The numbers confirm, with data, something anyone working in destination weddings in Italy has felt for a while.
Italy is now the most sought after wedding destination on the planet, ahead of every other country. In 2024, nearly 16,700 foreign couples chose the country to get married, generating more than three million overnight stays and an economic impact close to one billion euros, according to a 2026 report from Il Sole 24 Ore in partnership with All About Italy.
What the Average Spend Reveals
The average amount invested per foreign wedding in Italy reaches 67,000 euros. That figure doesn’t speak only to the ceremony itself. It spreads across guest accommodation, the events surrounding the celebration, and the experience a couple builds for everyone who travels to be there. When the investment is thought of this way, every euro spent carries more intention than decorating a venue for one night.
Where Couples Still Choose to Marry
Tuscany remains the most sought after region, followed by Lombardy, Campania, Piedmont and Sicily. Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast and Chianti remain among the most desired locations for international couples, and that is no coincidence. These are territories that have welcomed travelers for centuries, with a hospitality infrastructure that existed long before destination weddings became a category of their own.
The New Map Taking Shape
The strongest growth in 2026, however, is happening outside the obvious spots. Sicily, Puglia, Lake Garda and the Italian Riviera are gaining ground among international couples, according to data from WeddingsItaly and Wedinspire. Alongside this shift, the wedding week trend keeps growing too, celebrations stretched across several days, with welcome dinners, local activities and gatherings that go beyond the ceremony itself. Italy keeps redrawing its own destination wedding map without losing what put it in first place to begin with.
That combination is what keeps the numbers climbing, projecting 5.1% annual growth for Italy’s destination wedding market through 2036, with Tuscany alone forecasting a 5.3% jump in 2026.
Why Italy Leads This Market
The scenery helps, but it doesn’t explain this result on its own. What explains it more is a culture that already knows how to celebrate, a cuisine rooted in generosity, landscapes that shift character from region to region, and a history that gives every celebration depth well beyond what shows up in photographs.
Behind each of those nearly 17,000 weddings in 2024 is someone who knew the place well enough to make it feel personal, not replicated. Italy keeps changing shape, gaining new regions, new formats of celebration, but it remains the place where more couples worldwide choose to celebrate.