L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 4 PAULA REYNOLDS NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS " Amo solo te" ~ I love only you You've said "yes" … and the planning begins. Opulent or simple, a wedding is prob- ably the closest most of us will ever get to crafting our own real, live fairy tale. Nat- urally, a dreamscape setting is part of the tale…and what could be dreamier than say- ing "I do" in Italy? F r o m n o r t h t o s o u t h , Italy's 20 regions are rich i n m o v i e - s e t - w o r t h y s c e n e r y f e a t u r i n g j u s t about any postcard vista a bride could want. Topped off with historic architec- ture, bountiful wine, the best of food, and abundant traditions, it's no surprise t h a t I t a l y o f f e r s m o s t everything needed for that f a i r y t a l e w e d d i n g . S o much so that in 2015, the I t a l i a n w e d d i n g t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y reported 380 million euro in revenue that rose to 540 m i l l i o n i n 2 0 1 9 . M a y b e money really can buy hap- piness, at least when we're talking about weddings. "Sei la stella del mio c i e l o " ~ Y o u a r e t h e star in my sky There's no question that a countryside wedding in I t a l y c a n b e o v e r - t h e - moon romantic…but even the most starry-eyed must plant their feet on solid ground to pull off a seam- l e s s e v e n t . S e c u r i n g a legally bound marriage in Italy requires extra layers o f d o c u m e n t s m o s t A m e r i c a n s h a v e n e v e r heard of. While it can be a c h a l l e n g e f o r t h e i m p a - tient, it's not impossible if carried out properly before the big day. Some docu- ments are obvious: a valid passport, a certified birth certificate, and proof of termination of any prior marriage. But it's not quite that simple. Any document i s s u e d o u t s i d e o f I t a l y must be legalized with an Apostille stamp (proof of l e g i t i m a c y ) w i t h i n t h e state it originated, as well as be fully transcribed in I t a l i a n b y a t r a n s l a t o r a p p r o v e d b y t h e I t a l i a n Consulate. These obliga- tions are actually the easy part. Next task: procuring the Italian-issued documents required to make things official. First on the list is t h e D i c h i a r a z i o n e Giurata. Simply stated, t h i s d o c u m e n t v e r i f i e s there is no existing imped- iment to the marriage. It m u s t b e o b t a i n e d a n d notarized within the prop- er government office…in I t a l y . F o r t u n a t e l y , t h i s f o r m c a n b e a c q u i r e d ahead of time on the US Embassy website. Once a couple is on Italian soil, the paperwork must then be taken to the Ufficio L e g a l i z z a z i o n i t o b e authenticated within the same district in which the wedding is scheduled. But wait…there's more. Before e x c h a n g i n g " b u o n - giorno" with the office clerk, stop off at a tabac- c h i ( t o b a c c o s h o p ) t o o b t a i n t h e m a r c a d a b o l l o – a 1 6 e u r o t a x s t a m p – f o r t h i s d o c u - ment. Go ahead and buy two; you'll need another f o r t h e r e q u i r e d A t t o Notorio – an additional document verifying there is no obstacle preventing your marriage. The ins and outs of this particular doc- ument are as convoluted as a drive along the Amalfi Coast, but suffice to say… be sure every minute detail is properly executed before w a l k i n g d o w n t h a t i s l e . Any bending of the rules, a n d t h e r e a r e m a n y , i s non-existent. Thankfully, the Atto Notorio process can be initiated within an Italian Consulate in the US, but no more than 3 months before the actual wedding date. These steps completed, y o u ' r e r e s t i n g y o u r f e e t and feeling quite accom- plished as you await that Continued to page 6 Newlyweds on an APE: weddings in Italy are a dream, but you need to be ready to do some work to get the perfect one (Photo: Rex Jarvis/Dreamstime) Dreaming of a wedding in Italy? Here's what you need to know

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