Beach Wedding Ideas for a Celebration in Puglia

In our previous blog, we mentioned some of the traditions that you may want to incorporate into your beach wedding here in Puglia. This time, we’ll be sharing some ideas for your spring or summer wedding by the sea to help you create a personalized, picture-perfect event at Coco Beach that utilizes all the amazing resources this gorgeous locale has to offer.

Dancing

Our CEO, Gianfranco Chiarappa, is always asked about the music options on location. Truth is, our couples are right to be inquiring because entertainment is everything. To kick off the party on the right foot and have it last all night long, we suggest having a live band, whether a local band from your hometown or we can recommend our partners. Each band is extremely talented, light-hearted and accommodating to our peoples. Give your guests the unexpected with a surprise traditional folk dance, known as “Pizzica” or “Tarantella”. This dance has been around for centuries and is one of the highlights of our local culture, originally from the town of Galatina in Salento. These dances are genuine crowd-pleasers that will get even the fussiest guests in the right mood and set the scene for dancing the night away at the Italian beach wedding you’ve always imagined.

Flowers

When you are having a wedding in such a beautiful location, we suggest embracing flowers native to the area. The Lily is the national flower of Italy and can be worked into your floral arrangements in many interesting and beautiful ways. Roses and Violets are also quite popular and can add some lovely pops of color to your palette. Different types of palm leaves could also be a great touch for spring and summer weddings to really get everyone in the mood for the season and location. Here at Coco Beach we’ve cultivated our palm trees with pride, and they offer a great backdrop against the neutral décor and furnishings, right from the entrance. Gianfranco fully imagined this place and wanted to transport guests over and again, just as he is each time he passes through the front entryway. Just a small note to chrysanthemums, however, as they are considered a flower of mourning in the country. 

Wedding Favors

Since you will be getting married in a country with some of the best cuisine in the world, you can’t go wrong with a wedding favor that consists of an edible treat that the area is known for, for your guests. This also continues to utilize local traditions for your big day, making it stand out from the crowd. The bonus is that you can guarantee wedding favors that consist of edible goods will not sit in a drawer gathering dust and often will even be used by your guests right away.

To do something totally Apulian, we suggest creating ‘confetti’ giveaways to thank for your guests, which, according to tradition, are candy-coated almonds placed in beautiful lace satchels with a note. Alternatively, you can choose biscotti or traditional taralli in a variety of flavors. You can create something that is totally unique to you and your culture and traditions. Another gift idea for Italian beach weddings is olive oil, especially if it is fresh and from a nearby olive grove. We can arrange to create individual favors and a note to all your guests.

Food

You’ll be hard-pressed to find better wedding food than at a reception by the sea in Italy. Be sure to incorporate as many fresh ingredients sourced near the location as possible. Especially good for a beach wedding in Italy is fresh fish: mussels, ricci, tarantello, octopus, cuttlefish, and shrimp are all easy to source and are of incredible quality in this part of the Mediterranean. Vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, lampascione, barratiere, and ‘Cimi di rape’ are abundant and sourced from countryside farmers. Many couples like to set up an Apulian style buffet with seafood banquets, vegetarian corners and even fresh burrata and mozzarella made ‘live’ during the feast. And of course, you can choose from a variety of handmade pasta: orchiette, troccoli, sagne, and capunti are perfect go-to choices. Be sure to have a range of options for your guests in order to accommodate an array of dietary and allergy requirements.

A Beach Wedding to Remember

By incorporating local dancing, flowers, favors, and food, your spring or summer Italian beach wedding is sure to stand out from the crowd and be one to remember for both you and your guests for years and years to come.

Want more information about Coco Beach?

Call us weekdays during working hours at +39.392.5440077 or email us to start planning your dream beach wedding in Puglia.