1. Is it possible to get married in a private venue? Yes it is.  In Italy it is different in that it is not the property which needs to have a license; it is the actual person doing the marrying who has to be licensed to marry you.  On occasions it is possible to have the mayor of the town marry you at a private location however this is not possible throughoutItaly.  These types of wedding ceremonies are also much more expensive as you will need t consider the rental of the private venue and the costs are also slightly higher as far as the local district is concerned.
2. Will my wedding be recognized in the UK?  Of course it will and throughout the world as long as the correct paperwork has been done beforehand.  You will find that as soon as you get married or within a 4 to 6 week period, you will be issued with a translated wedding certificate with all your details.  This is your wedding certificate which you can use for all administration and changes etc.
3. Is this the wedding certificate?  Do not expect your wedding certificate to be all hand made, with great calligraphy and silver lined paper (sorry to exaggerate) usually the wedding certificate looks like a photocopy with your details entered in by pen and if on that day the photocopier was a little distracted, your wedding certificate can be a little crooked and not look all that official however it is.  You will find that it is double sided, with your details on the one side and on the other side you have, the translation of what all the boxes etc stand for.  When you get your certificate, it is always wise to check it and ensure that your details are correct.  If it is not just let us know and we will get you another one.
4. Where can we get married?  You can get married anywhere you like in Italy there are no restrictions. Italy is full of great places so do not be put off by everyone saying that you can only get married in Sorrento or Florence, it is possible to get married throughout Italy, you just need to be clear about the wedding type required and that is easy, all you need to do is to check out our Italian Ceremony Options.
5. Is it true we need to be in Italy 6 days beforehand?  NO!!!!! I must have heard this about 1,000,000 times. Italy does not have a residency requirement. We recommend that you are there at least with 2 working days available just because on occasions and subject to where you are getting married, certain formalities need to be respected and for US citizens, Australians and New Zealanders and some nationalities, time is required for your paperwork, however when things are prearranged and organized beforehand then 2 working days will suffice.
6. Can we have same sex weddings in Italy which are legally recognized?  NO not yet. It is possible to have ceremonies which can involve a humanitarian style verbage and even a blessing and it is also possible for couples to write and create their own ceremony however this will not be legally recognized, it will be more of a symbolic union of 2 people.
7. How Much money do I need to get married in Italy?  This is a difficult one as it is a little like saying how long is a piece of string. It is all subject to so many variations, from the number of people attending the wedding to the venue selected, from the ceremony type to the flowers… there is an endless list of things to look at. Like anything, it is always best to set a budget.  Treat getting married a little like buying a car or a house.  You may want to drive a Ferrari but you may only be able to afford a Mini as it is not just about the car, it is also all the running costs you need to consider and the same should also be considered when deciding on your budget.  You need to be realistic and we suggest that the budget you set and give us should be only for your wedding, money that you can spend for your wedding, the rest, flights, accommodation etc should all be extra as this will then allow us to be a little more selective with our choices for you.
8. I want to have a catholic wedding but I was married before.  Sorry but this is only possible if your previous marriage was officially annulled.
9. I want an open air catholic wedding. This is not possible. Catholic weddings are only allowed in churches or private chapels. If you require a religious wedding, it is possible to have a protestant wedding in the open air or in a private venue if that is more your style, however a catholic wedding can only take place in a catholic church.
10. Is there a certain day of the week that I can get married?  Only if you have a town hall wedding.  There is not a standard opening/closing time in Italy and each town hall has their own timetable. With some town halls it is possible to get married in the afternoon while others only in the morning, some provide options for weekend weddings while others do not. If you need to get married on a given day, then let us now and we will discuss your options with you. It may be that getting married on a Sunday afternoon may not be possible at the town hall of your choice so this may mean that you change town halls or that you get married at a private venue which has no set timetable it will all be a question of availability only.
11. I am a divorcee, can I get married in Italy?  Of course you can however it is essential that you have been divorced for more than 300 days and this is easy to check.  Go and view your divorce decree and check the date.  If the date from the actual decree to the day of the wedding is more than 300 days, then you are fine if not, it is still possible to get married in Italy however the process is very long and time consuming and will also cost you a lot more money.
12. How long does the ceremony last?  It depends on the ceremony which is taking place. If you are having a town hall wedding between 15 to 20 minutes, a catholic wedding can last up to 1 hour and slightly more and this is subject to so many variations, readings, music, singing…..a protestant wedding can last about 40 minutes to 1 hour at a push, a Jewish ceremony can last up to 1 hour as can a Greek Orthodox ceremony.
13. Can we have music at our ceremony?  Of course you can.  Music enhances the ceremony and makes it so personal to you.  You can find further details at our link on Music.  I fully appreciate that times are hard but make sure that you do add music to your ceremony it adds great atmosphere, imagine having a choir at your catholic ceremony or the dulcet tones of a soprano singer echoing in the vastness of the church and singing Ave Maria, just the thought of it is making me tingle.  Or what about the mandolin and guitar player strumming away in Positano or Ravello, it sounds awful thinking about it when sitting down in an office block in a grey city but when you mix this with the sun and the scent of lemons, it is just pure magic.
14. Can I go and see the venue before the wedding? Definitely and we encourage you to do this.  We will arrange an appointment for you to go and see the venue and meet the relevant persons. You will be shown round the venue and we will of course advise you what to look out for as there are many things you need to be aware of.  The person showing you round will of course show you the various places and that is all, they will not discuss logistics, costs, accommodation etc, this will be discussed with your wedding consultant on your return.  Please be advised that for some locations there may be an arrangement fee to consider which will be refunded if you then decide to go ahead and confirm your wedding with us.
15. What venues can you offer?  We have lots of great venues to offer however because our weddings are totally bespoke, it is important that we get a feel for the kind of thing you are after.  You can either send us an email or call on 01424 728901  or fill in our online enquiry form.  One of our coordinators will review your specific request and will then either send you further details or ask a few more questions and then start to bombard you with ideas.  Usually we start with 5 options, then a few more and then a few more until we have found the perfect venue for you.  It may be that some compromises need to be made along the way, however we always manage to come up trumps and if we cannot help you then we will let you know.
16. Where are you based? We are based in the UK and you are covered by UK law. All our coordinators are Anglo-Italians and have been organizing weddings in Italy for more than 15 years.  All liaison will be with one coordinator throughout the booking process. For further details read our section About Us.
17. How do we pay you?  Payment can take place in a variety of ways. You will find that we will provide our prices to you in euros.  You can then pay us in euros which is only possible by bank transfer into our euro account or alternatively 1 week before payment is due we will advise you of the exchange rate to use and then payment can take place in sterling either by bank transfer, cheque, credit or debit card. Payment takes place at least 6 weeks before the wedding in full and on receipt of your final balance we will then provide you with a complete wedding itinerary and all the necessary vouchers for your Italian wedding.
18. Is a beach wedding possible? Yes it is as long as it is a private beach.  The only issue with beach weddings is that private beaches are often the domain of hotels or villas and it may be that hotel guests are using the private beach which means that the beach cannot always be exclusively yours unless you take over the whole property.  Based on this we often recommend that beach weddings take place after 1800 hours so that the beaches are empty and you can have an element of privacy and exclusivity.
19. Can I get married on a boat? Yes you can.  The boat will need to be docked so that the ceremony can take place as we do not want your guests getting sea or lake sick! There are different boats available and of course it is important that the boat is able to accommodate all your guests as well as the celebrant and all the other components of your wedding, for example videographer, photographer etc. We will also need to consider getting the celebrant off the boat after the ceremony so this will add to the overall cost.
20. Do I have to register my wedding in the UK? There is no legal requirement to register your wedding here in the UK.  For further details check out the British Embassy’s – Deposit of a marriage certificate in the UK.  For other nationalities it is best to ask your consulate or we can do this for you and ensure that all legal requirements are respected.

To discuss your wedding plans call 01424 728901 or send an email to: mail@weddingsmadeinitaly.co.uk