Getting Married in Florence as a foreigner

Getting Married in Florence as a foreigner

A bride looking to the Arno river in the center of Florence.

Learn how to get married in Florence and plan your civil Wedding.

Besides Planners, we have been legal consultants for the Italian foreign offices! This experience allowed us to gain deep expertise in foreign affairs.

Book your Wedding in the Sala Rossa in Florence (Red Room).

As explained several times in our blog, to get you legally married in Italy, we must check which international Convention or bilateral agreement correctly applies to your citizenship and then follow the Italian general Law, especially article 116 of the civil code that refers to Nulla Osta.

It is also essential to consider that each town hall has its internal practices. 

Therefore, as your local wedding planner in Italy, we can help you investigate the availability of the best town hall to get married in Tuscany and all the rules applicable in that specific municipality.

How to get legally married in Florence?

Regarding the celebration of civil marriage of non-resident foreigners in the municipality of Florence, as your wedding planners here, we will book an appointment for a declaration through which you will declare that there are no impediments referred to in art. 85, 86, 87 n: 1-2-4, 88, and 89 of the Italian Civil Code.

This declaration is made at this Office without witnesses, with an interpreter if necessary, at least two days before the Wedding (all the presents have to show a valid ID).

In this case, (non-resident spouses), no notice of marriage will be requested according to Art,

. 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

If you have used our services, we will provide the official Nulla Osta issued by your Consulate in Italy, legalized in Prefettura (if required by the international Conventions).

On the wedding day, two witnesses must present a valid ID.

If the spouses or one does not know the Italian language, they must be assisted by an interpreter (with a valid identity document), who will have to intervene at the declaration mentioned above and the civil wedding ceremony.

It should be noted that the Italian public Office needs to provide an interpreter. 

Therefore you can easily entrust this to us as your wedding planner in Florence.

A multilingual marriage license released according to the Vienna Convention will be issued and delivered to the couple the same day or the same days after to your wedding planner, who will mail it to you.

When does the couple need to wait for the notice of marriage (the so-called pubblicazioni di matrimonioin Florence?

If one or both spouses are even foreigners but reside in Italy, the town hall where they live will need to publicize the notice of marriage for 11 consecutive days to inform anyone interested in opposition to the celebration.

Only once the notice expires the civil wedding ceremony can take place.

Where the civil Wedding or civil union can take place in Florence?

Wedding or civil union celebrations occur in the Sala Rossa (Red Room) or the Santa Maria Novella complex.

The Sala di Cosimo I, the “Red Room” in Palazzo Vecchio, is institutionally dedicated to celebrating civil marriages.

The marriage or civil union fee is exempted from the charge for citizens residing in Florence (or registered with the AIRE of Florence).

In the Sala Rossa, it is possible to celebrate in the mornings during the following days:

– Wednesday from 9 to 12 (12.30 and 13 hours are also available in case there are no reservations for the Santa Maria Novella Complex)

– Thursday from 9 to 12 (12.30 and 13 hours are also available in case there are no reservations for the Santa Maria Novella complex)

– Saturday from 9 to 13

in the room located inside the Santa Maria Novella Complex on the following days:

– Wednesday at 1 pm (for both 2020 and 2021)

– Thursday at 1 pm (only for 2020)

In the complex of Santa Maria Novella, some rooms are available for rent upon reservation for the organization of a toast, a buffet, or a reception after the celebration of the Wedding or civil union.

Those who do not reside in the municipality of Florence or are not registered with the AIRE of Florence can get married in the Sala Rossa or the hall of the Santa Maria Novella Complex by paying a rate, diversified and graduated according to the place of residence, which increases based on specific criteria that we will show you.

Civil weddings and civil unions can be requested, even by residents, for a fee for only one Saturday afternoon per month and one Sunday morning per month (excluding August).

  1. Celebration of weddings / civil unions in other monumental rooms

The other rooms available for weddings and civil unions, for anyone and for a fee, are:

– Bardini Museum (two Wednesday afternoons a month, from 3 to 4 pm)

– Sala di Lorenzo (two Thursday afternoons a month, from 3 to 4 pm)

– Salone dei 500 (one Thursday afternoon a month from 3 to 4 pm)

– Rose garden (two Tuesday mornings a month from May to September, from 10.30 to 12.30)

– Villa Vogel (one Tuesday morning a month, from 10.30 to 12.30)

How do I book the civil Wedding in the Florence Municipality?

Reservation of the date is made at the request of your wedding planner.

The timing of the legally binding ceremony in Florence or the civil union must be agreed upon with the Office, considering the abovementioned availability.

The future spouses, one week before the celebration, will have to:

– confirm the marriage or civil union booked;

– communicate the choice of the property separation regime (Article 162 of the Italian Civil Code) or the choice of the Law to be applied to Property Relations (Article 30 and 32 ter c.4 ‘Law No. 218/1995 / EU Regulations 1103 and 1104 of 2016) to be declared in the marriage / civil union certificate.

Please note that the spouses who will celebrate the marriage or the civil union in Florence at the request of the Mayor of another Municipality in Italy or the Italian Consul abroad must present themselves one week before the celebration with the following:

– request from the Mayor of the Municipality of residence or the Italian Consulate abroad;

Who will be your Counselors and Planners

Law firm for marriage in Italy.

Due to our experience in law firms and the foreign offices of the Italian public administration, we gained significant expertise in Consular affairs, and we are trained to solve the most complicated procedure such as:

1) Nulla osta process, legalization procedure, Court hearings for the refusal of the town hall when there documents missing , legal translation, apostille procedure, emergency procedure for legalization.

2) Same-sex couples that want to celebrate a civil union in Italy as in their country the union is forbidden;

3) Couples that come from countries where divorce is not allowed;

4) Italians living abroad registered at AIRE that need to recover their document to start the marriage banns in the Italian Consulate;

5) Assistance with people that come from countries that do not release the nulla osta;

6) American and Australian couples who needs assistance with “atto notorio” in an Italian Court or the Italian Consulate in the USA or Australia.

7) People with refugee status who have requested asylum in Italy.

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