Italian Elopements

Italian elopements and micro weddings: really married in Italy

Italy is the most romantic country on earth, with some of the finest buildings, food and history. So why settle for a symbolic ceremony in Italy when you can do the real thing? Say sì, and the two of you, and anyone with you, know it means everything.

Most wedding planners are built for big weddings. We built ours for the two of you and the special people you want there. And if the wedding you picture is just the two of you, we can make that happen too.

Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll advise you on where and when to marry, then arrange it with the comune and organise what the day needs. On the day we are with you. You arrive knowing it’s all in order, and come home married.

Can we marry in Italy?

Your wedding day

You marry in a stunning historic building or a beautiful outdoor setting the comune has approved for weddings, and we are there with you, guiding you through each step.

The registrar, wearing the Italian tricolour sash, leads the ceremony in Italian, and we interpret every word into English. You exchange rings, say your sì, and sign the register with your witnesses.

Then you step out married, and the rest of the day is yours: lunch in the piazza, a walk through the old town, an aperitivo as the sun goes down.

What makes it a legal wedding

Most couples don’t want to think about paperwork; they want to know it’s in hand. We check every document before anything is booked, deal with the comune in Italian, and tell you what to expect, so you can relax and focus on getting married.

  1. 1You don't need to live in Italy

    Couples from the UK, Ireland and the US can marry at any comune (the local council). There is no waiting period: you sign a short declaration before the registrar a day or two before, and then you marry.

  2. 2The registrar marries you

    A civil wedding at the comune, or at a place the comune has approved, is your legal marriage, entered in the Italian civil register.

  3. 3It counts at home

    The UK, Ireland and the US recognise a marriage made under Italian law. There is nothing to register when you get back.

  4. 4An interpreter, by law

    If either of you does not understand Italian, the law requires an interpreter, and neither of you can do it, however good your Italian. We interpret for you.

The legal process, step by step

Can we marry in Italy? Eight quick questions tell you how straightforward your paperwork is, and what to sort first. Most couples start six to twelve months out; inside six months the order you do things in starts to matter, so the sooner we talk, the more choices you keep.

Find out in two minutes

How it works

  1. 1

    Tell us your date and where you are picturing

    We advise you on where to marry, find the comune's wedding venues there, check the date and the fee with the comune, and send you one fixed fee before you commit.

  2. 2

    We arrange your wedding while you do the paperwork at home

    We book the venue with the comune and organise what the day needs, from flowers and chairs to a photographer. What you bring from home depends on your nationality, and our checklist tells you exactly what. We translate everything into Italian and deal with the comune in Italian.

  3. 3

    Arrive a few days before

    A day or two is enough for British and Irish couples; American couples come a little earlier for their consulate appointment. We are with you at the declaration before the registrar and at your ceremony, making sure it all runs smoothly and interpreting as Italian law requires. Afterwards we obtain your Italian marriage certificate, translate it into English and send it to you.

Your paperwork, by nationality

The Italian side is the same for everyone. What you bring from home depends on your nationality.

One British and one Irish, or another mix? Each of you follows your own country's route, side by side.

What we do for you

One fixed fee, agreed in writing before you commit, covers your wedding day and everything needed to make your marriage legal in Italy and valid at home.

Outside the fee sit the comune's own fee, usually modest outside the most requested venues, your own paperwork, and the cost of what you choose for the day, such as flowers or a photographer.

What we don’t do as standard is organise a celebration afterwards, book private venues such as villas or hotels, or provide full wedding planning; we can quote for those separately.

The service in full
  • Advice on where and when to marry, and booking the venue the comune offers
  • Everything with the comune, in Italian: finding out what it can offer, securing the date, the forms and the fee
  • Flowers, chairs, a photographer and other touches on request, arranged for you
  • Checking exactly what paperwork your comune wants, and the Italian translations, sworn before a court where required
  • Being with you on the day to make sure it runs smoothly, and interpreting at the declaration and the wedding as Italian law requires
  • Your Italian marriage certificate afterwards, with our English translation, sent to you at home

Where

Lake Como · Tuscany · Rome · The Amalfi Coast · Puglia · Sicily · Somewhere else?

The famous places are famous for good reason. But so much of Italy is a museum, and some of the loveliest places to marry are in towns you may not have heard of. Tell us where you are picturing, and we will find out what the comune there can offer.

For a bigger wedding in Sicily with planning around it, see our sister site, Married in Sicily.

When

Allow three months or so for British couples, and four to six months for Irish and American couples, ideally more. If your date is sooner, get in touch and we will tell you what is possible.

Who we are

Italian Elopements began in Sicily, where the paperwork is as demanding as anywhere in Italy, and now covers the whole country. It is run by Dom Hebblethwaite, a bilingual translator and interpreter, with Giulia Lucania on the Italian logistics. About us

Can we marry in Italy?

Say sì in Italy, and mean it. Eight quick questions tell you how straightforward your paperwork is, and we follow up personally.

Find out in two minutes

Or message us on WhatsApp, or email us at ciao@italianelopements.com.