The Italian style wedding has always been synonymous with beauty, elegance and excellence.
No wonder then that every year so many couples from all over the world choose to get married in Italy.

Getting married in Italy means choosing among breathtaking venues, enjoying unique settings and atmospheres, being able to offer your guests the best cuisine in the world and renowned wines.

If you have always wanted to get married in Italy, but don’t know where to start, read on.
Every day I put my experience as a wedding planner at the disposal of couples in love, because everyone deserves to realise own dream of love.

Let’s find out all about Italian style wedding.

What is the mean cost of a wedding in Italy?

People often wonder how much a wedding in Italy could cost. The average cost of a wedding with about 80 guests in Italy is around € 35.000 to 40.000, a sum that can vary depending on many factors.

The largest percentage of your wedding budget will go to the venue and catering, about 60%. For this reason, it is important that this aspect is well defined!

Choosing the right wedding venue is one of the first steps to take. Precisely because it affects the budget so much, it is important to define it as soon as possible.
In Italy, there are dream locations for every budget, more famous and expensive or less popular and cheaper, but equally wonderful.

As mentioned before, getting married in Italy means tasting the best cuisine in the world and sharing this moment of pure enjoyment with your guests.
Usually, if the location you choose has the restaurant inside, the cost for food is around € 80 to 90 per person. If, on the other hand, you have to hire an outside catering company, the cost per person varies and can go up to € 200. This is because in the cost you have to include the wait staff and the costs associated with renting cutlery, chairs, linens and everything else you need for the wedding lunch or dinner setup.

The other 40 % of your budget will depend on:

  • wedding dresses and rings

  • hair style and make up

  • wedding shooting

  • music

  • decoration and floral arrangements

  • a plan B on a rainy day

  • car rental

  • guests accomadation and trasport costs

  • wedding planner

Is it cheaper to get married in Italy?

As we have seen above, there are so many factors that weigh on the cost of a wedding in Italy.
It can be cheaper or most expensive, depending on the choices of the bride and groom.

All of Italy is beautiful, from north to south. The Italian territory is very diverse: mountains, hills and beautiful coastlines.
Then, each area offers numerous venues – villas, castles, medieval villages, farmhouses, country cottages – and this gives couples the opportunity to find a location that matches their desires and does not break their budget.

What is the best place for italian style wedding?

Venice, Lake Como, Rome, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, Portofino and the Cinque Terre area, Apulia and Sicily, Florence and the entire Tuscany region are the most popular locations for pledging eternal love.

Tuscany is, without a doubt, one of the most famous and well-known Italian regions abroad.

Endless landscapes between Chianti and Val d’Orcia, hills and languid sunsets, exclusive and intimate locations, good wine and good food, a riot of unique flavors.
Getting married in Tuscany evokes all this, making the wedding day special not only for the bride and groom, but also for the guests.

Tuscany offers truly magnificent places perfect for the celebration of love. If you are interested in, take a look at this post.

Are you legally married if you marry in Italy?

If you have decided to get married in Italy, this is the first question that will come to your mind. Let’s make it clear!

Legally speaking, Italy recognizes two types of marriage: civil marriage and religious marriage.

Civil ceremonies in Italy are performed by the mayor or a civil officer, are conducted in Italian, and require an official interpreter (if the bride and groom do not speak Italian).
It can take place in city hall or in one of the venues approved by the municipality, such as castles, palaces and medieval villas.

Catholic marriage ceremonies require one of the two partners to be Catholic and require coordination between the Italian Church, the local church, municipal officials and consulates.
Generally, catholic ceremony is celebrated by a Catholic priest in a consecrated church or chapel. It can be conducted in English.

For both religious and civil marriages there are rules and documents to be provided.

To marry in Italy as foreigners, both partners must be single, legally divorced or widowed. The bride and groom must not be related, even if by adoption, and must have two witnesses by their side during the ceremony.

These are the required documents:

  • valid passports or ID cards
  • original birth certificates
  • divorce papers or death certificate, if one of them is divorced or widowed
  • the marriage authorization, which can be obtained from your country’s Consulate or Embassy in Italy (called a “Nulla Osta” in Italy).For religious ceremonies, documents must be submitted at least 2 months before the wedding, but no more than 6 months, and they are:
  • certificates of the sacraments: baptism, confirmation and first communion
  • a document that attests newlyweds participation in the premarital course
  • a letter of no impediment to marriage from the bishop of the parish in your country
  • if one of the partners is not Catholic, an authorization for mixed marriage
  • if the priest does not celebrate the civil part of the marriage, a civil marriage certificate stating that you are legally married.

If you think these rules complicate the organization of your wedding in Italy, you can opt for a symbolic ceremony at a place of your choice after the official ceremony.

Lastly, documents, ceremony location, reception venue, menu, floral arrangements, mise en place and stationery… every single aspect must be chosen with care and expertise.

If taking care of all these aspects is not your strong suit, you can write to me here. I will be happy to organise your Italian style wedding.