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Italy - need suggestions for wedding venue in Milan or Rome or Lake Como

Italy - need suggestions for wedding venue in Milan or Rome or Lake Como

Old Mar 30th, 2014, 12:23 PM
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Italy - need suggestions for wedding venue in Milan or Rome or Lake Como

My son/fiance are hoping to get married in Italy this fall.

What they are looking for are venues -- small churches/chapels; hotels; parks, etc. that would make a beautiful setting for a VERY SMALL (<20 people) wedding. This will be the official ceremony, but not necessarily in the Catholic Church. We are very aware of the documentation required for an Italian wedding - we're working on that already.

In all of your travels, have you come across a place that "strikes your fancy?" I would love to see your pictures.

As she will be living in Milan for the fall semester of school, locations in/around Milan, Lake Como area, or even Rome are their main focus.

Thanks in advance for your help!
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 12:32 PM
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Although you say you are very aware of all the documentation required for an italian wedding you seem unaware that not all localities in Italy have someone who will officiate at a wedding outside of the commune offices (town hall) or the local Catholic Church.

Rather than asking on a tourist board you might do some googling for "Italian wedding venues" which are filled with a zillion pictures of small churches/chapels; hotels; parks, etc. that would make a beautiful setting for a VERY SMALL (<20 people) wedding and see what strikes your fancy.

I have recently been at weddings whether it was unclear that event was about fulfilling the parents' dreams or the wedding couple's dreams. I wouldn't want to add into that mix the wedding dreams of internet posters.
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 12:37 PM
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locales for weddings outside of the town hall or the church

http://www.distinctiveitalyweddings....locations.html
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 12:55 PM
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Last September we stayed a at breath taking location Hotel Delfino in Masse Lubresne very close to Sorrento. I know you didn't mention this area but if you are open to other locations it is a beautiful setting. A lot of locals use this hotel for weddings.
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 01:21 PM
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I don't know if Villa Balbianello on Lake Como allows weddings on the property but it is so beautiful with views up the lake and across to Bellagio. We visit there every time we return to Bellagio
www.villabalbianello.com
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 01:59 PM
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HappyTrvlr - I was just this second looking at a destination wedding company and the wedding my soon-to-be DIL loved the most was at this Villa. YES, they allow weddings!!
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 02:36 PM
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If you have in mind a non-Cathcolic Christian denomination, it would be quicker to contact directly that denomination; non-Catholic churches are few and far between, almost no one of them outside large cities. Keep in mind that in Europe denomination-hopping is not as frequent as in Italy and ministers could enquire about your real bounds with the denomination. Some denominations have an agreement with the state with the same guidelines of the Catholic agreement - so Waldesian, Avventist, Baptist, Lutheran, Christian Orthodox, Mormon as well as Italian Jewish and Buddhist communities can celebrate legal weddings with the same procedure of Catholic weddings (the comune does all the papers, then delegates the religious minister to actually celebrate the rite, the minister sends back the papers to the comune). Other denominations, lacking recognition, cannot celebrate legal marriages (so a legal marriage cerimony has to be held at the comune in advance). Most religious venues are Catholic. It will be about impossible to get a Catholic church if the couple is not Catholic, if only one is Catholic it will be still difficult as the bishop has to authorize the marriage. If both are Catholics they would expected to get married in their home church; it is not impossible to convince a local minister to celebrate te marriage, as long as the papers are in perfect order, maybe they have a letter of introduction from their parish priest, and they can give a convincing explanation of the reasons they are not marrying in their parish. - As for me, I married in a major basilica in Milan that was not my home church. The parish priest was known as a very hard nut to crack. But we had clean papers, we looked extremely seirious, and we explained that we met and attended university studies at the college exactly on the right of the church, so this place had real meaning for us. We convinced him in ten minutes. - On the contrary, I personally know a parish priest in the Florence outskirsts that was offered a blank check if he gave his church half a day for the marriage of a world famous US star. As much as he needed the money, that was not enough reason to make an exception.
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 02:38 PM
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Sorry, I meant that denomination hopping is not as frequent in Europe as in US. I am writing without glasses
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 02:57 PM
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I rate the view from the Villa gardens as one of the most beautiful I have seen.
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 03:07 PM
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Our son arranged for his wedding to a non-Catholic through the auspices of Santa Susanna church in Rome which is the "home" to Americans. At the time that church was closed due to earthquake repairs and they were married at the Vatican thus skipping the egregious Italian regs. Whether they would do that now, I do not know.

But at any rate, I suggest you check that parish's website for some practical advice on weddings in Italy.
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 05:29 PM
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The fiancé has requested info already regarding marrying in a Catholic church. With all that is required (as ASPS mentions), the wedding couldn't take place for at least 9 months. They want to marry sooner than that, so probably won't get married in a Catholic church (she's Catholic, he's not). They would like to "fast track" this, but she
doubts it will happen.
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 07:39 PM
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I like the villa idea above -- (just flashed back to the wedding ceremony of Anakin Skywalker and Natalie Portman's character in the Star Wars pre-quel).

Would a justice of the peace equivalent be available and workable for this ceremony?
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Old Mar 30th, 2014, 10:20 PM
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Italy is not the place to fast track a marriage. The procedure work roughly so:
- 3 to 6 months in advance of the marriage date, you ask a meeting with a comune (city/town administration) officer; in small towns usually this is fast but in Milan they may have a waiting list
- the town officer checks your data and that both people are free to marry and not already married; if the papers do not come from Italy and/or are in a foreign language, this could be a long and difficult job
- the officer settles the patrimonial details of the marriage (mainly: after the marriage date, will the patrimonies of the couple be separate or joint?)
- if everything is OK the officer issues banns to be posted in any comune where the bride and groom have been resident. Banns are to be posted for no less than 9 days including 2 Sundays (the banns thing may be waiwed for non-resident foreigners)
- after the banns are back from each comune, a permit to marry is issued. The permit, if memory does not fail me or if nothing is changed in the meantime, expires in 6 months and is valid only for the commune that has issued it
- now you may set the marriage ceremony that will be held in the town offices. This being Italy, the town offices may not be what you are thinking and generally comunes use their best rooms. In Florence, for example, you may have the Sala Rossa (red room) of Palazzo Vecchio, that comes quite cheap for florentines but at a hefty charge for non florentines. In Milan the designated place is Palazzo Reale, on the right side of Duomo
- the celebrating officer is ordinarily the major, but in large cities a city councillor or officer is likely to be delegated. The ceremony will be in Italian as readings from the Italian civil code are compulsory.
- marriages outside the town offices are entirely at discretion of the municipal administration (not of the officer celebrating them). Most town simply will not consider them.
- if the marriage is in a Catholic church, a parallel procedure is run by the parish priest of the church where the marriage is to be celebrated. Each priest is recognized as an officer for his own parish, so if you switch churches you have to do it again with another priest;
- the church procedure will check for baptism and confirmation certificates, will check your Catholic (or not) background, if the background is not steady enough you may be asked to attend a series of meetings (or attend them at your own parish); banns are again to be posted;
- the priest waits for the permit to marry from the comune
- after the marriage is celebrated, the priest sends back the signed deed to the comune and the marriage has the same value as having been celebrated at the comune
(similar procedures for non-Catholic faiths that have reached an agreement with the state and whose marriages are recognized as having legal value)

These are are the procedures. There is almost no leeway. You may like a villa but if the comune officer does not like the idea of marriages outside his/her seat, the idea will be unworkable. Also, I have never heard of a Catholic marriage outside a church. Non Catholic ministers may be more flexible (not necessary) but you must check if they belong to an agreement church (if not, the marriage has to be at the comune and then you may do what you like with your minister).
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Old Mar 31st, 2014, 03:31 AM
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Hi Jill, definitely the settings of Villa Balbianello is one of the best Lake of Como can offer if your budget can afford it. Italy has so many beautiful spots that it is hard to list only few of them and if you are not familiar with Italian burocracy wedding can become a nightmare. Due to my job at an entertainment agency I often visit wedding locations with musicians and artists and sometimes we book the location for clients as well, so my personal opinion for you is to define a city, an area or at least if you prefer the landscape offered by mountains, hills, lakes, seas or an historic city centre. After picking your destination you will find a variety of options from old churches, romantic villas and modern venues as well.
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Old Mar 31st, 2014, 03:50 AM
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Thanks for everyone's input.
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Old Mar 31st, 2014, 07:22 PM
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Varenna is the perfect venue for a wedding. It is located on Lake Como just up the lake from Bellagio. It is quaint with a couple of picturesque churches and several hotels nearby that seems to cater to weddings. We traveled to Varenna from Bellagio last year on a day trip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varenna
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Old Mar 31st, 2014, 07:51 PM
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jill_h- Congrats to the happy couple!!

I'll be in Milan in a couple weeks. I'll have a look around. Or if you have specific spots in Milan you've heard of, I'd be happy to stop by and take photos or have a look-see. Just email me! (Though, I'm thinking if it is not cost-prohibitive..the lakes will win out!)

Paula
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Old Apr 1st, 2014, 12:49 PM
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Thanks Sarge -- what I have found out in my research, is that you can't perform a wedding just anywhere in Italy. The towns allow certain places to be used for weddings.

Thanks so much for the offer -- however, feel free to snoop around and share pics, as my future DIL may like to scope out new places to eat, visit, hang out!

Have fun on your trip!
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Old Apr 1st, 2014, 01:10 PM
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There is a charming place just outside Rome at Lake Bracciano, Villa Clementina. http://www.hotelvillaclementina.it/en/home.php
Not sure if they have weddings there, but it's worth looking into.
There is a beautiful restaurant in Rome, just at the edge of the Pincio (the Borghese Gardens). Gorgeous location, view, and very good food.
I believe I read they have weddings there.
http://www.casinavaladier.it/

Have fun!
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