We have spent a whole summer in Malta a few years ago. And being the persons we are (travel and adventure addicts), we pretty much explored every corner of this small Mediterranean island. A few years later we turned our photography passion into a full-time job and we became wedding photographers. This article will be a comprehensive Malta elopement and wedding guide from someone who is not originally from Malta, but explored and experienced it thoroughly.
You’ll learn a lot about Malta wedding venues, what to think about when hiring a Malta wedding photographer, and finally, you’ll get the idea about how much Malta wedding packages cost. We sincerely believe that Malta is a great place to get married, from our perspective, mostly because of great outdoor places and beautiful historical places.
Let’s explore Malta together.
Also, check our comprehensive guides to elope in Croatia, Scotland, Slovenia, Ireland
Few words about us
Love and Ventures are Andrea and Mario, elopement photographer and videographer, working in Malta. With years of experience shooting elopements and intimate weddings in all kinds of landscapes, we decided to create this guide to serve you as a good starting point for planning your elopement in Malta.
Let the adventure begin!
‘Love and Ventures are amazing! They helped us pick through locations for our ceremony and accommodated us when we changed locations one week before the ceremony. They also helped us find a makeup artist and officiant. The photos and video they made are incredible, and the locations they picked for them were perfect! We loved working with them and appreciate all they did to memorialize our special day!’
– Ellie and Jared
About Malta
Malta is a rather small island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. In fact, it’s the island archipelago consisting of 3 larger islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Malta is located in between the island of Sicily and the northern African coast. The capital of Malta is Valletta, a place full of history and interesting culture. The total population of Malta is somewhere around 500 thousand people, which might not seem much, but considering how small the area is, Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Maltese people are very kind and hospitable.
Malta is also a very popular tourist destination because of its warm climate, beautiful nature, and warm sea. It’s also full of historical places that are perfect locations for Malta elopements. Three of these are under UNESCO protection. Malta’s culture is rich and diverse and the island was inhabited even in prehistoric times. Because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean, Malta was often ruled by different powers throughout history and all of them left a mark in Malta’s culture.
How to reach Malta?
Since Malta is an island, the best and easiest way to reach it is by airplane. There’s only one international airport on the island and it’s well connected with many different locations all across the Europe and world. Our best advice for visit to any foreign country is to rent a car as soon as you land. renting a car in Malta is also a good option, but since the island is not so large and public transport connects most of the island locations, it’s possible to travel across the island by bus. Also, you drive a car on the left side in Malta and traffic is pretty dense.
Another way to reach Malta is by ferry from Sicily, which is a bit slower and less convenient way to get to this island archipelago.
Why should you elope in Malta?
Things we like the most about Malta are people, nature, and historical heritage. Malta is truly a unique cultural blend and something you won’t see anywhere else in whole Europe. Being in the middle of the Mediterranean sea and close to both the European and African coasts, Maltese culture is a mixture of different influences. Nature is another reason why we believe you should get married in Malta. The island archipelago is packed with jaw-dropping locations – high cliffs, sandy beaches, caves…
Find out more: What is elopement and how to elope
Also, with Malta being rather a small country, you can explore all the best places very quickly which is a great thing. We believe you will fall in love with this unique country, just like we did. Another great thing about Malta elopement wedding is the smaller cost of such event compared with some other, especially Western, European countries.
Nature of Malta
The nature of Malta is one of the main reasons why we consider it to be a great place for elopement weddings. Malta has a rather dry climate so there is not much vegetation on the island archipelago. Everything is in orange tones and it seems like you have come to some desert country. And it somehow looks so good. All the rocks have this orange hue, Maltese architecture is in the same tone since they use that rock to build and it really looks great.
The Malta coastline is surrounded by cliffs, especially southern and western parts of the island. These cliffs are pretty high and resemble the Cliffs of Moher, a famous Ireland attraction. The main difference is that Malta cliffs have a more desert look with almost no green grass on them.
Malta’s archipelago is full of beaches, mostly sandy ones. One of the most famous and most visited beaches is Blue Lagoon on Comino island. One of the most famous landmarks of Malta was the Azure window for a long time, but unfortunately, it collapsed into the sea not so long ago.
Here is our list of best places to elope in Europe
Best time of the year for Malta elopement wedding
Like in most European countries, Malta is most visited during the summer months. It’s also the time when there are many airplane flights available, all of the tourist vendors are open and there are many things to do on the archipelago. Summers on Malta are very dry and hot. During our 3 month stay in Malta, it was raining for only one day, and it really wasn’t something we would even call rain. The air in Malta is very humid and it makes the heat a bit harder because you sweat a lot.
If you are interested in a Malta elopement wedding, we would suggest choosing a preseason or postseason months such as April, May, September, and October. The weather in these periods is also warm and dry and Malta is less crowded. If you plan to elope in Malta during the summer, then sunrise and sunset are the best periods to do so.
Love and Ventures and Malta: Our story
We visited Malta a few years ago, as a part of an international project. We spent a total of 3 months on the Malta archipelago and pretty much explored every corner of it. We spent every free moment traveling from one location to other. We walked for miles to reach some of the remote locations on the islands.
It was just after we visited Malta that we started to do wedding photography. We often travel across Europe and many of its landscapes and we believe Malta to be a great place for elopement weddings. We fell in love with every single aspect of Malta, people, culture, nature, and architecture.
We consider Malta to be a perfect blend of sea and the land oasis in the middle of it and we can’t wait to get back to its embrace.
Traditional wedding vs elopement wedding on Malta
Malta is great for both traditional weddings and elopements. When it comes to traditional weddings, these are usually larger so not all of the locations are available for them. Elopements usually include only couples and there are almost no boundaries when it comes to planning and organizing an elopement in Malta.
Another difference between traditional weddings and elopement in Malta is the cost of such events. Elopements are usually much easier to organize and their costs are usually significantly smaller. More about that topic later.
We are both wedding and elopement photographers and we always encourage people to think about what they want their wedding to look like and choose the venue and wedding type according to their wishes.
Malta elopement wedding package cost
One of the most important aspects of every wedding and elopement is the cost of it. Many of the couples immediately skip to this section so if that’s the case with you too – welcome and don’t forget to read the rest of the article about Malta elopement.
When it comes to a wedding, you can expect a small Malta wedding (max 20 persons) to cost in a range of 8000 to 10000 Euros. For a wedding of around 50 persons included, you will pay somewhere from 20000 to 30000 Euros. Larger weddings go for 40000+ Euros.
If you are considering eloping in Malta, the costs of such an event are much smaller and you can expect to pay from 3000 to 4000 Euros, depending on the venue and vendors you want to include in your wedding. The cost could be even smaller if you choose to plan and organize your wedding without the help of a wedding planner.
These price ranges are approximate and largely depend on your desires. But still, wedding in Malta is still much cheaper than in some other European countries.
Please note that the estimated prices shown in this article may not reflect current prices at the moment, as the market is volatile and prices are constantly rising.
Malta wedding planner: why we suggest you hire one?
If you are coming from abroad and plan to organize your Malta elopement wedding by yourself, know that it’s completely possible, but it will require a lot of nerves and time. Depending on the kind of elopement or wedding you wish to have. A wedding planner is a person who will help you in every stage of your wedding in Malta and we strongly suggest you hire their services since they will make your elopement or wedding stressless and carefree. Finally, you want to be focused on the important things on your wedding day.
Basically, the larger the wedding you plan to have in Malta, the more you need the services of a wedding planner. Planning and organizing weddings are hard even if you are a local, and especially hard if you are trying to do it from another country. Malta wedding planner knows all the possible locations, trustworthy vendors and it’s their job to make your Malta elopement wedding a perfect event.
Malta wedding venues: small island with many breathtaking locations
Finally, we come to our favorite part, and that’s Malta wedding venues. We were thinking a lot about making this list smaller, but it’s hard. We made shorter lists for some larger countries. Of course, there are many more beautiful places in every country, Malta included, and we always try to think about the location from our perspective.
You want your Malta elopement wedding location to be something you would like, a place where you would like to elope. Each couple is different, some couples like to get married by the sea, and some on the mountains. Google map is a great tool for searching for possible locations too so make sure you explore further. Wedding planners are also people who can help you choose the best wedding location in each country.
Valletta old city and fort
Valletta is the capital of Malta and the smallest capital city in Europe. It’s a city with beautiful architecture engulfed by the old city walls. The whole city is under the protection of UNESCO. We loved to explore Valletta during our time in Malta and we especially loved the narrow streets and their characteristic differently colored balconies. The fort that is on the sea entrance to the city is also a great place with a stunning view of the sea and Valletta rooftops.
Being the capital of Malta, Valletta is also full of visitors and most of the Malta population lives on the part of the island where Valletta is located.
Mdina
Mdina is one of the major attractions of Malta when it comes to historical places. It’s a city that’s built almost in the middle of Malta island. A long time ago, Mdina was the capital of Malta, in the periods before Valletta was built. The city is also on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. Mdina is surrounded by walls and it’s absolutely gorgeous place for Malta elopement if you are a lover of history and culture.
Dingli cliffs
Dingli cliffs are located on the southwestern part of the island and we often went there to watch a sunset during our visit to Malta. The view toward the open sea on one side, and the whole of Malta on the other is a perfect combination for Malta elopement. The cliffs are pretty high and somewhat resemble the famous Cliffs of Moher, a famous attraction of Ireland. The main difference is the orange color of Dingli cliffs and all the other cliffs in Malta.
Ghar lapsi tower
Ghar lapsi is an old Medieval tower located near the Dingli Cliffs. It’s a great-looking tower embedded in the Malta landscape and it makes a perfect destination if you want to elope in Malta. The sunset period is the best time of the day for an elopement at Ghar lapsi tower.
Hagar Qim Temples
Hagar Qim is the megalithic complex of temples that date almost to 4000 years BC. It’s one of the most ancient religious sites in the world and it’s also under UNESCO protection. Hagar Qim is located in the southern part of Malta island, close to the Dingli cliffs and Ghar lapsi tower.
The coastline beneath Hagar Qim temples is also beautiful and easily accessible. The small island of Filfla is located just the opposite of Hagar Qim temples and it was a sacred place for people who built the temples. Filfla would make a great Malta elopement location but unfortunately, it’s forbidden to visit it without special permission.
Blue Grotto
Blue Grotto is a cave system on the coastline of southeastern Malta and it’s not so far from a location mentioned in the 3 previous sections. It’s one of the most visited places on Malta island and many boats visit the cave each day. It’s also a great location if you want to elope in Malta, but we suggest you do your ceremony early in the morning to avoid crowds.
St. Peter’s Pool
St. Peter’s pool is a great coastline location for Malta elopement. It’s easily accessible by car and it’s perfect for elopements near the sea. St. Peter’s pool is a small bay with a peculiar rock formation that attracts many tourists each day. We suggest planning your elopement here early in the morning if you are visiting Malta during the season period since this place can be full of swimmers. Our best tip on what to do after the St. Peter’s pool elopement is to jump in the sea by holding your hands.
Victoria lines
Victoria lines is a fortified wall that was built in the 19th century by British soldiers to prevent the enemy from reaching the southern part of the island. These walls and fortifications are a small version of the Great Wall of China and their total length is 12 kilometers.
Comino island
Comino is a small island between Malta and Gozo. It’s also very famous and visited, especially because of the Blue Lagoon which is one of the most visited natural attractions of Malta. A good thing about Comino is the fact that it’s not inhabited which makes it perfect for elopements and small weddings.
Gozo island wedding and elopement venues
Gozo is the second-largest island in the Malta archipelago and it’s full of great wedding and elopement venues. Although it’s part of the Malta republic, the vibe and nature of Gozo island are a bit different. We went to Gozo island a few times during our visit to Malta and we explored some of its most famous locations. The most popular way to reach Gozo is by ferry from Malta town of Cirkewwa.
For a long time, the main attraction of Gozo island was the Azure window which, unfortunately, collapsed into the sea a few years ago.
Sanap cliffs
Sanap cliffs are similar to Dingli cliffs on Malta. They also resemble the Cliffs of Moher with the only difference being the color and the surrounding landscape. The sunsets from Sanap cliffs are adorable and we suggest a sunset time as the best part of the day for Gozo elopement on Sanap cliffs.
Ramla beach
Ramla beach is located in the northern part of Gozo island. The main thing that differentiates this beach from others on Malta is the color of its sand which has a peculiar gold and reddish hue. There’s a cave located near the Ramla beach and it’s considered to be a Calypso cave where nymph Calypso held Ulysses for 7 years.
Victoria citadel (Rabat)
Victoria citadel is located in the capital of Gozo which is known as Victoria but many Maltese people call it Rabat as well. The city of Victoria is located in the center of Gozo island and the citadel is the largest standing structure inside of it. The view from the citadel is amazing and which makes it perfect for Malta elopement ceremonies.
Malta wedding photographer
If you want us to be your Malta wedding photographer and videographer, you can contact us through the form below this paragraph and we’ll send you the prices of our Malta wedding packages. Explore our website to learn more about us and our photography style and let us know in the contact form below if you have any additional questions regarding Malta weddings and elopements.
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