered as a low season. Organizing weddings during this period is therefore less expensive as facilities, caterers and professionals such as photographers and video-makers often apply cheaper rates than they would during high season.

3) Greater choice

Since it is a less conventional time for ceremonies, you will have much more choice during the winter months. It will be easier to find available dates for the church and the locations of your dreams, but also for all accessory services such as florists, set-up designers, photographers, wedding planners and so on.

What’s more… Since they’re less busy, professionals will probably be more inclined to accommodate your needs!

4) Christmas holidays

If the day chosen for your “I do” is close to the Christmas period, you can take advantage of the holidays during the festive season to organize both the ceremony and the honeymoon in complete tranquillity! Your guests too, who perhaps live far away, will have the opportunity to organize their trip more easily.

And don’t forget that the Christmas atmosphere makes everything more romantic! The streets illuminated by a thousand reflections, the lit fireplaces, the candle flames, the decorations… Admit it, you are already imagining it in every detail!

5) Menu

Getting married during the cold season also makes the reception more pleasant! As for the menu, you can choose rich and tasty dishes, without worrying about the effects of the hot weather on the guests or the conservation of the most delicate ingredients.

6) Climate

One of the biggest advantages of a winter wedding is that you don’t have to worry about the weather. If there is one thing that’s certain, in fact, it’s that the celebrations will be held indoors, so you will not have to worry about the much feared summer storms.

To be honest, by choosing to get married in Sicily during the winter, you are likely to enjoy a warm sunny day and much more pleasant climate conditions than the scorching heat that often characterizes summer weddings.

A little tip: opt for a morning ceremony, so you can enjoy beautiful natural light for your souvenir photos!

If you’ve had any doubts so far, now you know that getting married in winter has numerous advantages. The next step, at this point, is to decide where to celebrate your joyful event! This is why we’d like to suggest to you some enchanting places in Western Sicily.

Winter wedding locations: the most fascinating places in Western Sicily

Whether you wish to celebrate a simple ceremony, in the presence of a few people dear to you, or a party in grand style, the exchange of promises and the reception deserve an exceptional location. 

It goes without saying that in this area of ​​the island you are spoiled for choice!

Here you will find villas, historic residences and ancient bagli (rural farmsteads), but also huts and reception rooms equipped with romantic fireplaces: each of these places reflects different tastes, but all are perfect for organizing your wedding, especially because they are immersed in the breathtaking scenery of Western Sicily.

Hold on tight as we are about to reveal some of the most fascinating places to celebrate your winter wedding!

Trapani

Famous for being the city “between two seas”, the historic centre of Trapani is a true open-air set, which will be the setting for your most beautiful day. As you stroll through the streets of Trapani you will come across churches, monuments and noble buildings from different eras, and end up in the light blue of its enchanting seafront.

Both in the capital, and throughout the province, there is no shortage of sites of cultural and environmental importance where to officiate the civil ceremony. Here are some locations in which to celebrate your winter wedding in Trapani:

• Palazzo De Filippi, seat of the “Luglio Musicale Trapanese”
• Palazzo D’Alì, seat of the City Hall
• The Sala Torrearsa of the Biblioteca Fardelliana

However, for those warm days closer to spring, you must absolutely take these outdoor locations into consideration:

• The open gallery of the historic piazza Mercato del Pesce
• The internal square of the Casina delle Palme

Marsala

The port city, famous for its salt pans, will give you the most beautiful sunset in the world. This would be enough to ensure you have a fantastic photo shoot! Your guests will also be able to enjoy the beautiful sunsets, bringing unforgettable memories to their hearts forever.

If you are a lover of good food and good wine, and you dream of a wedding in contact with nature, a wine wedding in Marsala is the one for you. In this area you’ll find some of the oldest wineries, producers of fine wines among the best in the world.

The wine-themed wedding trend is becoming increasingly popular and many couples come from overseas to celebrate a chic country wedding in the vineyards.

The cellars in the area, in fact, boast breathtaking views and beautiful indoor environments where you can have the celebrations. 

Furthermore, by organizing the reception in these locations, you’ll have the opportunity to savour the gastronomic excellence of the area and, above all, the DOC Sicilian wines: from “Frappato” to “Nerello Mascalese”, from “Bianco d’Alcamo” to “Grillo”, on to end on a sweet note with a good “Marsala” or a “Moscato” of Pantelleria.

The Islands: from Favignana to Pantelleria

Getting married on an island is the hidden desire of many future spouses. Getting away from the city’s chaos and celebrating surrounded only by the love of the dearest ones, is not an impossible dream in Western Sicily. Far from it!

Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands, is a magical place set between the blue of the sky and the light blue of its crystalline sea. Here you can cross the traces of history through the legend of the Florio, the family of entrepreneurs who marked the Sicilian belle époque. The council chamber of Palazzo Florio, in fact, is an accredited seat for the celebration of civil ceremonies.

Known as the black pearl of the Mediterranean, Pantelleria is an island of volcanic origin that will leave you breathless for its vineyards, its sea and its typical “dammusi”, an ancient type of house that is incredibly fascinating as a location for weddings.

So far we’ve discussed the magnificent Sicilian landscapes and the most suitable places to host civil partnerships.

However, if your desire is to celebrate a religious wedding, we recommend that you keep reading and take notes!

Religious wedding: all the most beautiful Sicilian churches

Western Sicily is home to numerous churches of considerable historical and artistic importance, located in equally surprising cities.

The following are the most beautiful Sicilian churches to choose from for your winter wedding.

Trapani

There are quite a few churches in Trapani known for their architectural beauty. The San Lorenzo Martire Cathedral, famous for its Baroque façade and the interiors decorated with neoclassical stuccoes, and the Borrominian-inspired Church of the Anime Sante del Purgatorio, are absolutely among the most fascinating in the city.

Erice

The enchanting landscape of Erice, with its postcard view and its medieval streets, is a more than valid reason to choose this location. The Mother Church dedicated to Maria SS. Assunta is no less impressive. The duomo is a mosaic of different architectural trends, with an exterior that retains the original Gothic appearance, passing through the interior’s Bourbon style, right up to the contemporary style: its fascinating rose window dates back, in fact, to 1954!

San Vito Lo Capo

The San Vito Martire Sanctuary is a highly symbolic building of the seaside village of San Vito Lo Capo, which stems from this place of worship. The church is located in Piazza Santuario, in an extremely central position and a stone’s throw from the long San Vito beach, full of charm even in the winter season.

Mazara del Vallo

The Church of San Francesco d’Assisi is located in the Arab area of ​​Mazara del Vallo. Although the external appearance is apparently modest, as you cross the threshold, be prepared to be breathless at the sight of its Baroque style full of stuccos and frescoes.

Sumptuousness and wonder also characterize the SS Salvatore Cathedral, another baroque treasure of Mazara, guardian of a sculptural group by Antonino Gagini.

Salemi

Why not choose one of “The most beautiful villages in Italy” for your winter wedding? In the heart of the Sicilian hinterland, what was the initial capital of the Kingdom of Italy for a day hosts the ancient Baroque style Jesuit Church and the suggestive Church of Sant’Agostino with its renowned cloister, perfect for hosting the reception wedding in the warmer months.

Church and Cloister of Sant’Agostino

Favignana

If you’ve chosen to get married in the Egadi archipelago, the Church of Immacolata Concezione in Favignana is for you. Located in the town’s main square, its style is simple but impressive, enriched by the baroque-style wooden portal and a stained glass window depicting the image of the Immaculate Conception.

Which church will you choose for your “I do”?

If you’d like to find out more about the most beautiful churches in Western Sicily, we suggest you take a look at this page!

All the colours of a wedding in Sicily

Let’s be honest. The location is not the only difficult choice when planning a wedding.

The wedding dress, the floral decorations, the setting up of the tables and so on and so forth! There are many aspects to take into consideration.

Here too, we’d like to help you out! Whether you prefer the classic and baroque or simpler and more modern style, or whether it be rustic country trends or the boho chic style, we’d like to guide you in choosing the perfect colours for a wedding in Sicily.

Thanks too to high fashion catwalks, in recent years Sicilian colours and patterns are in demand worldwide.

The most popular themes, in fact, are that of citrus fruits and majolica.

Colours that include orange and yellow or green, brown, light blue and dark blue. 

Instead if the wedding is to be held around Christmas time, let yourself be carried away by this mood! Red, burgundy and gold will be the dominant colours!

If the idea of correlating the choice of colours to these themes doesn’t appeal to you, then we suggest a couple of more neutral palettes.

Choose light blue, white and grey for a more classic setting, characterized by elegant porcelain and crystals.

Alternatively, a palette made up of warm tones like dark green, brown and dove grey is perfect for a more chic country style

Bonus tips

1. The style of the wedding must shine through from the very beginning. Yes, you got it right: even the participations must follow the theme!
2. Forget the usual bonbonnieres, in Sicily you can choose gifts that will amaze everyone!
   Here are three suggestions for you: ceramic Moor’s heads, local food and wine products such as mini-size bottles of limoncello or small seedlings in jars!

Winter flowers: from the bride’s bouquet to the setting

Few things can create the right atmosphere like choosing the perfect flowers!

Let’s start right away with the first suggestion: choose seasonal flowers! This will help you not only stay on topic, but also respect nature and – last but not least – save money!

Winter flowers are also more resistant to bad weather and will allow bouquets and arrangements to last longer! Which ones to choose? Indulge yourself with daffodils, anemones, buttercups, tulips, carnations, calla lilies. Moreover, don’t forget that the floral protagonists of the season are also the poinsettias, characterized by their unmistakable red leaves!

To top it all off, don’t underestimate other seasonal elements such as pinecones, berries, acorns and wooden twigs, which give a warm and romantic touch to the bride’s bouquet, as well as to the church nave, arcades, centrepieces and tableaus.

We know, there are many aspects to take into consideration when organizing a wedding. However, we’re certain that these ideas will be useful for planning your wedding during the winter months and celebrating it in Western Sicily will make your most beautiful day unforgettable and seem like a fairy-tale!