How to have an Italian church wedding
Photo: Diego Mariella
There’s no arguing that Italian churches are epic and having a wedding inside one is a thing of dreams. But how easy is it? Let’s break it down.
You’ll need to find a church that’s willing to host ‘foreign weddings’, not all do. As well as acceptance from the Priest of that church.
Your church at home will also need to agree you can get married abroad. If you’re both Catholic and have been christened or had communion, you need do no more. If only one of you is Catholic, you’ll need to do a pre-marital course together.
You’ll need to decide whether you’re having a civil wedding at home or in Italy, either way you have to do the paperwork before hand to either get married or get the legal declaration in Italy. We’d suggest having a civil wedding at home is an easier route and then you have all the paperwork the church requires.
You’ll need to send a letter from your Priest at home, your course proof (if you had to do this), your civil certificate (if you’ve gotten married) and your christening or communion documents to Italy to the Curia. This is where a wedding planner can come in super handy. Organising these documents and chasing things up with the Curia is a key part of the process (trust us we’ve done this a good few times) and having someone on the ground that can move things along, is super important.
Final step, finding an English speaking Priest to take your ceremony. Again, a planner should have good contacts here. Ideally you want someone who’s flexible and willing to craft a personal ceremony with you.
Photo: Lewis Membery
There are a few hoops to jump through for sure, but it is absolutely possible! If you have any more specific questions for us, join our private Facebook Group for more support.
Want to find out about having a civil ceremony in Italy? Get your hands on our Italian Civil Ceremony Guide which includes everything you need to know.
Written by Lucy White, Founder of La Lista & Wiskow & White, with over 7 years and 200 weddings worth of experience.
