Religious Weddings in Italy
Italy is dotted with beautiful ancient churches among the most beautiful in the world. Most of these are Catholic, Italy being a predominantly Catholic country; so if you decide for a Catholic ceremony it is likely that it will take place in a beautiful Church just near your selected venue.
In order to have a Catholic marriage in Italy it is necessary to meet specific Catholic requirements.
A Catholic Ceremony can only be held in a consecrated space, that means inside a Church or in a sanctified private Chapel. There are few exceptions as only few locations in Italy have an external Consecrated ground.
As for the Civil wedding, also for the Catholic celebration multiple documents need to be provided:
a permission from your Parish Bishop and attend Pre-Cana classes as well as the necessary baptism and confirmation certificates;
Divorce papers if you have been previously married and divorced;
Paperwork has to be issued within 6 months of the proposed wedding date, but not before otherwise it will expire.
Religious paperwork needs to be received by the Italian Curia at least 1 month prior the wedding.
Catholic weddings in Italy can be legally binding with a ‘Cerimonia Concordataria’ in which case the priest has to read the articles from the Cicil Code at the end of the ceremony. If you decide for this, you will need to provide all the required documents for the Civil Ceremony beside the Religious ones.
Ceremonies can be celebrated in English or other languages, or Italian (with interpreter).
Most churches do not have a cost but a free offer is requested at the couple’s discretion, as well as an offer for the celebrant.
Sensitivity is required choosing the wedding dress for a Catholic ceremony, no bare shoulders.
Mixed religion ceremonies are allowed only with a specific permission.
At least one witness for the Bride and one witness for the Groom is needed, they can be more.
Even though Italy is a predominantly Catholic country, many religious faiths are represented in the country, here a brief overview of the main rituals we can help you plan in Italy.
Protestant Churches are mainly located in fairly large cities like Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples; however Pastors are normally happy to travel and the Protestant wedding ceremony can be performed all over Italy in historical villas, castles or outdoors, in romantic gardens or panoramic terraces.
According to the Italian Law, the Minister can perform, as a Public Magistrate, a Protestant ceremony with legal validity.
Jewish Weddings can take place in a Synagogue or in one of many beautiful locations in Italy, whether it is a panoramic garden or a prestigious historic villa.
Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples and Trieste have the largest Jewish communities of great historical and artistic importance.
The above mentioned are all Orthodox communities, the specific rules are the same as in your own country; your Rabbi will need to prepare the necessary religious documents to present to the Italian Rabbi and discuss directly with him the exact details of the ceremony.
You can also bring your own Rabbi to perform your Wedding ceremony in Italy, in this case you will need to have your Civil Wedding before.
We are able to arrange a kosher meal at most locations. Please enquire us for additional information about an Orthodox or Reformed Jewish Wedding celebration in Italy.
In Hindu culture, marriage is one of the most important ceremonies and the ritual can last three days or more. Hindu wedding ceremonies can vary according to local traditions in different parts of India and follow ancient and meaningful rituals.
We can suggest the most elegant and prestigious venues to celebrate your more days long celebration; elegant villas and castles with large gardens where you can build your mandap richly decorated by our expert floral designers.
Among the many religious rites that can be celebrated in Italy, we would like to mention one in particular, for the deep bond that binds it to Venice: the Armenian Wedding.
Armenia is a culture steeped in rich history and traditions.
San Lazzaro degli Armeni, lit. “Saint Lazarus of the Armenians” and Սուրբ Ղազար in Armenian, probably is the most evocative Armenian Church in the world; the church rises on a small islet in the Venetian Lagoon, which has been home to a monastery of an Armenian congregation since 1717. As such, it is one of the world’s prominent centers of Armenian culture and Armenian studies and still today it hosts a large collection of books, artifacts and the third largest collection of Armenian manuscripts.
This islet suspended in time is just 10 minutes by boat from Saint Mark square but it’s like a treasure chest outside the city’s tourist routes. We have planned many Armenian weddings there and we are happy to guide you to the discovery of this mystical and so meaningful place.
