Are you thinking about getting married in Italy? 

Are you put off by the minefield of legal requirements?

Don’t be!

The first question that I am often asked is “Will our marriage be considered legal in England?”

The answer is, yes!  Provided that you have had a legally recognised wedding ceremony in Italy, i.e. a civil wedding ceremony conducted by an authorised celebrant, then your marriage will be legal in England.

The second question that I am asked concerns the legal paperwork. This involves a three step process;

1. You will need to make an appointment at your local Registry Office in order to apply for your Certificates of Non-Impediment. These are issued by the Registrar and normally take about 10-14 days to be processed.
2. Once you have your certificates of Non-Impediment from the Registry Office, you will need to see a Notary Public in order to swear your Affidavits. The required Affidavit is in a standard format prescribed by the Italian authorities, you must ensure that the Notary Public that you use is using the most up to date version of the Affidavit.  A unique Affidavit prepared by the Notary will be rejected by the Town Hall in the area in which you are to be married.
3. Finally, all four documents must be sent to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legalisation department for legalising with the Apostille of the Hague Convention. Your Notary Public will be able to arrange this for you either directly or through an Agent.  I prefer to apply directly to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and save on Agency fees unless there are time issues.

If you have been married previously, then additional paperwork, such as a death certificate or decree absolute may be required.  Please note that only original copies bearing an ink signature and embossed seal are accepted.

I would recommend using a local wedding planner from the area where you plan to get married.  The local Town Halls do tend to have their own little quirks that a local wedding planner will be aware of.  There is nothing better than having a man on the ground to ensure that your day is a success.  I do know many Italian wedding planners and would be happy to recommend one to you.

Finally, I can thoroughly endorse getting married in Italy from first-hand experience.   My husband I and I were married on Lake Garda and we have very happy memories of a wonderful day.

Do not hesitate to contact me for a no obligation, free of charge chat about your requirements.