The Ultimate Italy Intimate Wedding Guide
1. Why you should get married in Italy
From Italy’s stunning mountain peaks to it’s serene beaches, and every bit of history in between, the stunning backdrops and tasty food makes getting married in Italy a no brainer! If you’re a fan of glacial lakes or would rather spend a day on a warm beach, Italy is a perfect location to say “I do!” Italy is full of beautiful architecture, art museums, and has so much amazing food! It’s easy to travel around with public transportation and the locals tend to be pretty friendly, with most major cities knowing English! You can’t go wrong in picking a wedding location in this country!
2. How to get legally married in Italy as an American
If you’re from the US, you can get legally married in Italy! There’s some paperwork you’ll need and hoops to jump through that are laid out at this link.
As of February 2025, these are the steps to get married in Italy as an American:
- Bring your birth certificate
- Have a valid US passport
- Have documentation of divorce (if applicable)
- An Affidavit
- An Atto Notorio
- A declaration of intent to marry (bring an interpreter if you do not speak Italian)
- For a civil ceremony, you’ll need an officiant and 2 witnesses over the age of 18
As someone in the wedding industry, I usually recommend getting legally married in your home country! It’s usually a lot easier to go to your local courthouse to fill out all the paperwork and get legally married, then travel to your desired country to have all the ceremonies like your vows and other things you want to do on your elopement! The only drawback couples have with this is not having the date on their marriage certificate be the same as their elopement date. If your date holds a lot of significance for you, you may want to get legally married in the country.
3. How to travel around Italy
Currency in Italy
The Euro is used throughout Italy! When traveling, I recommend bringing two credit cards in different bags (in case a bag gets lost or stolen) as well as a bit of emergency cash on you. Europe has gotten pretty into tap to pay (such as Apple Pay) so having that set up on your phone is a great option! I would avoid using an AMEX card since most places don’t accept it due to high fees. Try to bring two different cards like Mastercard and a Visa so you have options!
Should you use Public Transport or Rent a Car in Italy?
Like most European countries, public transport is so much better than the states! You can easily navigate from place to place with your apple maps and the trains and buses are frequent. It isn’t necessary to have a car, but if you plan on staying somewhere a bit more remote, or want more freedom of when you can stop and pull over, renting a car is a great idea! Something to keep in mind is you can’t really drop the car off in another country. Unlike the US where we drive rentals to different states frequently with no surcharge, if you try to drop a car off in Austria, there are large fees since it’s a completely different country and they’ll need to send an employee to pick it up and bring it back to Italy.
The Best time of year to visit Italy
Italy can be great in all seasons and it really depends on which region you want to go! Northern Italy is full of stunning mountain ranges and can be quite cold in the winter, great for skiing, but trying to get married in the Dolomites isn’t really an option. Southern Italy has more beaches and vineyards and can get really warm in the summer. I always think shoulder seasons have the most temperate weather and less tourists!
4. The Best Locations to get married in Italy
1. The Dolomites
Closest Airport
Bolzano- 2 hour drive, 9 hours by bus
Venice- 2 hour drive, 2 hours by train
Best Places to Stay
Cortina d’Ampezzo is one of the main towns within The Dolomites!
These are some of my favorite accommodations:
Why I love the Dolomites for a wedding location
The Dolomites are perfect for those who absolutely love mountains! They are the iconic part of the alps that most people recognize! If you want stunning jagged peaks or a picnic in green grass with the mountains in the distance, this location is perfect for you!
2. Florence/ Tuscany
Closest Airport
Florence- 20 min by car/ 20 min by public transportation to the city centre.
Best Places to Stay
Florence is full of cute hotels and Airbnbs! If you’re looking to stay in central Florence, these are my favorite spots:
If you’re looking for a place with more of a Tuscan vineyard feel, check out this blog!
Why I love Florence as a wedding location
Florence is full of beautiful red roofs, so much culture, and is perfect if you love art and art history! The general area outside of Florence is Tuscany, which has stunning rolling hills full of vineyards, often what you picture when you think of the Italian countryside!
3. Italian Riviera
Closest Airport
Genoa- 2.5 hours by train/ 45min by car to Portofino, an iconic city in the Italian Riviera
Best Places to Stay
Full of cute little colorful buildings near the mediterranean sea, you can’t go wrong in booking a place with a view!
Why I love the Italian Riviera as a wedding location
The Italian Riviera is full of beautiful sea views and colorful little buildings! If you’re looking for an upscale beachy vibe, this is definitely the spot! There’s so much mediterranean architecture and opportunities to take little boats out on the water to really enjoy all the stunning cliffsides!
4. Lake Garda
Closest Airport
Milan- 2.5 hours by car/ 10 hours by public transport
Venice- 2.5 hours by car / 8 hours by public transport
Both of these directions are to the northern part of the lake!
Best Places to Stay
Lake Garda is absolutely stunning, but the northern part of the lake is the side filled with all the iconic mountain views that seem to touch the lake!
Here are my favorite Airbnbs in the area:
Why I love Lake Garda as a wedding location
Lake Garda is such a stunning lake full of mountains that surround the whole area! From little towns to shop in and large wedding venues with lakefront ceremony locations, you’ll fall in love with this spot! Not to mention, you can take a private boat around the lake for a fun way to view the area!
5. Sicily
Closest Airport
Catania: 2 hour bus up the eastern coast or a 50 min drive to Taormina, an iconic town on Sicily!
Best Places to Stay
The Eastern side of Sicily is known for its stunning beaches and views of Mount Etna, an active volcano!
Here are some of my favorite places to stay:
Apartment with unique character
Why I love Sicily as a wedding location
Sicily is a warm beachy get away on the Mediterranean! It’s full of unique medieval towns, shops, and stunning views of the Mediterranean with a ton of historic architecture.
5. FAQ’s about getting married in Italy
Is Italy LGBTQ+ Friendly?
Most people are LGBTQ+ friendly. The Northern part of Italy is a bit more liberal while southern Italy can be more conservative. In larger cities, people are more welcoming towards queer couples. Legally, same se couples can have a civil union in Italy, but not be married.
Can I get married in Italy as a US citizen?
Yes! There’s a list of things you need to do on this website. Alternatively, you can get legally married at your local courthouse, then have all the ceremonies abroad!
Where is the best place to get married in Italy?
The best mountain locations to get married at in Italy are The Dolomites and Lake Garda. The best beach locations to get married at in Italy are the Italian Riviera and Sicily.
Do I need to rent a car in Italy?
Public transportation, especially between big cities in Italy, is accessible and quite fast. If you want to take your time exploring some places off the beaten path, renting a car is a great option!
Do they speak English in Italy?
In most major cities, you should be able to find someone that speaks English since there’s a good amount of tourists. If the don’t speak English, German and French would be other common languages (besides Italian.)
6. Italy Elopement Photographer
Hi!! I’m Meghan, an American photographer now based in Europe showing couples from all around the world this beautiful continent. I know that getting married in a different country can be a stressful time, but I’m here to help you out! As someone that understands American wedding culture and knows my way around Europe, you’re really getting the best of both worlds when it comes to hiring me as your elopement or intimate wedding photographer!
Reach out to me here
7. Italy Elopement Packages
Depending on your ideal elopement vision, I offer a variety of hourly coverage from half day (4 hours), full day (7 hours) or a multi day experience (12 hours!)
Every package comes with planning calls, a custom location guide, a custom notion planner we collaborate on, a printed 60 page elopement guide, and more!
For the entire italy elopement experience, check out this page!
8. Final Tips for getting married in Italy
Italy is by far one of the dreamiest countries to get married in! This article is full of some great tips, but to summarize, these are the most important:
- Carry 2 credit cards and some emergency cash (no amex)
- Renting a car is the best way to explore towns off the beaten path and have the freedom to explore!
- Getting legally married in the US is the easiest way to make things official, but it is possible to get married in Italy!
- Brush up on some Italian in Duolingo just in case!
- Keep all important documents/keepsakes or elopement attire in carry ons so nothing major is lost!
9. Other European Elopement resources
If your heart isn’t set on Italy quite yet, here are some of my other favorite blogs around Europe!
