From sweeping olive vineyards, with colorful chalets nestled among the hillside, to charming espresso shops and the finest restaurant service, there’s nothing more romantic than an Italian wedding. Are you planning a destination wedding in Italy? Maybe you have Italian ancestors and wish to honor your heritage in your wedding? Whatever the reason, Italy’s wedding tradition is one of rich cultural heritage and unmatched charm.
In this article we will explore some Italian wedding traditions that make this culture unique.
Can Americans get married in Italy?
If you are a foreigner and plan to get married in Italy there are a few logistical aspects you’ll need to get out of the way first. If you are not Italian, you’ll be required to pay a foreigners fee. You’ll need to apply for approval in the town where you wish to get married in and submit your documents at least 6 months prior to your wedding. You can find out more information by checking out the US Embassy’s website for legal details on getting married in Italy.
Italian Pre-wedding Traditions
Wedding Proposal
The proposal is an important aspect of Italian culture. Typically a groom will propose to his bride in a beautiful park, a historic location or in the town plaza. It’s generally a grandiose and dramatic presentation of the engagement ring.
Promessa di Matrimonia
Close family and friends gather for a small pre-wedding ceremony known as “Promessa di Matrimonio.” or the promise to marry. A ‘rehearsal’ dinner will also be served and toast will be offered to the couple to wish them many happy years of marriage. As a symbol of good luck, the bride will wear a green dress to this festive meal.
La Serenata
As portrayed in Romeo and Juliet, La Serenata is the tradition of the groom singing under the bride’s window on the night before the wedding. Sometimes friends and family are involved in the serenade as well. One of the most well known examples of ‘La Seranata’ is in Shakespeare’s tragedy where Romeo professes his undying love to Juliet as she looks out from her balcony.
Italian Wedding Attire
Italy is one of the leading countries in fashion and tailoring, so you can imagine they also have wedding fashion down to a fine art.
Italian wedding dresses feature all styles and cuts, and are made from some of the worlds finest fabrics. Personal expression and taste are considered important factors when choosing a wedding dress and women are encouraged to find something that is authentic.
Men typically wear a nice fitting suit or tuxedo, and some might even put a piece of steel in their back pocket. This ancient tradition is believed to help ward off evil spirits. Similarly, the bride might have a rip in her veil as a symbol of good luck.
Italian Wedding Ceremonies
If the couple is Catholic, the ceremony usually takes place in a beautiful chapel. A wedding mass will be held, where a special reading followed by the exchange of vows and wedding rings complete the ceremony. Traditional Italian hymns and music might also be included.
For secular couples, a civil ceremony can be conducted by the mayor or registrar and can take place in a number of locations such as a vineyard, garden or historical building. These ceremonies are a little more flexible and leave room for the couple to include hand-written vows or special readings.
Italian Wedding Rituals
Coin Exchange
Sometimes Italian couples include a coin exchange ceremony in their wedding. It’s a ritual that reflects the couple’s commitment to sharing their prosperity and wealth equally.
Throwing Rice
As the newlyweds make their exit, guests will shower them with uncooked rice grains. This tradition is meant to symbolize fertility and prosperity. In Sicilian weddings, instead of rice, grains of wheat are chucked at the couple.
The Italian Wedding Cake
There’s nothing more iconic in an Italian wedding than the ‘torta nuziale’, or the wedding cake. One of the most popular is the millefoglie; a large, flat and broad cake made out of puff-pastry layers filled with cream.
Charlotte cake is another traditional Italian wedding sponge cake with chocolate mousse filling.
Wedding Favors
Another very popular tradition during Italian wedding receptions is the giving of favors or ‘bombierne’. A table is prepared with small bags or jars of ‘la confettata” or confetti. This isn’t the paper confetti you may be thinking of, but rather small candied almonds in various flavours. Wedding guests are encouraged to take the ‘bombierne’ home with them as momentos.
Italian Folk Dancing
The traditional Italian wedding dance is known as ‘La Tarantella.’ This circle dance was historically believed to be a cure for tarantism, a disease caused from a tarantula bite. Although people don’t believe in this superstition anymore, the dance remains a popular aspect of the Italian wedding tradition.
That’s all the Italian wedding traditions we’ve got for now, but have you ever considered officiating an Italian-style wedding?
Officiate an Italian-American Wedding
Don’t miss the opportunity to officiate an Italian-American wedding ceremony for one of your friends or family. You can get ordained online for free with a number of online organizations by just filling out a simple form that only takes a couple minutes to complete. As long as you are over eighteen years old, and agree with the basic tenants of the organization, ordination is quick, easy, and completely legal. The credentials are only valid within the US, so you won’t be able to officiate a wedding in Italy. However, as long as the wedding is registered within the US and you meet the requirements for ordination, you can officiate a wedding anywhere within the fifty states. We highly suggest getting ordained with American Marriage Ministries. Once ordained, you’ll have access to a library of information to help you learn all the aspects of wedding from writing your speech to filling out the marriage license.
Whether you plan to include some of these Italian wedding traditions at your own celebration, or you simply feel a little more prepared to ask your Italian lover the big question, you should now have a better picture of Italian wedding culture. Best of luck!
-Bernard Paul