Think “destination wedding” and immediately think – adventure, romance, intrigue, a new country, new language, gorgeous scenery. Never mind that new country means different laws and new language means that those laws might feel impenetrably bureaucratic when the time comes to plan a wedding in the distant land of your choice.
Italy is no exception. Bureaucracy is a kind of second nature, and couples hoping to come from the United States to get married in beautiful, romantic Italy will need to do their homework first. It is perfectly possible, and made easier by having the help of professional wedding and event planners to smooth the path. But as with most unfamiliar things, there is a learning curve and a path to follow – and planning a wedding is no different. Every couple knows it can be stressful planning a wedding locally. Adding in potential challenges and a few thousand miles can make it that much more stressful. It is quite a process, but the US Embassy in Italy has provided a detailed guide to help its citizens reach their big day together without any bad surprises.
On the American side, a foreign marriage that is valid in the country where it is performed is automatically considered valid in the US. An Italian marriage certificate will be enough to prove that a couple is married legally once the certificate has received the Apostille stamp in the Legalization Office of the Italian prefecture that has jurisdiction in the region where the marriage took place. Having the marriage legally recognized back home in America might be the easiest part.
Here are some rules of thumb:
Know Your Contacts
Have local contacts in Italy where you plan to marry – possibly wedding planners who have been through this process before and can help to guide you. They can also put you in touch with Italian authorities or lawyers should the need arise on the ground. US Embassy employees are, after all, not experts in Italian law (certainly not marital law), and although American couples will need to work with their embassy, the Italian embassy in the US may also be a good starting place for more information.
Make It Easier
Consult both the Italian embassy in the US and the US embassy in Italy to make sure you have all the forms and documents you need. The US Embassy website provides general guidance, but these guidelines may change, and local Italian legal interpretation may differ even if there is one marriage law that applies throughout Italy. While the US embassy can offer guidance, clearly local information is important to ensure that all the right documentation is completed and submitted. The registrar’s office in the town hall where a couple plans to marry will be able to offer an up-to-date, complete list of documents as well as any submission deadline requirements (i.e. how many days prior to the wedding do you need to submit them?).
Plan Ahead – Gather Your Documents and Make Appointments
Some documents will be required no matter what. For use in Italy, you will have to have these translated and stamped with an official Apostille to authenticate them. These include:
- A valid US passport
- A birth certificate (original or certified copy)
- Evidence of termination of previous marriages, if applicable
- Affidavit or “dichiarazione giurata” – a sworn statement given to an American consular officer in Italy declaring that there are no legal impediments to your marriage according to the laws of the US state in which you reside. You will need to schedule an appointment for this in advance with the US embassy or one of the US consulates in Italy. This document will be valid for six months after receiving it. You may complete the form for the affidavit in advance and send it in (but do not sign it, as this must be witnessed by the consular officer). Upon receiving the official affidavit, you must take it to the Legalization Office to have it legalized and stamped.
- Atto Notorio – in addition to the affidavit, you also must submit this declaration that affirms that you have no obstacle to your marriage. This can be a somewhat complicated step; the US embassy description can tell you most of what you need to know upfront.
Once you have collected all of these forms, you will present all the documentation to the marriage office of the town hall in the city where you will get married and make a declaration of intent to marry.
Only at this stage can you safely set a wedding date.
And the details of the wedding itself are, happily, totally up to the bride and groom.
