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Italy has literally hundreds of historic buildings in every medieval town or village and Most may be used for ceremonies, receptions, weddings and parties. For religious services you can use beautiful Protestant or Catholic churches and chapels. There are venues available for other religions as well.
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Italy offers a versatile array of historic and picturesque venues for weddings and celebrations, with options for civil, religious, and symbolic ceremonies, accompanied by practical advice on legal preparations and the recommendation to begin planning 9 to 12 months in advance.
- In most cases it will be possible to have a wedding ceremony performed after just a few days in Italy.
- We advise to arrange all the red tape in advance from your home country.
- Even if there is still some administrative arrangements to be made on site, this will seldom take more than half a day to sort out, but you should have a knowledgeable interpreter at hand.
- After a civil wedding in Italy, a marriage certificate can be issued in multiple languages that is accepted worldwide.
- You must register the marriage certificate at home with the municipality where you live.
- A Catholic marriage in Italy may consist only of an ecclesiastical blessing only (in case the bride and groom were already legally married) or the priest can do both, he is authorized to perform both an ecclesiastical and a civil marriage.
- If you need specific information about the planning of a wedding in Italy, read our article on 'Getting married in Italy: useful things to know´.
A civil or a church wedding or both
Over the years, weddings, either civil or in church are often skipped and a purely symbolic ceremony is preferred in a romantic location. This gives the bridal couple much more freedom to choose a place that suits them in every way. Naturally it will not be possible to use a town hall or church in this case. Protestant weddings may be consecrated in a location other than a church by a pastor authorized by the Italian State.
Planning a wedding in italy
All in all, depending on the location and the size of the party, it is recommended to start preparing 9 to 12 months ahead of the date. Finding a suitable place should come first on your list. The most beautiful places and the best locations are booked far, sometimes years, in advance. Italian brides love to choose their locations with care! In extreme cases, everything can be arranged in a period of three months, but the choice of location will be limited. In such cases it is better to hire a wedding planner who can keep an eye on things locally.
How to arrange a civil wedding in Italy?
A couple that intends to marry before the law in Italy must make their wishes known to the Registry Office, the Ufficiale di Stato Civile of the municipality where the wedding is to take place, in the presence of two witnesses (and an interpreter). The couple must provide all necessary documents. In the event that one of them has the Italian nationality or one of them is a legal resident in Italy, the announcement of the intended marriage will be posted in the town hall. This document must be there at least two Sundays ahead of the planned date. In the event that neither has the Italian nationality and does not live in Italy either, this ritual does not have to take place.
In a civil marriage it is mandatory to bring an interpreter/translator if neither partner speaks Italian. It is not necessary for someone from the Embassy or Consulate to be present.
We advise to request a number of copies of the marriage certificate, especially since these may still be needed later. Requesting them again years later can be an extremely difficult exercise. They don't cost much, but be sure to have the copies certified by one of the following:
- I Procurators della Reppublica;
- Prefetti in het gebied van Aosta;
- Il Presidente della Regione;
- Il Commissario di Governo.
You might want to read this too
- The Unforgettable Experience of Getting Married in Italy
- Getting Married in Italy: Essential Insights
