About Wedding Ceremonies
How much in advance shall I plan my wedding abroad?
Normally we suggest to plan the ceremony at least 6 months in advance also if this time can vary according to the kind of the ceremony chosen, to the number of guests joining the wedding and also from the nationality of the wedding couple.
What kind of ceremonies can be performed?
- Civil ceremonies
- Catholic ceremonies
- Catholic blessings
- Protestant blessings and ceremonies
- Jewish ceremonies
- Symbolic ceremonies
Is the ceremony in English?
Catholic, Protestant and Symbolic ceremonies are normally conducted in English while the Civil services are in Italian with a legal translator.
What's the best time of the year to get married in Italy?
Most of the weddings are from April to October because of the good weather. We advise you against choosing August because it is really hot and it is a busy month normally chosen by the Italians for their holidays. Recently it is really cool to get married at winter time in the Alps area.
About symbolic ceremony or renewal of vows
Can we plan a symbolic wedding or a renewal of vows?
Yes. You have just to tell us what you have in mind and we let you have our creative proposals.
About Catholic Ceremonies
Can we have a full Roman Catholic wedding in Italy?
Yes. Even if you need to fulfil strict requirements that sometimes can descourage you. We arrange more than one Catholic wedding a year and we can help you with the necessary paperwork.
Has the Catholic wedding legal value?
In case you require a wedding performed in a church but with legal value you have to provide us with the above mentioned requirements and also with the civil paperwork.
Can the catholic wedding take place if only one of the party is Catholic?
Yes it can.
About Protestant Blessings
Can I arrange a religious service in a villa?
Yes, we can arrange a blessing service in the garden, in the private chapel or in the halls of many of our villas.
In case of divorce can we remarry in a Church?
Yes, but more than a year must have passed from the date of the divorce sentence of the previous marriage.
About the Civil service
Is the civil service performed in Italy recognized in other countries?
Yes, it is. The Town Hall issues a multilingual wedding certificate that will be given to you at the end of the ceremony: This certificate has legal value in your country and must be registered once you are back home. Feel free to ask Happening to produce extra copies any time in the future if needed.
Is there a lot of paperwork to do?
It is not that complicated. Upon confirmation Happening will provide you with the list of paperwork to be done in your country and in Italy and will personally assist you with all the formalities and at your arrival in Italy.
How long do we have to be in Italy before the wedding date?
It depends, three days is usually sufficient, and sometimes even less.
In case of divorce of both or one of the parties, can the legal civil service be done and recognized?
Yes, although for women Italian law requires that 300 days have passed from the date of the final sentence of dissolution.
Can the civil ceremony take place outdoors?
Normally not but there are a few town halls that offer the exception.
How many witnesses do we need?
The witnesses necessary for a civil service are usually two. In case you are planning your wedding as a romantic escape for two, Happening can take care of arranging the witnesses for you.
Who will perform the ceremony and do we need a translator?
The Mayor or an officer of the Town Hall will perform the ceremony in Italian and by law you need the translation of an official translator that Happening will provide for you.
How long does the civil ceremony last?
The official ceremony lasts about 15/20 minutes. We always advise to personalized the ceremony with speeches of friends and family or with your personal vows.
About Booking the Wedding Venue and Services
How do we get started?
Once you know the kind of ceremony and the kind of wedding reception you have in mind we will discuss together the feasibility of your ideas and the possible locations. Then we check the availability of the date and prepare the estimate budget for your own wedding.
How can we choose the wedding venue and the services?
You can go through our rich photo galleries or come and visit us. In this second case we will arrange for you different inspection programmes in order to visit the possible venues and also the services suppliers.
About Budget
How can we figure out the final budget?
We do not sell “package” weddings. The final price depends mostly from the number of guests and the number of the services required. A simple civil service without any extras can cost even less than 1000 Euro.
How are your fees arranged?
We require a ceremony and reception assistance fee depending on the kind of ceremony and the area of Italy chosen. All other services will be quoted separately.
About Contract & Payments
How can we trust your services?
You may speak to couples we have worked with in the past, and we will write up a legal contract when we undertake to assist you with your wedding plans. We are a legally recognized company here in Italy. We are happy to welcome you in our office to meet us and to check by yourselves our professionalism and our creativity.
How is the payment made?
Upon confirmation we require a small deposit to guarantee our services. Then the payment is made by bank transfer (wire) or credit card in two or three tranches depending on the budget.