How to legally get married in Italy?
Getting married legally in-front of your friends and family is epic! The Italian ceremony itself is utterly authentic; plus you get the bilingual marriage certificate to cherish forever.
But the pressure is on to get this part of the planning right - if you don’t, then there will be no wedding on your wedding day! Hit the dramatic music!
A lot of legal paperwork and processes need to be fulfilled to get you a legal Mr & Mrs status. Follow the stages below and download the Civil Ceremony Guide from our Shop for even more guidance and in-depth instruction of how a civil ceremony works.
Throughout this process you will need your passports & birth certificates. So check yours are in date!
LL Tip: Always check with the Registry office in the UK and the Town Hall or Commune in Italy which exact documents you will need for each appointment.
If you choose a Town Hall wedding, then this is where you will actually be getting married.
Different Town Halls have specific times and days when you can get married. Check this before you book your venue, as this may well affect early decision making. You will also need to find out which modules they need completing, whether they require a deposit and which documents are needed.
LL Tip: Ask the venues you are visiting which Town Hall is the closest and if they have information on the dates / times of ceremonies. Or if you're planning a civil ceremony at the venue, then a legal representative will need to perform this. Be sure to confirm this option with your venue contact.
Photo: Red on Blonde | Venue: San Galgano Abbey
Legally for Italy, this must be within 6 months of your wedding and your Registry office booking will be in the UK.
Double check which documents they will need - normally it is your passport and birth certificate.
Your wedding bands will be posted for 3 weeks after your appointment. This will allow anyone to object against your wedding if you have any little secrets, like you are already married! After this time you will then receive your Certificate of No Impediment (CNI).
Whilst you wait for your CNI, you will need to go and sort your Statutory Declarations and have them signed by a solicitor (you will need one each).
Send off your 2 Certificates of No Impediment and your 2 Statutory Declarations to be officially stamped and legalised.
Visit the UK's Government website to book in having your documents legalised and post them off. They will be stamped on the back and will be returned legally ready to go!
If you have a wedding planner or a contact in Italy who is helping with the Italian logistics this is the time to send a photo of your documents to be taken to the Town Hall.
Accuracy of documents is imperitive, so the sooner the officials at the Town Hall can see the documents and allows your planner to check all information matches. Having them checked sooner, enables you to have contigency if a mistake has been made.
It is crucial on the CNIs that job titles, addresses and names perfectly match passports. Date of birth and place of birth need to be identical on all documents.
A judge in Italy will need to legalise your documents, so they need to be posted out. This service costs €200-250. After they are legalised and translated, your documents need to go to the Town Hall. If you have a planner they should organise this for you.
LL Tip: DHL is currently the most reliable and safest way to post these important documents.
When you arrive in Italy you will need to attend a Declaration appointment at the Town Hall a few days before your wedding. The appointment lasts for 30 minutes and is just for the 2 of you to attend.
You will need to take your passports, birth certificates and the addresses of your witnesses and photos of their passport page. A representative of the Town Hall will check your paperwork and complete the final wedding certificate which will be filed away.
LL Tip: Witnesses can be family.
You will need to book a translator to stand next to the Town Hall representative conducting your wedding. This is a legal requirement, so you both understand what you are saying 'yes' to.
After your ceremony you will be given a bilingual wedding certificate, suitable to use when changing your name back in the UK.
Follow these simple steps and you will have a stress-free wedding day! We can all agree, wedding planning might feel rather overwhelming at times, which is why we have launched our membership platform - The Club. Think of The Club like your pocket wedding planning guru, guiding you though every stage. Start your membership today!
Written by Emily Jennings, marketing person and wedding day-dreamer; lover of a boho vibe and a wedding night filled with a thousand lights.
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