text: When George Clooney tied the knot with British lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, they chose Venice as the place to get married. And no wonder, this stunning city of marble palaces, ancient churches, canals and waterways is a magnet for those in love. Come May, lovers of art will be flocking to the city too as it plays host to its Biennale Art Festival, an exhibition when over 88 nations showcase their country's best works of art in national pavilions dotted throughout the city. So if you're heading there then, get a taste of 'la Dolce Vita' Clooney-style by taking in some of the places the couple made their own and the beautiful scenery that provided the backdrops for their wedding celebrations. Scroll down for video . The Belmond Hotel Cipriani is on the island of Giudecca, just a few minutes by water taxi from Saint Mark’s Square. The views from its restaurant are magnificent . George and Amal's wedding celebrations lasted over the course of a whole weekend and were at some of Venice's most exclusive venues . Where to stay: George's favourite hotel . George loves the Belmond Hotel Cipriani. It was here that both he and Amal, as well as many of their celebrity friends, based themselves during the wedding weekend. Guests at the hotel can try two special cocktails that George created with head barman Walter Bolzonella – ‘Nina’s Passion’ (named after Clooney’s mother) and ‘Buonanotte’ (Italian for 'Good Night' in honour of Clooney’s film Good Night, Good Luck). The hotel is on the island of Giudecca, a sliver of land just 300 metres wide and 1.5miles in length, but its views of some of Venice's most famous landmarks like St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace are spectacular. The Belmond Hotel Cipriani has double garden view rooms starting from £477 per night, including breakfast and taxes . The hotel's heated swimming pool, set in extensive gardens, is filled with heated seawater and is the only hotel pool in central Venice . Where to eat: The Stag Party restaurant . Clooney kicked the celebrations off with a stag do at one of his favourite eateries in the city, a traditional-style restaurant called Da Ivo, serving food from Northern Italy. George – a regular patron – is believed to have given manager pal Giovanni Fracassi just ten minutes’ notice prior to turning up with his stag party friends, among them former supermodel Cindy Crawford’s husband Rande Gerber. The groom ordered five courses followed by two puddings. His party also worked their way through dishes including antipasto and pasta with truffles during their stay at the restaurant, after which a satisfied George personally thanked resident chef Giorgina Mazzero. The bill is believed to have been around £3,000 but was waived by manager Giovanni Fracassi. George Clooney leaving the Belmond Hotel Cipriani (left) on his way by watertaxi to Ristorante Ivo (right), where he held his stag party . Rande Gerber had also brought several bottles of tequila, which the group enjoyed after their dinner at the exclusive eatery. Producing partner Grant Heslov was also there along with several other of his male companions. Where to soak up the romance: The wedding hotel . George and Amal chose to have their celebrations before they signed the papers to be officially wed. Guests included Cindy Crawford, Bill Murray, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, U2 lead singer Bono and US Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. And they couldn't have chosen a better venue, Venice's only 'seven star' hotel, the super swanky Aman Canal Grande. Located on the Grand Canal and offering glorious views across the city, the hotel has rooms bedecked with historic frescoes and hallways that ooze opulence with hand-crafted chandeliers made on the nearby island of Murano, . It was opened in the 450-year-old Palazzo Papadopoli in 2013 and offers rooms starting in price from an eye-watering €850 (£609) per night, excluding tax and service, but including airport transfers by boat. If you want to really get in the romantic mood, you could book out the suite where the Clooneys stayed on their wedding night... but it will set you back an eye-watering £3,000. The Aman Canal Grande Venice is located just opposite the Cavalli Palace where George and Amal tied in the knot in their official ceremony . The lavishly-painted Piano Nobile Lounge was the setting for much of George and Amal's evening wedding festivities . The palace in which the Aman Canal Grande is housed was built in 1550 for a wealthy Venetian family of traders and seafarers . Where to wed: The 16th-century registry office . The final stage in the Clooneys' whirlwind wedding tour of Venice was when they made it all legal in the official ceremony at a Venetian registry office. They an had a choice of three venues - Cavalli Palace, Cà Farsetti, and Cà Vendramin Calergi. In the end George and Amal chose the Cavalli Palace, a 16th-century Renaissance building in the heart of the city opposite the Aman Canal Grande and close to the famous Rialto Bridge. Its light-filled hall overlooking the Grand Canal makes it a favourite choice for couples getting married. Couples from all over the world flock to Venice to get hitched. Prices for an official ceremony start from €400 (£286) for EU citizens and €1,600 (£1,150) for those from outside the European Union. The bride and groom left on a vaporetto (water taxi) appropriately called 'Amore' accompanied by a flotilla of boats bobbing down the Grand Canal, looking like for all the world like a modern-day version of a painting by Canaletto. George and Amal (left) about to enter the Cavalli Palace (right), where they married - it has incredible views over the city's Grand Canal . A flotilla of boats escorted the Clooneys down the incredible Grand Canal, the dome of St Mark's Cathedral towers over the scene . Tourists who pay €8 can take a lift up the 98.6-metre (323-ft) tall bell tower of St Mark's Cathedral for this spectacular view of the city .
target: Art lovers flock to the city of canals set on a lagoon in the Adriatic every two years for the 6-month cultural festival .
  The atmospheric waterways and majestic buildings meant it was chosen by the Clooneys for their nuptials .
  The Clooneys' favourite hotels are some of the the most beautiful in Italy - but they don't come cheap .