European Venues

The European venues where we choose to work: Lake Como, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, and the French Riviera.

Sarah Ingle & Daniel Colascione's

Guides

The Photographer

Andreas photographs destination weddings across Europe. His work prioritizes emotional depth over editorial convention.

Find

Recently Added

Kirsten and Patrick

Venice Unrushed: A Gritti Palace Honeymoon

Kirsten and Patrick arrived in Venice with the quiet triumph of a couple who had finally carved out the time they deserved. Their wedding had taken place the year before, but the demands of their work never allowed for a true honeymoon. This journey was their long-awaited celebration, and they chose to spend it at Venice’s most storied hotel, The Gritti Palace. Their Gritti Palace honeymoon deserved to be remembered through photography. Together with Kristen and Patrick, we shaped this photoshoot as an experience in its own right, letting the photography follow naturally.

Gritti Palace honeymoon in Venice

s we wandered through the labyrinthine city, it felt as if only we knew the secret: that Venice was at its most intimate, beautiful, and grand before the espresso bars opened.

The mission of the day: an unhurried adventure first, photography second. We made our way toward the Rialto. At that hour, the usual ceaseless parade of gondolas gave way to the untheatrical stream of vaporetti, quietly performing the city’s morning chores: deliveries, construction, refuse collection.

By the time the sun climbed higher, the first wanderers began to appear, and that was our cue to return to The Gritti Palace, the couple’s private refuge.

We were greeted by the concierge, who hastened to open the door. The Gritti’s concierges proudly wore the Les Clefs d’Or, the golden key-shaped insignia of the world’s most highly trained hospitality professionals.

The city’s bustle now felt impossibly distant. The Gritti did not merely sit on the Grand Canal. From the Riva Lounge, the view was so privileged that it almost felt as if Venice had paused, performing solely for our enjoyment. A delicate espresso, a fleeting glance across the Santa Maria Della Salute from the terrace, and we moved on to the Pisano Suite. This was no ordinary suite: a hundred-square-metre multi-room residence, adorned with historical fineries and two terraces suspended above the Grand Canal.

The Gritti Palace was no ordinary place. It was one of the most privileged ways to experience Venice, a city to be lived, not merely walked—and the perfect conclusion to this remarkable adventure.

The adventure led, the camera followed

“There’s a mystique about The Gritti Palace that has enchanted its guests for generations, so it was essential that we involved local artisans, architects, craftsmen and cultural institutions to preserve its authentic elegance,” said Paul James, of The Luxury Collection, when the hotel reopened after it served as a private residence. Evidently, this meticulous and unwavering dedication has paid off; There is no hesitation that the Gritti stands as the most refined and elevated incarnation it has ever been, mainting its reassuringly intimate and familiar feel of a private residence.

More than just a Hotel, it is a Venetian Institution. The Gritti Palace is where generations of the world’s most distinguished guests come together to explore, savor, and celebrate.

The iconic

Gritti Palace

Once the bustling heart of Venetian commerce, the Rialto remains, as it has for centuries, a lively parade of shops and merchants. Today it has taken on a new life as a “must-see” for every visitor, offering sweeping vistas of the Grand Canal’s ever-moving dance of gondolas and vaporetti.

Ponte di Rialto

Gritti's terrace over the Grand Canal was designed by Riva, the master of Italian luxury design yachts. The lounge with its arresting views of the Santa Maria della Salute, is indeed quintessentially "Riva": modern in sensibility yet as timeless as a 1960s Riva powerboat. The wooden decking echoes the decks of Riva’s iconic yachts, with inviting Aquarama seating, and polished chrome cocktail tables.

Breakfast at
the Riva Lounge

The Riva Lounge

The couple were staying in the Pisani Suite, a hundred square meter corner room overviewing the Palazzo Canal. Gritti describes it as "a glorious Venetian panorama of iconic landmarks" and "a magical theatre to be enjoyed from two private stand-up balconies".

Named for the Pisani family, the Venetian nobles who first made the palazzo their residence, this grand corner suite on the piano nobile carries the atmosphere and character of the 1500s.

The iconic
Pisani Suite

The Explorers' Library at the Gritti Palace is lined with significant works of art. At its center is the portrait of Doge Andrea Gritti, painted by Titian’s workshop. For generations, this remarkable library served as a refuge for distinguished guests from John Ruskin to Ernest Hemingway.