The Amalfi Coast
Elena Marchetti & Marco Bellini
September 12 & 13, 2026 · Ravello, Italy
“They could have done this anywhere. They chose here.”
Why we chose
this place.
Ravello sits 365 metres above the sea on a ridge between two valleys, looking out over the Tyrrhenian like it has been doing since the 11th century. It is not a place that announces itself. You arrive by a road that seems determined to discourage you, and then the town opens up — and you understand immediately why Wagner composed here, why Virginia Woolf wrote here, why Gore Vidal never left.
We found it on a September evening three years ago. We had planned to stay two nights. We stayed a week. The light does something to time here — it slows it, makes it feel like the kind of afternoon that has no obligation to end.
There is a garden at Villa Cimbrone that ends at a terrace called the Terrace of Infinity. You stand at the stone balustrade and the Tyrrhenian fills your entire field of vision. We got engaged there. We are getting married there. We wanted the people we love most to stand in that same light.
“The Terrace of Infinity looks out over a sea that has no visible boundary. On a clear September morning, the sky and water negotiate the horizon between them.”
— Elena, on first seeing Ravello
The Light
September light on the Amalfi Coast doesn't illuminate — it collaborates. It bounces off limestone walls and turns the sea into hammered silver by noon, liquid gold by five.
The Scent
Lemon groves run down the cliffs like staircases. The air carries brine from the Tyrrhenian, jasmine from the terraces, and the particular warmth of sun-baked terracotta.
The Sound
Church bells from Ravello's Duomo roll across the valley at dusk. Below, fishing boats still leave before dawn. The town itself is quiet in the way only ancient places can be.
The Feel
The Tyrrhenian is warm enough to swim through October, clear enough to see twenty feet down. The stone streets are cool underfoot even in summer heat.
Getting to
the Amalfi Coast.
This is not a complicated journey — but it is a remarkable one. Here is everything you need, delivered with the warmth it deserves.
Download Full Travel Guide (PDF)INT. DEPARTURE — YOUR CITY
Getting There
From North America
Direct flights to Naples (NAP) from New York JFK on Neos and ITA Airways — roughly 9.5 hours. From Los Angeles, connect through Rome FCO. Naples is your gateway. Budget: $900–1,400 return. Book by July 1 for best fares.
From the UK & Europe
easyJet and Ryanair fly Naples from London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. Journey under 3 hours. Trains from Rome Centrale to Naples Centrale run every 30 minutes — 1 hour 10 minutes, €30.
The Last Leg
From Naples, a SITA bus climbs the coast road to Amalfi (€2.80, 1.5 hours) — the most cinematic bus ride in southern Italy. Or share a private transfer (we've arranged group rates — see the travel guide PDF). The drive is an event in itself.
EXT. RAVELLO — NIGHT
Where to Stay
Belmond Hotel Caruso — Our Venue
Perched on a 900-year-old palazzo. Room block reserved at €320–480/night. Ask for a valley-facing room. Reserve using code BELLINI26 by June 15. This is where the magic lives.
Villa Amore — Intimate Alternative
Family-run, 12 rooms, breathtaking terrace. €120–180/night. A 4-minute walk from the ceremony. The owners will know you're with us — mention the wedding. Breakfast is extraordinary.
Palazzo della Marra — Historic Rooms
Restored 18th-century palazzo in Ravello's centro storico. €160–240/night. Frescoed ceilings, stone floors, the smell of old books. Ideal if you're staying the full week.
EXT. COASTAL ROAD — DAY
Getting Around
Ravello Is Walkable
The town is small and mostly pedestrian. The ceremony and reception are both within 8 minutes' walk of all recommended hotels. Wear shoes you can walk in on cobblestones.
Ferries & Buses
SITA buses connect Ravello to Amalfi, Positano, and Sorrento. Ferries run from Amalfi to Positano, Capri, and Salerno (April–October). A day-trip to Capri takes 45 minutes.
Private Drivers
We've arranged a shared shuttle service for the weekend. Pickup/dropoff from Naples Airport on Friday and Sunday. Details in the travel guide. For private transfers, contact Gennaro at +39 089 857 244.
“The drive itself is worth the flight.”
The weekend,
scene by scene.
Two days. Six scenes. A coast that has been staging events like this for a thousand years.
EXT. RAVELLO — LATE AFTERNOON
Arrivals & the First Aperitivo
Friday, September 11 · 18:00 — 20:00
The welcome begins informally. Arrive at the Caruso terrace as the afternoon light turns amber. Limoncello spritz, local olives, the sound of the sea 300 metres below. No agenda. Just the beginning of the weekend.
INT. RISTORANTE CUMPA COSIMO — NIGHT
The Rehearsal Dinner
Friday, September 11 · 20:30 — 23:30
A family-run restaurant that has been feeding Ravello since 1929. Long tables, house wine, pasta made this morning. This is the dinner where the toasts are honest and the stories get long. Netta Bottone, who has run the kitchen for 40 years, will cook for us specifically.
EXT. VILLA CIMBRONE — TERRACE OF INFINITY
The Ceremony
Saturday, September 12 · 17:00 — 17:45
The ceremony takes place at the edge of the world. The Terrace of Infinity looks out over 180° of open sea. Chairs face west. The sun will be behind the couple. The light will be the colour of the limestone. This is the moment we have been building toward.
EXT. VILLA CIMBRONE GARDENS — DUSK
Cocktail Hour in the Gardens
Saturday, September 12 · 18:00 — 19:30
The villa's gardens are among the most beautiful in Italy — planted over centuries, layered with roses, jasmine, and stone statuary. Champagne and cicchetti as the light fades. A string quartet plays somewhere in the hedgerows.
INT. BELMOND HOTEL CARUSO — NIGHT
The Wedding Reception
Saturday, September 12 · 20:00 — 01:00
Dinner under the stars in the Caruso's restored palazzo courtyard. Seven courses, paired wines from Campania and Basilicata. A band that plays until the last person sits down. Dancing on a terrace that has been dancing since the 11th century.
EXT. VILLA RUFOLO — MORNING
The Morning After
Sunday, September 13 · 10:00 — 13:00
A relaxed farewell breakfast in the gardens of Villa Rufolo — the garden that inspired Wagner's Parsifal. Coffee, pastries, the sea. No schedule. Stay as long as you like. This is the morning that makes you wish you'd booked another week.
Confirm your place
on the journey.
Please respond by July 15, 2026. We need to know you’re coming so we can save you a seat at the edge of the world.