Of course, you want to get married in Italy – who wouldn’t want to? What with the breath-taking architecture and gorgeous food and wine, it’s a culture-lover’s heaven.
The problem with destination weddings, however, is that they come with paperwork. Fortunately, Italy isn’t too bad. But you want to get it right first time. No-one wants a costly mistake on their hands.
Find Yourself a Wedding Planner
Sure, they’re costly, but a wedding planner is almost essential for destination weddings. You need someone to speak the lingo and organize things for you, while you’re out of the country.
A planner will also be well-informed about legalities and can help you through the process. They’re generally worth their weight in gold; wedding planners mean less stress for you and a smoother planning schedule.
Contact Your Embassy in Rome
What the subtitle said. They can tell you exactly what you need to do to get married in Italy. You may run into problems, if you want a Catholic wedding. Normally you have to be a practicing Catholic of that church for a year to go through the ceremony. If you’re based in the UK, then it’s obviously the British Consulate and if another nationality, then contact your consulate.
Initially, you’ll have to release your wedding bans at your local registry and provide them with all your important documents. The registry office will then have this information translated into Italian and a No Impediment document will be drawn up. Get your paperwork finished as soon as you possibly can, just in case there are any hiccups.
When to Get Married in Italy
Most Italians would choose to get married in the hottest months of the year, but that might prove a bit too much for many. Try tying the knot in spring or early autumn, when temperatures are milder. Take into account that it often rains in Italy, so you need a contingency plan, if you plan to have an outdoor wedding.
Test the Waters
In the build-up to your wedding, pop over for a long weekend and check that everything is progressing swimmingly and that your wedding planner has everything in hand. Alternatively, get especially involved – go over to check out all the potential wedding venues and visit your prospective vendors. The choice is yours! It depends on how much you trust your wedding planner.
Send Out the Invites
Try to mail your invitations as soon as you can. With destination weddings, it’s important that you leave your guests enough time to make travelling and childcare arrangements. Be aware that not everyone you invite will be able to come; probably because of financial issues. Keep the party small.
Italian!
Go native or go home. If you’re going to have your wedding in Italy, there’s no point in following British customs. Inject your ceremony with a little Roman magic and party down like the locals do. Otherwise, you might as well have had your wedding at home. Have a great big day and remember to enjoy yourself!
Photo credit: www. honeyfund. com.
This post was made possible / contributed by our partner sponsor knowsleyhallvenue.co.uk.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
