An extremely romantic wedding in one of the most exclusive private palaces in Venice: Palazzo Contarini Polignac

When it comes to private palaces, Venice is filled with historic gems mostly in Gothic and Renaissance style that are known for their extraordinary beauty, both inside and outside. As the canals of Venice has served the same purpose as streets since the foundation of the city, the façades of these enchanting palaces always face the water. Many of them are located on the Grand Canal, creating with the intricate stonework on their windows the characteristic atmosphere that makes Venice distinguish itself from all other cities in the world. Most of these palaces were once owned by noble families, who built them as a reflection of the Venetian taste and style in all its glory and excess. With their frescos, tapestries and stucco works, they are nowadays the perfect setting for an elegant and sumptuous wedding reception. In this article we will tell you the story of an extremely romantic wedding, that of Elena and Alvise, who decided to celebrate their love in one of the most exclusive private palaces in Venice: Palazzo Contarini Polignac.  

 

 

The most important day in Elena and Alvise’s life had finally come. They prepared separately at the charming hotel Excess Venice. The hair and make-up artist prepared Elena in her room. She was a bit nervous, but what bride isn’t on her wedding day? The video-maker and the photographer were also present and started capturing these precious moments preceding the wedding ceremony. Elena looked stunning, like a fairy tale princess. 

They headed in two different water taxis to the church of San Sebastiano, where about 100 guests were already waiting for the bride and the groom to arrive. Alvise arrived first and waited for Elena on the altar. You could easily tell the he was getting very emotional! When Elena entered the church, everybody was amused by her beauty. They got married in a simple yet memorable religious ceremony, surrounded by marvellous paintings. The Venetian church of San Sebastiano is indeed a monument to the art of Paolo Veronese, one of the greatest painters of the golden age of Venetian Renaissance painting. Veronese transformed the church into a brilliant demonstration of his art. He created a breath-taking fresco on the ceiling of the church that features historical narratives, iconic images, and inventive decorative motifs.

 Immersed in this sacred atmosphere Elena and Alvise exchanged their vows and swear eternal love to each other, a promise sealed with a kiss. From that moment on, they were officially husband and wife!

 

 

After a few photos outside the church, the whole group had a private taxi tour of the duration of 1 hour. We always suggest doing this activity, as it is a one-of-a-kind experience, that the bride and the groom together with their guests won’t ever forget! The tour took them first to San Giorgio Island, where it is possible to enjoy the most beautiful view of the St. Mark’s Basin and St. Mark’s Square. 

 

 

The tour then continued along the Grand Canal to reach in the end the location for the wedding reception: Palazzo Contarini Polignac. Here everything was ready to start celebrating. 

Built around the mid fifteenth century in a style that marks the turn from the gothic to the lombardesque Renaissance, this historical building is one of the biggest private palaces in Venice city centre. It’s just about 10 minutes away on foot from St. Mark’s Square! Covered with marble, its façade faces the Grand Canal and gives the building its particular beauty and prominence. Palazzo Contarini Polignac is developed in 3 levels: a ground floor and two “piani nobili”, the latter being enriched with stucco decorations as well as frescos of Giandomenico Tiepolo. The ground floor or “androne” has a central wide portal reachable directly by the canal that gives access to a big hall, where we organised the welcoming aperitif. The theme of the wedding was…Venice of course! According to the couple’s requests, we decorated this area of the palace with numerous golden lanterns, big plants in golden vases and drapes on the ceiling with a Venetian pattern. Beautiful flower arrangements on golden structures and golden lanterns adorned the waterfront entrance and its dock.

 

 

The predominant colours were petrol blue, powder pink, orange and white. By the sumptuous stairs that take to the first floor we placed the tableau, which showed the table arrangement as well as the tables’ names: the most famous waterbus stops in Venice. The wedding dinner took place on the first piano nobile (on the first floor), where the tables were enriched with white, powder pink and orange floral arrangements and taper candles on glass vases. 

On each plate we placed the personalised wedding menu, which of course matched the theme of the wedding. Here below the menu chosen by the bride and the groom for their wedding: 

Starters

Creamed cod with baked polenta

Scallop au gratin Venetian style with zucchini julienne

 

First course

Gò Risotto

 

Second course

Tuna steak on potatoes with veal sauce

 

Dessert

Lemon sorbet

Wedding Cake

 

Wines

Viognier

Le Palaie Gatta ci Cova

Le Palaie Bollicine

 

At the end of the dinner, after the cutting of the cake, Elena and Alvise together with the rest of the group moved again downstairs to the androne, where the bride and the groom gave the bonbonnieres to their guests. Then the celebrations went on in the patio adjacent to the androne and ended with the launch of the bouquet. 

It was a perfect day! A perfect beginning for a new life together as husband and wife. And by choosing Palazzo Contarini Polignac – this one-of-a-kind private palace – as the location for their wedding reception, Elena and Alvise made the best choice possible! Thanks to its unique beauty and elegance this location made their dream wedding come true.

Would you like to know more about this exclusive private palace in Venice? Contact us!

 

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Discover one of the most exclusive private palaces in Venice, Palazzo Contarini Polignac

Ph: Barbara Zanon

Video: Daniele Donati