Italy
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Getting Married in Italy
Traditions
At the start of a typical Italy|Italian wedding reception, the bridal party and the rest of the guests are separated for an hour and served cocktails. The food during cocktail hour is served in a buffet setup. During the cocktail time, the bride and the groom usually take their time to shoot photographs in a proper setting.
At the conclusion of cocktail hour, the guests will gather in the main dining room. The newlywed couple is introduced with much fanfare and they take their first dance, with the bridal party following soon after, who are then ultimately joined by the rest of the guests. Afterwards, everyone is seated, speeches are made by friends and family, and everyone champagne toasts the wedded couple.
Food is plentiful during most weddings, and Italian custom is no exception. Between courses, the Master of Ceremonies|MC will encourage dancing.
After the bulk of the courses have passed, it is time for the cake cutting, which ushers in the dessert course. In Sicily|Sicilian customs, the dessert course is often presented as a VenetianTable, a dazzling array of pastries, fruits, coffees, cakes, (etc) are presented in great quantity with much celebration. This is often called Venetian Hour.
After dessert, more dancing commences, gifts are given, and the guests eventually begin to leave. In Southern Italy, as the guests leave, they hand envelopes of money to the bride and groom, who return the gift with a wedding favor, a small token of appreciation. In North Central and Western Italy instead, the wedding favor is still given, but no tradition of envelopes with money exists.
Source - *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_traditions_and_customs#Italian_customs
Why Italy?
Marriage License Requirements
Here are the steps for US citizens to be married in Italy.
You will need your US passport, or if you are in the military your military ID cards, as well as permission to marry from your commanding officer. In the absense of any of these you cannot get married in Italy. In addition you will need your birth certificate, an original or certified copy. It may not be a photocopy. If you have been married before and you are divorced or your spouse has passed away then you need the divorce papers or death certificate of your former spouse. As with your birth certificate these may not be copies, they must either be the originals or a certified copy. Before you leave the United States you must get a Ato Notorio which is a form that is witnessed by an Italian Consul in the US stating that you have the legal right to marry in the US and it must be witnessed by two other people besides yourself and the Italian Consul. Once in Italy you will need to obtain a Nulla Osta. This form can be downloaded in PDF form from http://italy.usembassy.gov/acs/marriage/NullaOsta.pdf. You can fill it out, but don't sign it as you will need to sign it when you present it to the proper authorities in Italy. This document is presented to a US Consul in Italy where he witnesses your swearing that you have the right under the laws of the state you live in to marry. You getting married must be legal not just in the US but in Italy, this document provides for that. If you have a divorce that has not been completed then this would be an obstacle and you would not be able to marry in Italy until it was completed. You will need to have your Nulla Osta legalized at the Office of the Perfecture of which there is one of these offices in every provincial capital. Generally speaking these offices are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm but it may be different in each provincial capital so you should call ahead. If the bride has been divorced anytime within the last 300 days she will need to obtain a waiver from the Procura della Republica. However, she can only be given one if she has a medical certificate stating that she is not pregnant. As you can see there are many legal hoops to jump through to get married in Italy. In addition any documents which did not originate in Italy will need to translated into Italian before you leave the United States, and they must have the Apostille Stamp from the Secretary of State in the state in which you reside to be legal in Italy as well.
Make sure that you don't get them more than six months prior to when you want to be married in Italy as in Italy all such documents are considered to be expired if they are older than six months.
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Venues
Veneto
- Villa Giustinian - Located close to the “city of lagoons” this Venetian villa in the he picture-book village of Portobuffolé, is one of the most beautiful of palatial homes in the so-called “villeggiatura” region. Dating back the late renaissance, it is to a vivacious doge of around three hundred years ago, that we owe the fact that the “Bishop’s Suite” has become such a popular place to stay, especially with young lovers and newlyweds. Both building complexes, which also include a small chapel remain radiant in their old glory. A wedding here is the perfect culmination of a Venetian dream.
Piemonte
- Villa Soleil - This early 18th-century Villa in the Torino region is a tastefully restored masterpiece of Italian architect Alfredo D’Andrade. This edifices breathes the air of Giuseppe Giacosa, librettist of Puccini operas including La Bohème. The atmosphere of the villa is stimulating, not least due to antique wooden ceilings (anno 1400), a fireplace with authentic signatures of famous writers, and a 5,000 m2 park and 16 comfortable rooms, each furnished historically appropriate.
South Tyrol / Alto Adige
- Castello Schloss Labers - This exclusive castle hotel was established in 1885. Of the fortified buildings lying in the hills above Merano, Schloss Labers is one of the most attractive. The history of this Tyrolean estate extends way back to the 11th century. With its unique location amidst a wonderful alpine setting and a enchanting garden, this romantic castle hotel is a dreamy location for outdoor weddings and honeymooners alike.
- Castello Schloss Sonnenburg - Located in in San Lorenzo on a hill above the confluence of the Rienz and Gader rivers, the former abbey boasts so many enchanted nooks and crannies one may never want lo leave again. Cautiously integrated into the venerable castle walls and lovingly restored the hotel offers 38 luxurious rooms, halls for celebrations and a magic courtyard for the wedding ceremony. For couples which may want to combine their wedding with a skiing holiday this is the perfect location: South Tyrol's No.1 ski mountain,the Kronplatz, is only 5 km away, Alta Badia with its famous "Sella Ronda" and the Hochpustertal are about 25 km.
- Hotel Ansitz Plantitscherhof **** Superior - This excellent alpine mansion hotel is located in Villa Quarter of Merano. Bridal parties will be pampered by 30 employees, Gourmet Cuisine and may choose from more than 18,000 wines stored amidst the romantic walls of Plantitscherhof. Spacious gardens, romantic inner courtyards, a winter garden, a cozy dining room, a Palm Garden or the wine gazebo offer plenty of choice for wedding ceremonies and celebrations according to the couples individual tastes. Helicopter flights with sparkling-wine tasting and visit to the highest sparkling-wine bottler in Europe are but a few of exciting wedding activities offered in this outstanding venue.
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