Church Weddings in Italy

Marriages in Roman Catholic churches in Italy are registered by the state and therefore have full legal  status. It is not necessary to have a civil ceremony in addition to the Roman Catholic one.

This is not the case with any other religions, where you will need to have a civil wedding, either in Italy or elsewhere, first. We have some information about marriages for non- Roman Catholics here, specifically for those of Anglican, Episcopalian, Baptist and Jewish faiths.

Roman Catholic Weddings

Whether the clergy in a particular Roman Catholic church will agree to marry you or not is up to them, so you need to make contact and discuss this well in advance of the date of your wedding. Italy is very much a Catholic country and there are many churches to chose from.

The church paperwork takes some time to complete, so realistically you need to start at least 6 months prior to the wedding.

All church paperwork is completed in the Bride's parish, though some documents, such as a baptismal and confirmation certificates, will be needed from the Groom's parish also.

Documentation

This is just the church documentation and is required in addition to the civil documentation, which is described here.

• Pre-nuptial enquiry form for each party to the marriage (can be obtained from your local parish)
• Baptismal certificates for each party, issued from the parish of your baptism and dated within the past six months.
• Confirmation certificate issued from the parish of your confirmation and dated within the last six months.
• Permission from the bride’s Parish Priest that she may be married outside her own parish (Letter of Freedom).

These documents are forwarded by the bride’s parish priest to the local Bishop who will then prepare a covering letter and forward them directly to the church where you will be getting married.

In some cases additional documents may be required:

• Additional Letters of freedom from other parishes where either party has lived for a significant period.
• A dispensation if either party to the marriage is not baptised in the Roman Catholic Church.
• If either party had a previously annulled marriage a Decree of Nullity.
• If either party was previously married, a death certificate.

Your local priest will be able to advise on which if any of these are required.

Pre-marriage Courses

While a pre-marriage course is not a requirement, it will be recommended that you attend one and some parishes may make it a requirement before issuing documents.

Translation of Documents

For most Churches in Italy you will need translations of your documents, which should be carried out by an approved translator. Contact theItalian Embassy in your country for a list of approved translators.

In the case of marriages arranged through the Irish College in Rome, with the wedding taking place in St. John Lateran in Rome, no translations are required.
 

Weddings in Rome for Irish Citizens

The Pontifical Irish College in Rome have for many years offered a service to Irish Citizens which greatly helps them in organising a wedding in Rome.More info here.

In the case of marriages arranged through the Irish College in Rome, with the wedding taking place in St. John Lateran in Rome, no translations are required.

Non- Catholic Church Weddings in Italy

Although this page contains some information which may be useful to those looking for churches, please bear in mind that weddings ceremonies conducted in any church other than a Roman Catholic church in Italy will not be legal marriages.

You must also have a civil wedding in order for your marriage to be registered.

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