The one essential ingredient for a Do It Yourself Wedding in Italy is TIME. If you are willing to research and collect all the information and details to create your dream day abroad, plus provide estimates and information your guests will need ... more power to you!

Planning a wedding in Italy is a full time job, that's why there are so many Italian Wedding Planners around. But for you, the planning may be the fun part, so as long as you start early and pay attention to details, your wedding will become an unforgettable vacation with your guests.

Here are some tips on where to start and what to look out for:

Check out the weather: Italy is a long boot and the weather differs considerably between north and south, inland and coastline.

Check out transportation: If some of your guests are first time travellers abroad they may not know about (or be keen on) the in's and out's of getting around in Italy. You might want to choose a location which is relatively close to an airport or train station, the national railway company now has a site in English where you can get information, timetables and purchase your tickets online.

Check out the local customs: Some times of the year are not great for visiting, Italians do some things in herds and you might get caught in the middle of a stampede. An example is visiting during August, when 30 million Italians go on summer vacation!

Check out the portals: Instead of surfing the net for random locations, look up portals where all the local businesses are listed together. Since they are well paid for advertisements, they are a little more reliable and often times have an English version.

There is only one thing that you cannot do yourself:

for the legal part of your Wedding in Italy you will need someone who can speak the local language and book the wedding hall for you. You will also need someone to file your paperwork and your personal details with the public registry IN PERSON. All your personal information must be consistent for the documents you are required to submit (copies of passports, birth certificates, etc.,) and only a local wedding planner can follow this process and make sure it goes smoothly.
Italian law also requires non-residents have a translator/interpreter for the wedding promise when the articles of non-impediment are read, and for the wedding ceremony. If you do not have a translator they will not perform the ceremony.

For LEGAL SERVICES ONLY contact our offices here.

An extra tip for DIY's: your guests may think about bringing their gift for you on the plane. That means you'll have to carry it around with you, and if you've cleverly coupled your Wedding in Italy with your Honeymoon in Europe, you might need Santa's sled to tote your presents around or end up spending a bundle on shipping things back home.
Think about announcing an online registry in your invitation. And if you want that registry to include items you can enjoy in Italy, set up a registry with us!

Write to us for a free consultation