Palazzo Belmonte Wedding Photography

Palazzo Belmonte Santa Maria, Italy

If you are getting married at the Palazzo Belmonte, then wow, you are in for a treat. If you are looking for a photographer for the Palazzo Belmonte, you have come to the right place.

Sarah Bruce Photography Palazzo Belmonte

Destination Wedding Photographer

I first visited the Palazzo in 2023, where I photographed Meg & Joe’s wedding, whom I met through the fabulous wedding planner, the wonder woman Julie of My Secret Italy. If you want to plan a wedding in Italy, Julie has a wealth of knowledge, and she and her team go above and beyond for her clients.

Watch Me I’m Stunning

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much, these are beautiful. You have a true talent, as I’m sure you’ve been told many times before.

Thank you so much again for everything on the day and for these stunning pictures.

Lots of love,

Rosie & Killian

Palazzo Belmonte – The Perfect Italian Wedding Venue

Suppose you love getting away from it all to somewhere nice and rural. In that case, Palazzo Belmonte is a beautiful historic Palazzo in the heart of the Cilento National Park in Santa Maria di Castellabate. It is the only Palazzo where you can walk barefoot and feel at home surrounded by stunning landscapes and crystal clear sea. Only a couple of hours from Naples airport, you are transported into another world.

It sits nicely on the Santa Maria di Castellabate coastline, offering fabulous panoramic views of the Amalfi coast for reception drinks from the terrace. However, before you descend on the coastal views and lavish, well-maintained gardens, the entrance will simply take your breath away. I always stand in the middle of this stunning courtyard and feel like I’m in a movie. Bond would be my movie of choice!!

One of the wonderful aspects of hosting your wedding at Palazzo Belmonte is the variety of flexible accommodation options available. The rooms and suites at Palazzo Belmonte are situated across several buildings, each with its own unique features. The elegant finishes and Mediterranean style throughout the main Palazzo create an inviting atmosphere, allowing your closest friends and family to stay for a few days and truly enjoy a mini getaway with you.

Despite its rural coastal location, you’re not short of things to do at the Palazzo or the surrounding area. Imagine learning to make authentic local mozzarella or touring a mozzarella farm to immerse yourself in Italian traditions. Or, you can discover the ceramics of Campania, the art of pottery, and plate painting using traditional techniques and designs. Around Santa Maria are some wonderful restaurants and bars, so it would be rude not to drop into some of them for a cheeky few. There are some fantastic sea caves to explore, and just 30 minutes from Castellabate is the archaeological site home to three of the best-preserved temples of ancient Greece in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wineries and temples surround Palazzo Belmonte, so there is plenty to feast your taste buds and eyes on.

The Italian Palazzo That Has It All For Your Wedding Day

After you’ve finished exploring the region’s sights and it’s time for the big event, your guests will find plenty of beauty to admire right at Palazzo Belmonte itself. The long, tree-lined drive creates an impressive entrance, leading to a beautifully symmetrical view of the rustic courtyard. As a photographer, I deeply appreciate old, weathered doorways and stunning Palazzo shutters, so this front aspect provided the perfect backdrop for many of my photos that day. And what could be more perfect than your very own Mariachi band leading the way into the Palazzo from your ceremony?
You have the choice of where to hold the ceremony. You can get married outside on the terrace overlooking the panoramic sea views or in the stunning courtyard, where excellent shade provides shelter from the sun. Alternatively, you can have a more traditional ceremony at the local church in Santa Maria, like Killian & Rosie.

It was beautifully sunny on the afternoon of Killian and Rosie’s wedding, so there was lots of sunshine. The morning started a little differently; we were all checking every weather app we could lay our hands on in the hope that the storm that came in would pass. Luckily, it did, right before Rosie had to leave for the ceremony. The sunshine gods were looking down on us!
Rosie, all her bridesmaids, and flower girl joined her in the gorgeous bridal suite at the Hotel Garden Riviera. Makeup and hair updos created fabulous natural looks, perfect for the hot day ahead. The high ceilings and tall windows flooded the room with oodles of natural light and views out over Santa Maria. I love the images of Rosie and her girls in fits of laughter; these moments do it for me, showing all the closeness and love they have for each other as the anticipation grows.

I went over to the groom’s room, where I found Killian attempting to put all the transfers onto the sunglasses for the sunglasses. This was funny; he kicked himself for leaving it until the last minute as it was a very fiddly job. Check out my advice for grooms over an article I wrote for tips to help your morning and day be less of a headache!! We went downstairs to get some photographs once the guys were suited and booted. While scouting the venue a few days before the wedding, I spotted the fantastic tropical trees, which also had great shaded light, perfect for the guys to make their buttonholes and have a little tipple for those nerves. Also, it would be ideal to use this area for fabulous group photos. Win-Win.

Once everyone was ready, the boys went down to Santa Maria for the ceremony, which freed up the lovely reception for the girls at the Hotel Garden Riviera, where there were the last little flurries. Rosie was led down to the transport by her team, and off we all went. The ceremony was peaceful and calm in the stunning Santuario di Santa Maria a Mare, which translates as Sanctuary of Holy Mary at the Sea. After the ceremony, one of my favourite parts of the day to capture was the congratulations, AKA hug fest.

Rosie and Killian enjoyed a confetti tunnel outside the church, and all the guests popped on the steps for a quick large group photo before we were all led by the fabulous Fanceeco and his Mariachi band back to the Palazzo. Walking through the streets of Santa Maria with all the wedding parties and listening to the music was such an incredible atmosphere. It was so much fun; however, I had to be extra careful walking backwards!!! The Italian pavents aren’t the most even!!

We used the incredible courtyard for Killan and Rosie’s group shots, which was the perfect backdrop. Once the group photos were finished, the guests walked through the main gardens to the pool area for drinks. We held back to get a couple of portraits for a few moments. Once we all returned to the drinks reception, the bubbles poured, and Mariachi music created the perfect atmosphere. I felt very Italian!!!

Stunning Portraits And Group Photos At The Palazzo Belmonte

Wedding Photography At The Palazzo Belmonte

Dinner and speeches: The tables were beautifully decorated with classic Italian flair. Traditional Cilento blue and Amalfi lemon yellow tones and florals with twinkly lights created a wonderful soft glow. And, of course, it goes without saying that there had to be a miniature shot of the limoncello for the guests.

After dinner, it would not be an Italian wedding if there wasn’t a sparkler or two while the new Mr & Mrs O cut their wedding cake. Then, it was time to party. We all walked down to the pool terrace, where the band explored into song, and the bar was waiting to pour delicious Aprol spritz and G&T’s. Mr & Mrs O kicked off the dancing, and boy, what a night! The cake was scoffed, drinks flowed, and shoes were phones….yep, who knew that a shoe made the perfect phone replica!!! It was an incredible party atmosphere and so much fun to photograph. I love the dance floor so much. Everyone lets loose and has so much fun.

If you’ve come this far and want to see more, it’s another fantastic Italian wedding at Palazzo Belmonte. Meg and Joe had the time of their lives there, too!

A Photographers Perspective Shooting At The Palazzo Belmonte

Photography is inherently a documentary art; the camera itself is just a tool. Much like a chef with their instruments, one person can create a Michelin-starred dish while another may burn the toast! Essentially, I’m trying to say that experience and learning your craft enable you to see and decide when to press the shutter on the camera, which makes an excellent wedding photographer.

Light is undeniably the key to exposing a great image, and stunning light is abundant at the Palazzo. However, not all light is equal.
On the day, certain variables are often beyond the photographer’s control, such as the weather, which can impact the appearance of your photos. After the ceremony, it was a bright, sunny day; the primary challenge for the photographer was managing the extreme contrast between the harsh light and shadows. I tend to expose for the highlights, which means the subject is underexposed and has to be lifted in production; this creates a better-balanced image when finished, and the highlights are not blown out. However, on the day shooting for the highlights, if it is very bright, it has its challenges; the shadows are dark in the camera, so this means you can sometimes be shooting on instinct alone. This is something I have learned to trust over the last 10 years I have been shooting weddings, and it only comes with experience.

The Palazzo courtyard is fabulous. Its tall facades create shady areas regardless of the time of day, allowing for group shots, portraits, and candid moments to be photographed to perfection. There is an abundance of breathtaking backdrops as you point the camera. Rustic and decaying doorways, urns, and lanterns are scattered around, adding to the charm and creating exciting compositions. Many little nooks and crannies can make fantastic opportunities with harsher pockets of light, like the rustic stone staircase behind the courtyard; when I spotted the shapes, the light was dancing on the stairs, and I instantly knew I wanted to use it for Rosie & Killian. Italian wedding photography can be pretty hectic, with moments occurring in an instant. While I am in full on documentary photographer mode or capturing group images, I always watch for pockets of light to capitalise on to create something interesting.

The grounds are perfect and manicured to the inch of their lives. Walking around the Palazzo almost feels otherworldly. Tropical plants and the infamous Italian umbrella trees stand tall, imposing their grandeur on the Palazzo. The gardens are another perfect place for portraits or group images.

Now, the golden hour is when all the photographers get excited; it’s genuinely the creme la creme of light. It is the hour before sunset when the light is golden and softer and can wrap you both in a warm orange halo. I get so giddy if there is gorgeous magic light. Unfortunately, we didn’t see an excellent golden hour for Rossi and Killan’s day, as Mother Nature did not play ball and was a little cloudy. However, we did get a lovely warm hue, and the backdrop of the Italian buildings with warm orange tones made for stunning imagery, which made me equally as giddy. I would say I get a little childlike, like tasting ice cream for the first time. So, just before we headed up to the terrace for dinner, I whisked them off, and we grabbed a couple of portraits. This was a quick few minutes as Rosie & Kilian’s tribe stayed back before they made their incredible entrance for dinner. While everyone was seated, we took advantage of the light and took more group shots with their glasses on. I’m torn about which group of images I love the most. The Belmonte courtyard holds a special place in my heart, but the light and the buildings in the background for the less formal group photos by the pool bar are stunning. Plus, the gang gave me some great vibes with the customised sunglasses that Killian fought with earlier.

I had the most fantastic time at Rosie and Killian’s wedding; I would love to go back and shoot again at this incredible venue to capture more fantastic imagery. If you are looking to get married at the Palazzo Belmonte in Santa Maria, Italy, please look at the stunning imagery from Meg and Joe’s blog, and if you like what you see, please get in touch.