tl;dr: The staff at Castelbrando are very experienced and easy to work with. They definitely went above and beyond to make our destination wedding so, so special.

Castelbrando was the only venue that my now-husband and I visited - it was suggested by his family who live locally in Italy (we are currently located in California). Then the pandemic hit and we simply didn't have an opportunity to see other venues... That being said, we couldn't be happier with our decision!

Location: Location was slightly tricky since Castelbrando isn't located in a major city. There's a train station nearby, but you would still need a ride from there to and from the castle. Everyone was able to arrive and leave here no problem though.

Pre-wedding planner: Before finding a planner, we were able to make the arrangements with Brunella in Banquets. We chose on-site locations for the ceremony, aperitifs/cocktail hour, reception, and after party. Most of our contact was via email, which was preferable due to the time difference. She mentioned the hotel has wedding planners to recommend since we didn't have any, but we decided to find one on our own - she (the planner) then took over most of the contact with Brunella and Castelbrando via email and phone.

Wedding suite: We booked Alcova del Conte for a few days, which was an amazing suite if it's an option for you. It was so gorgeous and spacious with lots of nooks/private areas, a separate closet (perfect for hiding my wedding gown from the groom), a split bathroom, and more, all of which made is perfect for a bunch of bridesmaids to get ready on the day of the wedding.

Ceremony, San Martino church: A deconsecrated Roman Catholic church which was somewhat small, but still beautiful and perfect for our non-religious ceremony. As the bride, I waited in the lounge (near Reception) until it was time, then walked up the central stairway to enter the church. There weren't quite enough seats for everyone inside the church, but there was a side room that we decided not to use, and the unseated guests had plenty of space to stand at the back.

Aperitifs / cocktail hour, courtyard: After the ceremony was cocktail hour in the courtyard right outside the church. Lots of beautiful views surrounding the castle. There were plenty of tables and chairs around, and the setup for the musicians, the bar, and all the food was perfect with the food spread out across different tables so there was never a long wait.

Reception, Sansovino Theatre: Another beautiful space in Castelbrando! Very medieval castle-looking, which I love. We had