If old world charm and romance is what you want your wedding to be all about, planning your wedding in Italy is the best way to go. It does not matter if you are a non-resident or even if you reside in a different country all together. Italy is open to all. Getting married in Italy is fairly easy if you have all your paperwork in order. This article will give you a heads up on what to expect as part of the procedure leading up to your big day.

The first step: Hire a wedding planner

If you are planning a wedding in Italy you will need a lot of help and guidance especially if you do not belong to the country and have no family living there to help you with the details. While it is relatively easy to get married in Italy, there are still set procedures and paperwork that needs to be completed in order to have everything go off smoothly. Hiring a wedding planner will make all these things easier for you as they will be familiar with the rules and regulations. They will also be able to advice you on venues for both the ceremony and the receptions and would be able to get you good prices and deals.

Pointers for the paperwork

Like all other weddings, a wedding in Italy has its fair share of paperwork that is mandatory. You will need help with these and this is where your wedding planner will come in. For all non-Italians, it is recommended that you have a civil wedding before your actual symbolic or religious ceremony. It is also recommended that you meet with the registrar a few days before the wedding so that you are sure that all your documents are in place. For non-Italians Catholics, having a catholic wedding in Italy might be a bit of a challenge as most Italian priests do not perform ceremonies for non-Italians, however you could try getting a letter of reference from your Archbishop. It must me noted that this might not work either. A civil and a symbolic ceremony could still be a possibility.