A Roman train platform at dusk. Guests in evening attire, glasses clinking, a whistle. Then Italy rolling past: Tuscan cypresses, Montalcino vineyards, the Venice lagoon, the Gulf of Portofino. Since 2025, the Orient Express legend has returned to Italian rails with La Dolce Vita, a luxury train that can be fully chartered for a wedding. Here is everything you need to know to celebrate yours.
In brief
- The train: La Dolce Vita Orient Express, in service in Italy since April 2025.
- On board: twelve carriages, thirty-one cabins and suites, up to 62 guests, and cuisine crafted by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.
- For a wedding: exclusive hire of the entire train, or a few carriages for a more intimate circle.
- Where: Rome, Tuscany, Venice, Portofino, Puglia, Matera, Sicily, depending on the itineraries.
- Recommended lead time: twelve to eighteen months.
The return of a legend
Few names evoke as much wonder as Orient Express. It brings to mind overnight journeys, sleeper cars, and hushed lounges where one dressed for dinner. More than a century after the first trains, the House is reborn. Its first train, La Dolce Vita, departed from Rome Ostiense station for the first time in spring 2025, crowning Italy as the land of its rebirth. The name was not chosen by chance. It pays homage to 1960s Italy, to Cinecittà, to the Riviera, and to a carefree elegance. The train does not seek to replicate the past, but to recapture its spirit.
A cinematic backdrop
The interior was envisioned by the Milanese studio Dimorestudio, drawing upon Italian design from the 1950s to the 1970s: lacquered woodwork, deep-hued velvets, geometric motifs, brass, and sculptural lighting fixtures. Each carriage feels like a Fellini film set. For a wedding, this setting is an immense asset. There is nothing to transform, only to elevate. Subtle floral scenography, stationery inspired by 1960s posters, lighting thoughtfully designed for the evening, and the train becomes the most exquisite reception lounge.
Heinz Beck's table
Onboard gastronomy is entrusted to Heinz Beck, chef of La Pergola in Rome, one of Italy’s most acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurants. His menus follow the seasons and the regions traversed: Italian cuisine of exceptional finesse, served in the dining cars to the rhythm of the passing landscape. For a wedding dinner, it is an experience no other venue can offer: a three-Michelin-starred table in motion, with Italy as its backdrop. The menu is crafted alongside the train's team, tailored to your tastes and your guests' dietary requirements, while the food and wine pairing showcases the finest Italian vintages.
What can be exclusively hired
Orient Express officially offers to make the train “the stage for life’s most extraordinary moments,” including weddings, honeymoons, and anniversaries.
- The entire train. La Dolce Vita can be privatized in its entirety. This is the most exclusive option: twelve carriages, the crew, the chef’s brigade, and an itinerary tailored for your wedding. The train welcomes up to 62 guests across its thirty-one cabins and suites.
- A few carriages. For a more intimate circle, it is possible to reserve a section of the train: a discreet wedding, an elopement surrounded by a few loved ones, or a honeymoon.
- The Rome station lounge. The La Dolce Vita Lounge, at Rome Ostiense station, can also be exclusively hired for a reception, a cocktail party, or an evening gathering prior to departure. It is an ideal venue to welcome guests before the first whistle.
The wedding that traverses Italy
A wedding aboard a train is not experienced in a single evening. It is lived as a journey of two or three days, each stop becoming a chapter.
- First evening: Rome. Guests gather at the Ostiense Station lounge for a welcome cocktail. The train departs at sunset. First dinner on board, first reunions.
- Day two: Tuscany. A stop at the foot of the hills. A ceremony on a wine estate near Montalcino or Siena, amid the vines and cypresses. Return to the train for a wedding dinner crafted by Heinz Beck, followed by the party in the bar car.
- Day Three: Venice or Portofino. Arrival on the lagoon, lunch in a Venetian palace or a villa on the gulf, a farewell brunch. Guests depart with the memory of a wedding they could never have imagined.
The finest itineraries for a wedding
The itineraries of La Dolce Vita change with the seasons. They trace as many possible weddings.
- Rome, Tuscany, and Venice. The hills of Montalcino, the grand Brunello estates, the lagoon: the ultimate classic, of timeless beauty.
- Rome and Portofino. From the Eternal City to the Italian Riviera, for a celebration by the sea, just a few hours from the Côte d'Azur.
- The South: Matera, Puglia, and Sicily. Cities of stone, white masserias, the Ionian Sea: a rarer wedding, between sun and history.
- Themed escapes. Truffles, vineyards, golf, the Palio of Siena: the train offers thematic journeys that can inspire the guiding thread of a wedding.
From the train to the sea: the grand Orient Express journey
Orient Express has envisioned "grand tours" that combine the La Dolce Vita train, its hotels in Rome and Venice, and its sailing yacht, the Orient Express Corinthian. One of them links Venice to the French Riviera via Siena, Rome, and Portofino, leading all the way to Cannes. For a wedding, the concept is breathtaking: a welcome dinner in Venice, a ceremony in Tuscany, a train journey to the sea, and then a celebration aboard the world's largest sailing yacht, set against the backdrop of the Riviera. A multi-day wedding, from the lagoon to the Mediterranean, entirely bearing the signature of a single Maison.
And tomorrow: the Orient Express train
Orient Express is also preparing the return of its historic train. Seventeen carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, rediscovered and restored, are set to return to the rails starting in 2027, traveling from Paris to Central Europe and Istanbul. A dreamlike new backdrop for upcoming celebrations, which we are following closely.
How many guests?
The train welcomes up to 62 guests across its cabins and suites. It is the perfect scale for an exceptional wedding, where every guest counts. For a larger celebration, additional guests can join at a stop along the way: the ceremony at an estate, or the final party in Venice or Portofino, with hotel accommodations.
Our role
The train provides the backdrop, the table, and the service. We curate everything else, in tandem with its teams.
- Artistic direction: floral design, stationery, lighting, the guiding thread of the journey.
- The ceremony: the finalized choice of estate or villa, the officiant, the music, Plan B.
- The stages: privatized venues at each stop, transfers between the station and the venues, authorizations.
- The guests: flights to Rome or Venice, hotels before and after the journey, suggested attire, a personal welcome for each.
- The artists: musicians, singers, DJs, tailored to the train’s spaces.
- The imagery: a photographer and a videographer accustomed to working in tight spaces and on the move.
- Confidentiality: non-disclosure agreements, photography guidelines, absolute discretion.
What you need to know before taking the plunge
- Civil wedding: a ceremony aboard the train or during a stop is most often symbolic. The civil marriage is celebrated beforehand, in your home country, or in Italy depending on the required formalities.
- The date: it depends on the train’s schedule and its exclusive hire periods. High season runs from spring to autumn.
- The spaces: a train is a narrow space in motion. Major moments (ceremony, final celebration) are often planned on land, and dinners on board.
- Luggage: cabin storage is limited. We arrange the transport of trunks and evening attire.
- Budget: A train wedding is envisioned as a multi-day journey for all guests. We establish a detailed estimate from our very first exchange.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can the La Dolce Vita Orient Express train be privatized for a wedding? Yes. Orient Express offers the privatization of the entire train, or part of the train, for weddings and private celebrations.
- How many guests can the train accommodate? Up to 62 guests, across thirty-one cabins and suites.
- Who crafts the cuisine on board? Chef Heinz Beck, chef of La Pergola in Rome, three stars in the Michelin Guide.
- Where does the train depart from? Most journeys depart from Rome Ostiense station, where the La Dolce Vita lounge can also be privatised for a reception.
- Can you combine the train and the Orient Express Corinthian sailing yacht? Yes. Orient Express offers journeys that pair the train, its hotels, and its sailing yacht, notably from Venice to the Côte d'Azur.
- Can one legally marry on board a train? The ceremony, whether held on board or during a stop, is most often symbolic. The civil marriage is celebrated beforehand.
- How far in advance should a wedding aboard a train be planned? Allow twelve to eighteen months, as privatization dates are rare.
Italy, like a film
A wedding aboard La Dolce Vita feels like a movie experienced from within: landscapes drifting by, beloved faces around a table, music that never stops. Guests will not merely recount a wedding. They will tell the story of a journey. And perhaps that is the true dolce vita. With all my elegance, Sandrine Arnould — Founder, Luxury Events Agency