A Venice Wedding

ABOVE:  A wedding gondola in Venice. INSET BELOW: A water taxi in "Just Married" livery.

Many English-speaking couples seem fascinated by the idea of a wedding in Venice. It's true that a Venetian wedding is more romantic than a quick ceremony at Chuckwagon Charlie's Chapel of Love in Reno--or, for that matter, at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

However, the red tape involved can be intimidating if you haven't already had a wedding or two in Italy, and it's important to do your homework before you go. Better yet, hire a professional to arrange the paperwork, ceremony, and reception. The Web links on this page will help you get started on your way to a Venetian altar.

Legal requirements, ceremonies, and services

Civil Service vs. Church Blessing
Italian weddings typically involve two distinct ceremonies: civil and religious. Italy Weddings (a wedding organizer in Florence) suggests that, to avoid red tape, you may want to have the civil ceremony in your home country and the "church blessing" in Italy.

Registry-Office Wedding in Venice City Centre
The Comune de Venezia offers weddings in the Palazzo Cavalli, or the Venice city hall, albeit at a high price. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to pages on legal requirements, times, and costs.)

Legal Requirements for Marriage of U.S. Citizens in Italy
This excellent compendium of legal lore is from the U.S. Consular Service in Milan. It's offered by Destinations Europe, a tour company that specializes in European weddings and honeymoons.

The Venice Wedding Planner
Anna Bozza, Hélène Salvadori, and Giovanna Wurmbrand-Stuppach can help you arrange civil and religious ceremonies, receptions, engagement or anniversary celebrations, and more.

Weddings in Italy
Regency San Marino SRL arranges weddings in Italy's most popular cities--including Venice.

Venice Wedding and Fashion Photography
Norbert Heyl, the topnotch photographer who illustrated Venice Master Artisans, will shoot your wedding or honeymoon photos in Venice. (He also does fashion and portraits.)

Related article

Honeymoon in Venice veniceforvisitors.com
Who needs a heart-shaped bathtub in the Poconos when there's a singing gondolier beneath the terrace of your bridal suite?

Top photo copyright © Marisa Allegra.
Inset photo copyright © Richard Goerg.