Tips for Eloping to Amalfi Coast & Greece?
 

Hi Everyone - I am getting married!! And it looks like we're going to elope since we're not into the big wedding thing. So, we're thinking of doing a prolonged wedding/honeymoon for about 3 weeks in Italy/Greece. Right now, we're thinking 10 days in Amalfi Coast (and possibly heading up to Italian Riviera for a few days). Then 10 days in the Greek Islands. Any advice on when to go? Was thinking May or September, but not sure if the weather is good in all of these spots during this time of year. Also, does anyone know what the requirements are to get married in Italy and still have it valid in the US? Any other tips would be MUCH appreciated. I'm still very early in my planning...Thanks - Laura

I'm getting married this summer, but in California so I can't really help you there : )

However, I have traveled Cinque Terre and highly recommend it. I absolutely LOVE it there! We are spending our honeymoon in Italy - Positano (by Amalfi), Cortona, and Elba. Very excited!!! Positano has come highly recommended but it will depend on your budget. I have obtained extensive information for Positano if you'd like.

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May weather in the Greek islands is fantastic, and the tourist business operators are not burned out from the summer's madness. They actually have genuine smiles on their faces in May.;) It's a great time to go. Santorini is the ultimate honeymoon island, specifically the village of Oia.

You can get cheap flights on Aegean Airlines from Rome and Milan to Athens and on to Santorini or one of several other islands with airports.

http://www.aegean-air.gr/aegeanen/home/

Steve - I'd like the positano info. thanks

Gil

If you do a search above you will find several threads on getting married in Italy. I didn't pay that ckose attention - since I'm not - but believe there are quite a few formalities to be completed - including translating your personal documents into Italian - and there may be a residency requirement - not sure.

I don;t think you can simply walk up and do it - well you can;t do that here either most places - but definitely some advance planning is needed.

Two thoughts:

1. Positano is an unbelievably romantic place for a wedding - highly recommend it (went there for wedding of daughter of a friend and it was magical - here's trip report if you're interested: http://www.hightide.com/travel/Italy2003/Italy2003.html)

2. As the mom of two daughters (19 and 22) just want to say this: do both sets of parents know what you're planning? If you deprive them of the experience to be part of your wedding, they will never forgive you!!!!!

Hello Imavolio, I am not sure about the residency requirement in Italy to be married, I do not think (but I could be wrong) that the Italian law requires that but I am almost positive that NYTraveler is correct about your having to have your documents translated into Italian. That seems to be the case with every legal document in Italy.

I know you cannot just "arrive" in Italy and get married immediately.

So do your homework, it can be done as obviously other Americans have gotten married in Italy.

And best wishes to both of you and have a beautiful honeymoon.

Both Greece and Italy require a good bit of documentation in the local language before they will issue a marriage license. Take a look at the info on getting married abroad put together by the US embassy in Greece and Italy at:

http://www.usembassy.gr/consular/ac_marriage.htm
www.usembassy.it/cons/acs/marriage.htm

If it turns out to be too much hassle to get all the documentation together, you can always get married in the US and then go on a European honeymoon.

If you are legally married under the laws of either country, every US state will recognize your marriage as being valid, so don’t worry about that. (Exception might be if you are marrying someone underage (e.g. under 14), a first cousin or a person of the same sex.) Your marriage license will be in Greek or Italian, so it might be helpful for you at some point to have an official English translation made of your marriage license. The Italian or Greek embassies in the US may do this, or the US embassy in each country may have a list of official translators. The ceremony will also be performed in Greek or Italian, and if you don’t speak the language, you may not find this as meaningful.

Congrats on your engagement! I am getting married in May in California and now at the end of our planning. I wish we would have continued with our decision to elope and go to Fiji. It is your day and don't think you have to have a wedding just b/c your family wants it. My fiance and I live in the Netherlands and he is from Ireland and I from the U.S. W have gone carzy doing things just for our family. I say go to Italy and Greece!! The paperwork may be hard to get sorted, but how exciting. You can always get married in the U.S. and then hop on your plane. OK travel suggestions. All the Italians go on their holidays the month of August and they don't mind being very close together at the beach at this time, but it could be not so relaxing for you. May or June would also be fine. I think the weather in Sept should be perfect esp since the malfi coast is south. Cinque Terra is very nice-although is becoming touristy. If you go there make sure you hike through the towns it is gorgeous! The Amalfi coast is also beautiful. I have a friend that went to Greece for her honeymoon and said that Santorini is not to be missed and very romantic. Best Wishes! Susan

I think most couples use a wedding planner in Italy -- he/she mainly arranges the paperwork. Eloping to Italy sounds terribly romantic... and the Amalfi Coast would be a beautiful, memorable spot. I do agree with hightide, though. Do check with your parents and get their thoughts. Two years ago, newly engaged, my fiance and I would have loved to elope. Instead, we had a big wedding because our parents' would have been crushed otherwise (mine in particular). In fact, the wonderful part of a wedding is that it's a community event, it's not just about the couple, and it isn't just your day -- and that's what makes it meaningful. Though I do admit to feeling crazy in the run up... wait until your wedding day when you're surronded by the people who know and love you, who are bursting with happiness and good wishes for you.

I think most couples use a wedding planner in Italy -- he/she mainly arranges the paperwork. Eloping to Italy sounds terribly romantic... and the Amalfi Coast would be a beautiful, memorable spot. I do agree with hightide, though. Do check with your parents and get their thoughts. Two years ago, newly engaged, my fiance and I would have loved to elope. Instead, we had a big wedding because our parents' would have been crushed otherwise (mine in particular). In fact, the wonderful part of a wedding is that it's a community event, it's not just about the couple, and it isn't just your day -- and that's what makes it meaningful. Though I do admit to feeling crazy in the run up... wait until your wedding day when you're surrounded by the people who know and love you, who are bursting with happiness and good wishes for you (even if it's just your parents).

Hi Laura
Congratulations on your decision to marry.
And it is your decision, and hopefully over the coming months you'll find a way to include your families and friends in some way.
My first visit to Ravello was in September, which was beautiful because all the grapes in the vineyards were fat on the vine, just before the wine harvest. I saw 3 weddings in a couple of days there!
There are so many wedding planners, easily googled.
Here are four links to check out:

www.italyweddingplanners.com

www.dolcevitaseddings.com

www.bestitalianweddings.com

www.theweddingexperience.com (based in Naples)

I am sure these consultants have the legal information that you need, and can help you find a way through the legal maze...

Best of luck

I'm reposting this from a previous thread where I provided this information.

My wedding in Italy was in 1989, but I think the paperwork still works the same way. We got information from the US State Department on the documents necessary. We also had friends in Italy who verified the information for us. We did not hire a wedding planner.

Document 1) We had to get a document here in the United States from the Italian consulate. I forget its name, but basically it states that the two parties are allowed to marry, that they are not married to anyone else, that they are not leaving children behind. You must bring 4 friends with you as witnesses to this document. (Since I live in NYC there was a consulate close at hand. Even Italians who marry in Italy must get this document.)

Document 2) We obtained Italian translations of our birth certificates. We were told we would need these though I'm not sure that anyone ever really did use them.

Document 3) We took these documents to a US consulate in Italy. We chose Milan since we planned to wed in Venice, so Milan was the closest. (In the US, we had been told we would need two witnesses at the consulate, so we had two friends, Italian nationals, come along--and it ended up their presence was unnecessary. Fortunately, since they are Italian they understood the system of misinformation ans shrugged it off.)

The US consulate generated a form (sorry, again the name escapes me) that then had to be notarized by the Italian Prefettura. We'd heard horror stories about trying to align opening and closing times--Apply for form at US consulate in morning, return for form in afternoon; oh joy, now Prefettura is closed for the day and we must wait till the next day. We'd also heard horror stories about chasing down the correct marcobolli, official stamps needed for the documents. Happily, we were told that the notarization could take place in Venice, so we didn't have an unplanned overnight in Milan. And the Venice Prefettura had the correct marcobolli, so no chasing to tabacchi for stamps.

Document 4) We went to Venice two days ahead, got our notarization at the prefettura, and then took all the documents to the marriage bureau for a marriage license. Since we were foreigners, there was no need to post banns and no residency requirements.

Two days later we were married in the town hall by an official magistrate (in ceremonial sash), in the City Council room overlooking the Grand Canal. (I had called the Venice marriage bureau 4 months earlier to reserve our wedding time. We had guests coming from the US and wanted to give them a definite day and time.) We did not need a translator, because the woman (Sra Fuccillo) then at the marriage bureau spoke English. The magistrate said his part in Italian, and then Sra Fuccillo would read the English translation of the same section. Most of my guests couldn't understand her heavily accented English, but I had no problem.

We were issued a marriage license on a form that was in (I think) four different languages. We paid for an extra copy of the license, since we figured it might be difficult to obtain another copy if needed later.

We ran into two other American couples getting married during the same few days. One couple had tried to get married in Florence, but were told they didn't have the correct papers, so they called around and ended up in Venice, where there was no problem.

This may sound involved, but it was a lot less involved than planning a large wedding in the US.

Congratulations on your impending marriage, or as the Italians would say, Auguri!

Hi Ima,

May on the AC is lovely.

Why can't you get married in the US and go on a honeymoon to Europe.

((I))

Thanks so much for the tips everyone!! I just called the Italian Embassy on Friday to get a list of requirements for getting married in Italy. It does sound complicated, so doing something very simple in the US first and then travelling to Amalfi & Greece for our honeymoon sounds like another option to consider. I'll be sure to file a trip report when I'm back. Thanks again!! - Laura

I whole heartedly agree with Hightide. Whatever you do, please discuss it with your parents first. My nephew eloped and call his mom on the way back. The whole family was broken hearted. His mother was devistated.

I'll finish what I was saying..... so even if you elope at home, please discuss it with your family first. I know it's none of my business, but when I hear elope it brings up memories.

I'm getting married in Santorini next month and have come to know a lot about how to get married in Greece and I am more than happy to share my knowledge with you! We aren't eloping however. We have about 50 family and close friends coming to Santorini to enjoy the island with us....