A Southern Italian wedding in the Arizona desert?

Sunset is a popular time for weddings at Sassi, in Scottsdale, Arizona — Terry McKaig photo.

Southern Italy or the desert Southwest for your destination wedding? We know it can be a tough decision, but Sassi restaurant in North Scottsdale, Arizona, with a distinctively Old World Italian feel, can make it much easier.

With the ambiance of a luxury villa nestled among the olive trees of an Italian garden, and views of mountains and desert, this favorite of Scottsdale foodies is popular with brides, too, especially at sunset, when the landscape turns golden.

There’s just one ceremony a day, and they almost always take place in the garden; afterward there’s a private reception room that can accommodate up to 150 guests. The room has two fireplaces, wood beamed ceilings, a courtyard, and a covered patio with mountain views. (Among Sassi’s multiple dining spaces, you’ll also find a snug wine-tasting room for a handsome rehearsal dinner.)

Every bridal couple at Sassi is assigned a dedicated event manager, chef and staff, and brides have a special changing room and foyer and a personal “shadow” throughout the day. The chef starts with the same Southern Italian fare that draws Scottsdale folks celebrating special events like birthdays and anniversaries. He’ll help pair it with more than 200 Italian wines, and can customize the menu to your taste and budget.

There are dozens of genuinely top-notch resorts in the area—the Four Seasons is the closest and poshest, or invite your guests to save some cash and bunk down at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn. And if you are coming from pretty much anywhere on this side of the pond,  the airfare is considerably more reasonable than it is to Italy. — Dena Roche