The Janiculum · Rome
Indian wedding makeup at Villa Aurelia
A cardinal’s villa on the Janiculum, gardens of lemon trees and a panorama of domes. Villa Aurelia is an intimate, very Roman setting.
Please read first
India-based artists, flying to Villa Aurelia for your wedding.
This is an India-based team: Tejaswini and her artists live and work in Pune and travel out for each booking. For Italy the team lands early, so nobody is rushed on the first morning.
The client covers the team’s airfare, Schengen visa fees and hotel rooms; these are quoted at cost, apart from the artist fee.
- Based inBaner, Pune
- TravelsAcross Europe
- Flights & visasClient pays
- Stay & transfersPaid at actual cost
The venue at a glance
What Villa Aurelia offers an Indian wedding.
A planning summary from public information about the property. Your planner confirms spaces, capacities and permissions for each function.
- Location
- The Janiculum hill, above Trastevere
- Built
- 17th century, for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese
- Owned by
- The American Academy in Rome
- Use
- Private events by arrangement; no hotel rooms
- Setting
- Formal gardens and terraces with city views
- Best for
- Intimate weddings and elegant dinners
A little history
A cardinal’s villa on Rome’s most romantic hill.
Villa Aurelia was built in the 17th century for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese on the Janiculum, just inside the old city walls. It saw fighting in 1849 during the defence of the Roman Republic, was restored, and was left to the American Academy in Rome in the early 20th century.
Today it is used for the Academy’s own events and hired out for private celebrations. Its gardens and terraces look across to the domes and bell towers of the historic centre.
It suits an intimate wedding or a refined dinner more than a 500-guest reception. For makeup, the getting-ready happens at a hotel and we keep a private room at the villa for touch-ups.
Function by function
Matching each look to a Villa Aurelia setting.
Mehendi in the villa gardens
Daylight filtered through a courtyard or garden. Fresh skin, a sheer tint and hair kept off the face for the mehendi artists.
Sangeet in the villa salons
Frescoes, gilt and stage lighting. Deeper eyes, a stronger contour and a base that stays matte under hours of dancing.
Pheras at a garden terrace with city views
Roman sun is strong even in autumn. Classic bridal red, a satin-to-matte finish that keeps detail, and a shade plan for the mandap.
Reception in a candle-lit garden dinner
Crystal light and constant flash. Lower shine, defined lashes and a highlight that reads as glow, not glare.
The wedding day
A typical Villa Aurelia wedding day.
- 07:30
Team sets up in the bride’s hotel suite
We ask for a room with good window light and a second room close by for family makeup, so the bride’s room stays calm.
- 09:00
Mothers and family first
Family looks run in parallel with the bridal skin prep, timed so nobody waits in the corridor.
- 11:00
Bride’s skin prep and base
Hydration, primer and a base built for garden daylight and candle-lit evenings.
- 13:00
Hair, eyes, jewellery and draping
Maang tikka, nath and dupatta set with the outfit on, checked from every angle the photographer will use.
- 14:30
Portraits in the gardens with the domes behind
First photographs while the makeup is at its freshest, before the busiest part of the day.
- 16:00
Baraat and pheras at a garden terrace with city views
One artist stays near the mandap with a touch-up kit: blotting papers, powder, lip and spare pins.
- 19:30
Change for the reception
New lip, refreshed eyes and a second hairstyle if planned; allow 60–75 minutes.
Specific to this venue
Villa Aurelia details we plan around.
Worth doing
- Choose a hotel in Trastevere or the centre to keep the drive short
- Plan garden portraits in the late afternoon
- Ask the villa about guest numbers early
- Keep the reception look warm for candlelight
Worth avoiding
- Very large guest lists in a villa built for intimacy
- A cool-toned, flat base in candlelight
- Getting ready far from the Janiculum
- Shoes that cannot handle gravel paths
Watch
The look for the pheras.
Classic bridal red
Tejaswini
Your artist at Villa Aurelia
Tejaswini has styled more than a thousand Indian brides since 2012, and intimate villa weddings let her work at her most precise. At Villa Aurelia she plans a soft, luminous garden look and a warmer evening look for candlelight, both decided well before the trip.
Her work
A few of Tejaswini’s brides.
Real brides styled by Tejaswini in India. The same hands and kit travel to Rome.
Villa Aurelia questions
Bridal makeup at Villa Aurelia.
Do you provide Indian bridal makeup at Villa Aurelia?
Yes. Tejaswini’s team flies from India for weddings at Villa Aurelia and covers each function for the bride, family and bridal party. The team’s flights, Schengen visas and rooms are paid by the family.
Can we hold an Indian wedding at Villa Aurelia?
Private events are possible by arrangement with the American Academy in Rome; your planner confirms dates, numbers and what is allowed.
Where does the bride get ready?
At a nearby hotel, with a touch-up room at the villa.
Is it suitable for a large wedding?
It suits intimate weddings and dinners best.
Can you cover a shoot in Trastevere too?
Yes. It is right below the Janiculum and lovely in the early morning.
How do we get a quote for a Villa Aurelia wedding?
Message us with the dates, functions and the number of people who need hair and makeup. The quote lists the artist fee and the travel costs on separate lines.
Keep comparing
Other Rome wedding venues.
Shortlisting more than one property? Each has its own guide.
Villa Aurelia bookings
Planning your wedding at Villa Aurelia?
Share the dates and the list of functions, and tell us which spaces you are considering. We will send availability, a suggested team size and an itemised quote, with the team’s travel shown on its own line.
