La Dolce Escape: Wandering Through Italy

Destination WeddingsItalian Wedding
Written By Reagan Kerr

There’s something about Italy that teaches you to slow down. Maybe it’s the way sunlight folds across a terracotta rooftop in Umbria, or how a mid-morning espresso in a quiet piazza feels like a ritual, not a routine. For those craving something more meaningful than a checklist of sights, Italy is a masterclass in presence.

A Different Kind of Indulgence

Forget five-star lobbies and velvet ropes—the true Italian experience lives in the in-between. It’s a long lunch under a canopy of vines in Puglia, where the Fiano is served cold and the breeze carries whispers of salt from the sea. It’s the handwritten menu in a tiny trattoria in Bologna where the chef might wander over to explain what’s not written down. It’s staying long enough in one place to be recognized by the baker.

The beauty of Italy isn’t just in what you see—it’s in how you feel as you move through it. Time expands. Expectations soften. Suddenly, what was urgent no longer is.

Elegant dinner scene viewed through an ornate villa doorway, with chandeliers overhead and waitstaff serving guests seated at an outdoor table framed by manicured gardens.
Aerial view of a grand Italian villa on the shores of Lake Como, surrounded by lush gardens and a hillside village nestled among green mountains.
Overhead view of a vintage wooden speedboat gliding across the turquoise waters of Lake Como, with two people lounging on the deck under the sun.

Coastal Calm and Countryside Rituals

Along the Amalfi Coast, you’ll find glamour woven into every inch of the cliffside. But beyond the postcard views, it’s the rhythm of local life that endures. Lemon groves draped over terraces. Grandmothers pressing herbs into dough. The unhurried clink of dishes being cleared as another sunset begins.

In Tuscany, the countryside hums with a different tempo. Days begin with fog lifting off vineyard rows and end with candlelight dancing across rough-hewn tables. You don’t need an itinerary here. Just curiosity and a willingness to be still.

Venice Without the Rush

Arrive early or stay late—that’s the secret. The real Venice lives in the early morning when the canals are empty and shopkeepers greet each other by name. It lives in the silence of a side street, just off the Grand Canal, where laundry flutters like prayer flags and nothing is for show.

Venice rewards the wanderer. Get lost. Follow the sound of a violin echoing off stone. Sit on church steps and watch the lagoon change color. The magic of the city isn’t just its architecture, it’s the way it changes you if you let it.

An Invitation to Be Still

A dreamy Italian getaway doesn’t demand movement. It asks for immersion. To watch, to listen, to taste—and to let go of trying to control the moment. Whether it’s a week on Lake Como or a quiet stay in a converted farmhouse in Le Marche, Italy invites you to belong, not just visit.

It’s not just about where you go. It’s about how you go.

Winding dirt road lined with tall cypress trees in the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany, with rolling hills glowing in the soft afternoon light.
Sunlight spilling through French doors at the end of a frescoed hallway in an Italian villa, with classic wooden chairs and a countryside view beyond.

Want more behind-the-scenes stories, trends, and inspiration?

Reagan Kerr
Next

Why True Elegance Comes from How You Make People Feel