Belgian Wedding in Italy

A wedding is one of the most beautiful days in a couple’s life; it is only natural that this day should live up to their expectations and remain an unforgettable memory for everyone involved. This is undoubtedly why many Belgian couples are enchanted by the idea of getting married in Italy. Romance, originality, and a change of scenery – Belgian wedding in Italy is a beautiful blend of romance and culture, and it’s not as complicated as it seems. Our wedding planners explain everything in this article!

Is a Wedding in Italy Valid in Belgium?

A civil wedding in Italy is legally recognized in Belgium. It takes place in an Italian town hall or directly at the reception venue. A marriage certificate translated into French is then given to the couple to officially register the union and transcribe it to the Italian civil registry. A civil wedding can also take place in a church within the framework of a concordat wedding. In this case, the couple receives both the religious sacrament from the officiating priest and the legal union by reading the articles of law. The civil registers are signed at the church by the couple and their witnesses at the end of the celebration. This marriage is also legally recognized by Belgium.

A ceremony in the church without concordat has only religious value and no legal value. The same applies to secular ceremonies, which allow couples to symbolically celebrate their union freely but without official recognition. Therefore, it is important for the couple to consider the value they wish to give to their union. For more clarity, we invite you to consult our page dedicated to different wedding ceremonies.

The Case of a Catholic Wedding for a Belgian Couple

Among the types of celebrations, the religious sacrament in Italy is also permitted for a foreign couple, regardless of nationality. The only criterion is that at least one of the spouses must be baptized, and the couple must undergo religious marriage preparation. Once the wedding date is confirmed, and the reception venue is chosen, the couple will freely select the church where their wedding ceremony will take place. Catholicism is part of Italian culture and heritage, offering a wide array of magnificent religious monuments to host your wedding.

The religious marriage preparation should be done in Belgium with the priest of your parish. Your priest will guide you, especially in writing your wedding booklet. Once finalized, it will be sent to the Italian parish priest who will officiate your wedding for review and approval. The religious ceremony can be conducted in French or Italian. If the priest does not speak French, it is possible to hire an interpreter and/or translate the wedding booklets for your guests.

What Are the Steps for a Belgian Couple Wishing to Marry Civilly in Italy?

For a Belgian civil wedding in Italy, the main contact for the couple is the Belgian Consulate in Rome. In addition to the civil wedding file, the couple must obtain the necessary documents and follow specific procedures.

For a Belgian civil marriage in Italy, the primary contact for the future spouses is the Belgian Consulate in Rome. In addition to the civil marriage file, the couple must obtain the Nulla Osta. This essential document for the celebration of the civil marriage in Italy is issued by the Italian authorities after the approval of the Belgian civil registry. The Nulla Osta, or certificate of no impediment, certifies that nothing opposes the union of the couple. This document is valid for six months, and the official request must be sent by mail by the future spouses to the Consulate.

Once the certificate is obtained, the couple must send their administrative file to the Italian municipality where the civil union will take place. You can consult the website of the Belgian Consulate in Rome to obtain all the administrative documents required for your civil marriage application. A few days before the wedding, it will be necessary to sign the “verbal” at the Italian town hall to confirm the marriage. Once the marriage is registered, the marriage certificate is sent to the Belgian Consulate for translation and transcription into the civil registry. The couple can then retrieve their marriage certificate directly from their local municipality in Belgium.

Steps for Organizing a Belgian Wedding in Italy

The first step is to contact a wedding planner to guide you through organizing your wedding in Italy and to provide quotes to finalize your budget. The second step, and one of the most important, is to choose your venue and wedding date. These two parameters are the starting points of the organization. Without these prerequisites, it will neither be possible to complete the administrative formalities nor obtain quotes. The third step is to reserve the town hall or church where your ceremony will take place. Some venues only provide availability a few months before the wedding. In such cases, we advise choosing another venue to confirm the wedding date if possible. For a religious wedding, it is important to contact your parish priest as soon as possible to inform them of your project and discuss the religious preparation modalities. Some priests may impose preparation periods that can extend up to a year before the wedding date.If you are considering a civil marriage in Italy, we also advise you to contact a notary or the Royal Federation of Belgian Notaries (www.notaire.be) to learn about Belgian matrimonial contracts.

Throughout these steps, our team of wedding planners will support you at each stage of organizing your wedding in Italy.