Villa Aurelia is undoubtedly one of the top wedding venues in Rome. I believe one of the main reasons why is because this stunning 17th century venue has exactly everything you would expect from an authentic Italian villa. You can savour the classic “dolce vita” made of good food, great wines and catchy songs walking through its perfectly manicured gardens and refined rooms with impressive chandeliers and old wooden floors or unique terracotta tiles.
Let me unveil Villa Aurelia’s magic and share my thoughts with you after planning several destination weddings at this one-of-a-kind venue.
Ceremony
A symbolic wedding ceremony can be celebrated in the Italian gardens, the very first area entering the villa on the left. You may want to face the beautiful, large tree or even better, face the Villa, thus having it as a backdrop in the ceremony pictures.
My tip: have the guests enter the ceremony area from the small steps on the left along the pathway, so you’ll keep them away from the rest of the Villa and save the wow factor for later.
At an extra cost, you could otherwise rent the Secret Garden, a secluded area, hidden behind a thick wooden door. The ceremony chairs could face the folly, a nice backdrop for wedding pictures; or they could be set up facing the large tree, so as to create a perfect aisle from the wooden door for the bride to walk along. Alternatively, the small gazebo covered in greenery could be used as the spot for the celebrant and couple, with the addition of a colourful flowers arch.
My tip: worth the extra rental fee if you want a quiet area with some views of Rome as a bonus.
If you want to use the breathtaking rooms in the Villa, instead, pick the Music Room on the piano nobile (the “noble floor” which is located on the second floor, easily accessible using a lift) for the wedding ceremony and you’ll leave your guests speechless.
My tip: consider your number of guests for this option, as the room can accommodate a maximum of 90 chairs or so.
Cocktail hour
The cocktail hour with finger food and drinks will usually be set in the Fountain garden. You’ll have 4 different areas and could use all of them or just two or three, depending on the number of guests.
My tip: use each area for something different. Bar and buffet table with food in one area; live show cooking of fried food in the adjoining area; live musicians in the area dominated by the big tree (where plugs for electronic equipment are located).
Dinner
The Lemon tree area is so iconic of Villa Aurelia. This is where the wedding dinner is usually set up. Decorating the lemon trees with candles or fairy lights is highly recommended. For extra light, you can add lamps, or chandeliers.
My tip: with fewer guests that would fit in just one area, pick the spaces closer to the Villa which are better lit, compared to the ones closer to the trees and the gardens which are slightly darker, so more lights would be needed.
Alternatively, you can also rent the piano nobile. The ceilings, wooden floors and chandeliers will leave you all flabbergasted.
My tip: the Music Room is my favourite, and the horse-shoe set up is the one I prefer. Just consider your number of guests, as that would only work with 50 people or so. You can otherwise have round tables, for a maximum of 80 people.
Open bar and dancing
The best area for open bar and dancing must be the unique Sala Aurelia, right next to the lemon trees area. It’s perfect for setting up a stage for a live band or a DJ as well as the bar counter. The room comes completely empty, so you’ll also need to budget in some small tables, couches, armchairs, cocktail tables and stools so as to allow your guests to relax, while leaving the centre area for dancing.
My tip: keep the doors to Sala Aurelia closed during dinner time in the lemon trees area, so the guests will only access the beautiful room after the cutting of the cake and you won’t miss the wow factor. With the soft and coloured lights and all the beautiful décor you’d have picked for the room, you want to keep it as a surprise when the time comes for the first dance.
There’s so much more I could say about this unique wedding venue after walking through its gardens and rooms countless times. Drop me a line if you want me to share more tips and help you plan your wedding at Villa Aurelia and check my Instagram page for more pictures and videos of this stunning reception venue in Rome.