Getting married in Italy is a dream come true, a real fairy tail. However, the legal part of being truly married in Italy is so difficult even Tom & Katie didn’t do it legally. But we did!
My Engagement
My husband and I are both US Citizens who just happen to have a love-affair with Italy. My perfect husband proposed to me in the most perfect way. We flew to Italy for a long romantic weekend on the Amalfi Coast. After flying all night, we drove from Naples to Positano. When we finally arrived at Le Sirenuse hotel, my soon-to-be fiance insisted we walk down to the Duomo (church) in the town. I was tired from traveling all day, but I went along with it because it seemed important to him. Little did I know that he had my engagement ring in his pocket since we left the US! Once inside the Duomo he was acting a little scattered, as I look back I realize that he was just trying to find the perfect spot for his proposel. So, there we were near the candles. We have a tradition that when we enter a church, we always light a candle at make a prayer or wish for the future. So, we lit a candle and he got down on one knee and “wished I would marry him”. I remember immediately crying and hugging him so tight. Positano became such a special place in our hearts, that we decided to go back almost a year later to have our perfect Italian wedding.
Planning the Wedding
To us, Positano is the most picturesque place in the world. There is no venue that could compete with the mountain of multi-colored houses piled on top of each other in Positano set against the marine blue of the sea. In Positano for your marriage to be legal, you must be actually married at Town Hall. Of course, you can have another spiritual ceremony at another location, however this ancient town hall has a large terrace where you can hold your ceremony. Which is exactly what we did.
Making it Legal: The hardest part of planning my wedding was the paperwork and the “red tape” involved in making my wedding legal. I really didn’t want to have to get married in the US and then just have a spiritual or symbolic ceremony in Italy. I wanted that Italian wedding license! So, I called every government agency that I could find and make a checklist of exactly what I had to do. (I’ve included my checklist and all the contacts & details in my step by step guide!)
The Dress: Destination weddings mean you need a dress that can withstand the planes, trains and automobiles of getting there. I found a fantastic designer, Winnie Couture, that offers “destination dresses”. Currently, I am actually featured on their Winnie Brides section. However, if you do opt for a princess-style wedding dress you can always ship it to the hotel in advance!
The Wedding
When I arrived at the Positano Commune (Town Hall), I was excited. My father walked me down the steps, actually rather steep steps! Then we waited inside for the Mayor to arrive (he was obviously on Italian time!). But, he did. Then, the music began playing and I walked out onto the balcony to my friends, family and soon to be husband. The ceremony itself was in Italian (you must have a translator if you don’t speak the language). We said our vows to each other, exchanged rings, signed our marriage licsense and shared our first kiss as husband and wife!
Funny Story: When my husband tried to put my ring on (which was previously sized), it didn’t fit! I’m gonna blame the pasta because it fits now! (picture above)
The Reception
Our reception was held on the balcony of the most beautiful hotel in the world, Le Sirenuse. Here we had a sunset reception with Bellinis, Hot and Cold Canape (which basically is hot and cold finger foods, it took me months to understand it!) Also, they made our cake which was the most amazing cake I have ever tasted in my life. The staff of this should-be ten-million star hotel is attentive and made every aspect of our reception perfect!
Following the reception we had a typical Italian dinner at a local restaurant called Chez Black on the beach in Positano. You may recognize this restaurant from Under the Tuscan Sun, the scene where she’s sipping limoncello on the beach with the Italian man. Black himself was very gracious and really took care of our party. You’ll notice that the walls are lined with celebrity photos. This is place to eat in Positano!
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