{"id":7030,"date":"2014-09-18T19:09:04","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T18:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=7030"},"modified":"2026-11-01T11:27:51","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T11:27:51","slug":"getting-married-italy-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/getting-married-italy-part-1","title":{"rendered":"Getting Married in Italy: How to Legally Tie the Knot Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Italy is well known as a\u00a0land full of\u00a0passion, romance and love. The setting of countless love stories, both real and fictional, it\u2019s hard to deny the romance of the intimate cobblestone streets, Venetian gondola rides or simply the breathtaking views. Italy is the perfect location for a romantic honeymoon, but it\u2019s just as appropriate for a wedding! Get\u00a0the run-down of how to legally get married in Italy to make your day memorable, not complicated.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7035\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/14360678245_11efca6e4a_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7035\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7035\" src=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/14360678245_11efca6e4a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Luca Fazzolari\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7035\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many brides dream of getting\u00a0married and honeymooning in Italy.\u00a0Photo by Luca Fazzolari<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/getting-married-italy-part-1\/#Step_One_Gather_Your_Documents\" >Step One: Gather Your Documents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/getting-married-italy-part-1\/#Step_Two_Choose_your_Ceremony\" >Step Two: Choose your Ceremony<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/getting-married-italy-part-1\/#Step_Three_Head_to_Italy\" >Step Three: Head to Italy\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_One_Gather_Your_Documents\"><\/span><strong>Step One: Gather Your Documents<br \/>\n<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Like most everything in Italy, getting married <a href=\"http:\/\/italy.usembassy.gov\/acs\/marriage\/general-marriage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">requires some documents<\/a>. Though it may vary slightly depending on the nationality, in general the couple will need: a valid U.S. passport, a birth certificate and evidence of the termination of previous marriages if necessary. Each of these documents must be translated in Italian to be considered legal in Italy. You&#8217;ll need all of the above to then get\u00a0an Apostille stamp which is given by the Secretary of State of the state you are from. Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hcch.net\/index_en.php?act=authorities.details&amp;aid=353\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> to learn more on where to get an Apostille stamp in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>After that, you need an Atto Notorio from an Italian Consulate in your home country. Though it can be done in Italy, it\u2019s likely that the language and time barriers will make it much more difficult. This document declares that there are no obstacles to the marriage and that you are each eligible to be married.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_Two_Choose_your_Ceremony\"><\/span><strong>Step Two: Choose your Ceremony<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7032\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/IMG_6484-Version-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7032\" class=\"wp-image-7032 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/IMG_6484-Version-2-300x287.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_6484 - Version 2\" width=\"300\" height=\"287\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7032\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The mayor might even choose a poem or quote as his gift to the couple on the day of the ceremony, shown here in a scroll.\u00a0Photo from Gina Mussio<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The best option is\u00a0to hire a wedding planner to handle all the ceremony details abroad, as this usually also includes the bureaucracy! There are many who will work with you to coordinate the details for your special day, including setting up your ceremony.<\/p>\n<p>Getting married in Italy might be a dream come true for some brides, but planning the ceremony in another country presents a whole array of different problems. For one, you might not be able to have a Catholic wedding, even in this very Catholic country. While it is possible, the number of priests who will perform the marriage is slim, and the couple will have to complete a full course of pre-Cana training, or marriage classes, before getting married. In any case, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll have to have a civil ceremony before a religious ceremony can be held.<\/p>\n<p>Though the song says, \u201cGoin\u2019 to the chapel\u2026,\u201d by law, a civil wedding ceremony in Italy can only be held in a town hall. In a few cases, certain villas have been given special permission to host civil ceremonies as well. Presided over by the mayor of the town, this isn\u2019t your typical Justice of the Peace ceremony, but a well-written ceremony given much more significance and importance. Couples will need two witnesses and can personalize their civil ceremony with music, readings, an exchanging of vows and an exchanging of rings \u2013 essentially all of the wedding in one of Italy\u2019s historic, and likely lovely, courthouses!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_Three_Head_to_Italy\"><\/span><strong> Step Three: Head to Italy\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7037\" style=\"width: 209px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/5992202496_e00821dff1_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7037\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7037\" src=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/5992202496_e00821dff1_z-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Maria Luisa Buccella\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7037\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Maria Luisa Buccella<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Be sure to arrive in Italy early to avoid any delays or bureaucratic problems. Once there you\u2019ll need to get a Nulla Osta from the United States Consulate in Italy. The Nulla Osta or <em>dichiarazione giurata,<\/em> is a document that also swears that there are no legal obstacles to the marriage under Italian or U.S. law (or the country where you\u2019re from.) For Americans, the Nulla Osta costs 50 USD, but you can search on the individual embassy websites to find the cost for your nationality. It must be paid in cash, so go prepared. You can find U.S. consulates or consulate agents in Milan, Genoa, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Palermo.<\/p>\n<p>Once you get the\u00a0Nulla Osta, it needs to be legalized at the Prefecture\u2019s Office or the <em>Ufficio della Prefettura. <\/em>First, stop in a tobacco shop, <em>tabacchi<\/em>, and buy a \u20ac16 euro <em>marco da bollo<\/em>, or revenue stamp. There is one <em>prefettura <\/em>in every capital. Normal operating hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Though it might seem overwhelming, it\u2019s more about running around town than it is about filling out documents. Give yourself extra days so you can go calmly and not stress before the big day!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7033\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/385019115_c408cc271e_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7033\" class=\"wp-image-7033 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/385019115_c408cc271e_z.jpg\" alt=\"385019115_c408cc271e_z\" width=\"640\" height=\"417\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7033\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Friends and family will love joining you for\u00a0your Italian wedding! Photo by shoobydooby (via flickr)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>With the passion and backdrop, getting married in Italy is a great option for many couples and is sure to make the day extra special!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italy is well known as a\u00a0land full of\u00a0passion, romance and love. The setting of countless love stories, both real and fictional, it\u2019s hard to deny the romance of the intimate cobblestone streets, Venetian gondola rides or simply the breathtaking views. Italy is the perfect location for a romantic honeymoon, but it\u2019s just as appropriate for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":2083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[145],"ppma_author":[161],"class_list":["post-7030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-weddings"],"authors":[{"term_id":161,"user_id":40,"is_guest":0,"slug":"ginamussio","display_name":"Gina Mussio","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9497ce1b0417babd82886ad23b18998?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"Mussio","first_name":"Gina","job_title":"","description":"Gina is a Midwesterner living in Lombardy, Italy where she writes about Italian culture, travel and food. She is a bilingual primary school teacher by day, forever interested in developing cross-culture communication skills across languages. Gina loves touring Italy's beautiful and tiny borghi with her family and exploring Italy's culture through its culinary history."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7030"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7030"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17674,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7030\/revisions\/17674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7030"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=7030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}