Malta and Sicily are neighbours. On the clearest days you can even see Etna from Malta, and the fast ferry from Pozzallo, forty minutes from our studio in Ragusa, reaches Valletta in about an hour and three quarters. Both islands are warm, historic and full of light, and couples planning a Mediterranean wedding often find themselves choosing between the two.
They are very different places, though. Malta is small, compact and English-speaking, with an easy legal process and a dense, honey-coloured beauty. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, almost a small country, with a landscape that changes from Baroque towns to an active volcano within a couple of hours.
This is an honest comparison from the Sicilian side of the channel: where Malta wins, where Sicily does, and how to decide.
- Malta
- Compact, English-speaking, easy logistics
- Sicily
- Vast, varied, more space and privacy
- Between them
- Fast ferry Pozzallo–Valletta, about 1 hour 45 minutes
- Best months
- May, June, September and October for both
The Landscape
Malta is a small archipelago: Malta itself, Gozo and tiny Comino. Its beauty is concentrated and architectural. Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a fortified Baroque city built by the Knights of St John; Mdina is a silent walled town on a hill; Gozo is greener and slower. Everything is close, and everything is built in the same golden limestone.
Sicily offers more variety than almost anywhere in Europe: the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto, the cliffs of Taormina, the vineyards and lava of Etna, Greek temples, salt pans in the west and beaches on three seas. The price is distance: you choose one corner of the island and build the wedding there.
Getting Married Legally
This is one of Malta's real advantages. Civil weddings for foreign couples are handled by the Public Registry, the official languages include English, and the process is clear: you submit the application no more than three months and at least six weeks before the date, and you meet the registrar a day or two before the wedding. Civil ceremonies can take place at the Marriage Registry or at an approved venue. Malta has also allowed same-sex marriage since 2017.
In Sicily a legal civil wedding is entirely possible, but it is celebrated in Italian with an interpreter, follows the rules of each comune and needs more documents and more time. Same-sex couples can form a civil union rather than a marriage. This is why many international couples marrying in Sicily sign the legal part at home and hold a symbolic ceremony here. Our guide to getting married in Sicily explains every option.
Rules change, and both countries have their own requirements for each nationality. Always confirm the current documents with the Public Registry in Malta or the comune in Sicily before you plan.
Venues and Space
Malta's venues are mostly hotels, palazzi, historic gardens and fortified buildings, many of them beautiful and very close to each other. Because the island is so densely built, true privacy and wide open landscapes are harder to find, and summer is busy everywhere.
Sicily has more room. Country estates and masserie can be taken exclusively for a whole weekend, Baroque palazzi host intimate dinners, and wine estates, castles and seaside resorts cover every style and size of wedding. For a large group that wants to stay together, or a couple who wants the landscape to themselves, Sicily usually has the edge. Compare some of them in our guides to the venues of Taormina and Ragusa.
Logistics for Guests
- Malta: one airport, short distances and English everywhere. Guests can be at the venue less than an hour after landing.
- Sicily: several airports (Catania, Palermo, Trapani and Comiso), so the right one depends on where you marry. Once you have chosen an area, transfers are simple; crossing the whole island is not.
- Both: guests from Australia and most of Canada connect through a European hub, while from the US Sicily also has direct flights from New York in the main season.
Season and Light
Both islands share the same calendar: May, June, September and October are ideal, July and August are hot and busy. Malta's summer is particularly crowded because the islands are so small. Sicily's size gives you more choice: the hills around Noto and the slopes of Etna stay cooler on summer evenings, and the season often lasts into late October. Our month-by-month guide goes into detail.
Which Island Is Right for You?
- Choose Malta if a simple legal wedding in English matters most, your group is small to medium, and you love the idea of a historic city wedding with short transfers.
- Choose Sicily if you want space, privacy and variety, a wedding weekend with everyone in one estate, and a landscape that feels discovered rather than familiar.
Some couples do both: a legal wedding in Malta and a celebration in Sicily, or the other way round, with the ferry in between. However you choose, choose the place where you will feel completely at home on the day. That is what makes the film.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it easier to get married legally in Malta or in Sicily?
Malta is usually simpler for foreign couples: civil weddings are handled by the Public Registry, English is an official language, and the application is submitted between three months and six weeks before the date. In Sicily a legal civil wedding is possible but is celebrated in Italian with an interpreter and needs more documents, so many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Sicily.
Can same-sex couples marry in Malta and in Sicily?
Malta has allowed same-sex marriage since 2017. Italy does not have same-sex marriage, but same-sex couples can form a legally recognised civil union in Sicily, or hold a symbolic ceremony after marrying at home.
How do you get from Sicily to Malta?
The fast ferry from Pozzallo, in the south-east of Sicily, reaches Valletta in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Schedules vary by season, so check the current timetable when you plan.
Which is better for a large wedding, Malta or Sicily?
Sicily usually offers more space, with country estates and masserie that can be booked exclusively for a whole weekend and host large groups with rooms on site. Malta's venues are beautiful but more compact, and the islands are busy in summer.
When is the best time for a wedding in Malta or Sicily?
May, June, September and October for both. July and August are hot and crowded, especially on the small Maltese islands; in Sicily the hills and the slopes of Etna stay cooler on summer evenings.
Official sources: Identità, Marriage Registry. Rules change: always confirm with them before you plan.
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