Masserie, lavish appetizers, and panzerotti. That's why everyone wants to get married in Puglia

by Mariateresa Totaro

In 2023, Puglia was the most sought-after Italian region by foreigners who decided to tie the knot in Italy. It was a record year for the destination wedding sector, with a turnover of nearly €850 million. And the upcoming season already shows a positive sign. In addition to tourism, Puglia has become a confirmed destination for those who want to get married and are even willing to cross the ocean to do so here. It's worth remembering the 2014 wedding of the daughter of an Indian magnate who chose Savelletri (Fasano) for her nuptials. Total cost: over $10 million.

Foreigners choose Puglia for their weddings

The success of this region undoubtedly lies in its range of venues: farmhouses, ancient farmhouses, trulli, beaches, and reception halls. But there's another element that has especially captivated Americans, Britons, and Northern Europeans in general: the food. The typical dishes, simple ingredients, variety of offerings, and attention to detail make Puglian weddings unique. And if there's one indispensable request that unites all couples, it's the attention to the menu. As Giacomo Angelini, director of Le Palme Beach Club in Monopoli (Bari), explains: "When organizing a Puglian wedding, there's a big difference between foreigners and Italians. The former are more focused on details and the venue and less on the menu because they know perfectly well that the food is excellent here and they blindly trust our proposals. Italians are much more demanding when it comes to food and beverage. Foreigners almost always ask for simple dishes from our tradition, dishes that we would never include in the menu for our own wedding. Especially on the first courses, there's a huge difference: we usually demand an important seafood first course, while foreigners prefer vegetable dishes linked to the peasant tradition."

Winning Buffet

However, the element that unites all the parties is the appetizer buffet, which must be varied and abundant. "The appetizer is the calling card, it's the first and most important step. It must impress the guests and is indispensable, from North to South. Foreign couples, in particular, go crazy for the corners where food is cooked on the spot. Like the cheese corner. We are now used to its presence, but for an American or a German, seeing how mozzarella is prepared and eating it freshly made is a spectacle for the eyes and the palate."

Regarding the variety and type of dishes served in the appetizer buffet, each region has its traditions, but there are almost always elements like cold cuts and cheeses, fried foods, various finger foods, carpaccio, and hot dishes. In Puglia, the panzerotto or fritters corner cannot be missed, another attraction for foreigners. Not to mention the section dedicated to focaccia, friselle, pettole, tielle (like parmigiana or broad beans and chicory), as well as hanging caciocavallo cheese, grilled dishes, and all dairy products. To this, add tastings of olives and dried fruits, onion calzones, Altamura bread seasoned with simple olive oil, and much more. Essential, especially for Puglians, is the raw fish corner, which remains less requested by foreigners.

On the number of courses, the idea of a wedding as a feast is increasingly less present. Attention to containing waste and creating a celebration and not just "a meal" is gaining ground even in Southern parties: "Nowadays, the trend is to offer a menu with an appetizer buffet, a first course, a main course, and a fruit and dessert buffet. The second first course is becoming less requested, in favor of a richer appetizer that embraces everyone's tastes." And the prices? On average, they range from €150 to €200 per person.

Puglian weddings exported throughout Italy

The success of the "Puglian wedding" has made it a model to be exported. Nicola De Bartolo, a Bari-based entrepreneur at the helm of a catering company that organizes weddings (including very important ones) throughout Italy, knows this well: "For a few years now, we've launched the 'Puglia outside the region' project. In addition to the events we organize here, we offer the same service to those who cannot get married in Puglia but want to enjoy our food and experience our traditions. We have organized Puglian weddings throughout Italy, from Florence to Bologna, from Rome to Sorrento."

The menus are always different, with some common elements: traditional dishes. "The idea is to excite, even through food, and welcome guests with the warmth that our region offers. Foreigners, in particular," De Bartolo explains, "love Mediterranean cuisine, those dishes we call 'poor.' From abroad, there are increasingly more requests for vegetarian and vegan dishes, which find many proposals in peasant cuisine and Puglian land products." And desserts? "We also prepare desserts, where possible, in front of the guests, like cannoli or small stuffed krapfen, ice creams and granitas, and much more." Also inevitable are the almond sweets, which are given together with the wedding favor. But there's one dessert that's increasingly requested, to end on a sweet note: the Leccese pasticciotto in all its variations.