Getting legally married in Rome, for American couples
Yes, you can be legally married in Rome, and the marriage is valid back home in the United States. There are three places we love for it: the Campidoglio, Rome's town hall on Michelangelo's square above the Forum; a sixth-century hall in a garden by the Baths of Caracalla; and, for couples who want something calmer, Tivoli, with a frescoed hall in a former monastery and the gardens of Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa.The paperwork for US citizens has a fixed order and part of it happens in person, so this page explains every step, how many days to plan in Rome, and what it costs.
The short answer
An Italian civil wedding is a full legal marriage. You receive an Italian marriage certificate, we have it apostilled, and it is recognised in the United States without registering it again at home.
What surprises most American couples is that part of the process happens in person, in a fixed order: a declaration at an Italian consulate in the US before you fly, a sworn statement at the US Embassy in Rome once you land, and a declaration at the town hall before the ceremony. None of it is difficult, but it means arriving in Rome two or three working days before the wedding, not the day before. We prepare every document, book every appointment, and come with you to each one.
Three places to say yes
The Campidoglio: Sala Rossa. The classic Roman civil wedding. You climb Michelangelo's ramp to the Piazza del Campidoglio and marry in the Red Room of Palazzo dei Conservatori, named for its red fabrics, with the Roman Forum below the windows. It is formal, short and unforgettable, and the photographs on the steps and the terrace over the Forum afterwards are the ones everyone recognises. The room seats twenty and holds about seventy standing. Ceremonies take place on Friday afternoons, Saturday mornings and afternoons, and Sunday mornings, never on public or religious holidays.
By the Baths of Caracalla: Complesso Vignola Mattei. A small deconsecrated church from the sixth century, set in a garden near the Baths of Caracalla and the start of the Appian Way. It feels more intimate and more ancient than the Campidoglio, and the garden gives you space for portraits and a glass of prosecco with your guests. It seats twenty-five and holds about fifty standing, with the same calendar as the Campidoglio: Friday afternoons, Saturday mornings and afternoons, and Sunday mornings.
Tivoli: the relaxed alternative. Forty minutes from the centre of Rome, Tivoli's town hall marries couples in its Sala Rossa, an eighteenth-century hall with original frescoes, inside a former monastery protected by the Italian Ministry of Culture. The difference is the pace. Rome's town halls run a tight schedule of ceremonies, especially on Saturdays; in Tivoli the hall feels like yours, nobody is waiting at the door, and the day can unfold slowly. The hall seats twenty, and ceremonies are possible from Monday to Saturday, which makes a weekday wedding easy. In Rome itself, both halls open only from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. Afterwards you are minutes from the fountains of Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa for portraits, and from a long lunch in the hills.
Or at one of Tivoli's villas. In Tivoli you can also marry legally inside two UNESCO World Heritage sites. At Villa d'Este you marry outdoors in the Gran Loggia, above the gardens and their famous fountains. At Villa Adriana, Emperor Hadrian's own retreat, the ceremony is held by the Pecile, the great colonnaded pool of his villa. At the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor, a Roman temple complex on the hillside, you choose between the Triportico, open to the sky, and the Sala Grande. Each site sets its own fee and dates, which we confirm for yours.
| Campidoglio | Caracalla | Tivoli | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeling | Grand, formal, iconic | Intimate, ancient, a garden | Calm, unhurried, frescoed |
| Guests seated | 20 | 25 | 20 |
| Days | Fri 4–6 pm; Sat 9 am–noon and 4–6 pm; Sun 9 am–12:30 pm | Fri 4–6 pm; Sat 9 am–noon and 4–6 pm; Sun 9 am–12:30 pm | Monday to Saturday |
| From the centre of Rome | in the centre | 10 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Best for | the Rome everyone imagines | a small group and a garden | couples who want time, not a time slot |
The civil ceremony itself is in Italian, with a sworn interpreter beside you, and lasts about twenty minutes. Two witnesses over eighteen sign with you; they can be your friends, or we bring them.
The paperwork, step by step
This is the order for two US citizens. If one of you is Italian or holds another passport, the steps change slightly, and we adapt them on the first call.
Six months before: choose the place and the date. We check the town hall's calendar and hold your slot.
At home: gather your documents. Valid passports, and for some town halls your birth certificates with an apostille and a certified Italian translation. If either of you has been married before, the divorce decree or death certificate, apostilled and translated. We send you the exact list for your town hall.
Within 90 days of the wedding: the Atto Notorio. At the Italian consulate that covers your state, each of you declares that you are free to marry, with two witnesses each who know you well and are not close family. It is valid for 90 days, which is why it is the last thing you do at home.
In Rome, day one: the US Embassy. You swear a declaration (the Dichiarazione Giurata) at the US Embassy in Rome, and we have it legalised at the Prefettura.
In Rome, a day or two later: the town hall. With two witnesses and the interpreter, you make your declaration of intent to marry (the Promessa di matrimonio) at the town hall that will marry you.
The wedding day. The ceremony, the signatures, the photographs.
After the wedding. We request the multilingual marriage certificate, have it apostilled and send it to you in the US. It is valid there as it is.
How many days to plan in Rome: arrive at least three working days before the wedding. Many couples come for a week and turn those mornings into the start of the trip.
What it costs
Our legal-ceremony service is €3,500, including Italian VAT, plus the town hall's own fee, which depends on the hall, the day and your residence, and which we confirm for your date. At Villa d'Este, Villa Adriana or the Sanctuary of Hercules the site's own fee replaces the town hall's. It covers the document check and translations, guidance for the Atto Notorio at home, the appointments at the US Embassy, the Prefettura and the town hall, the sworn interpreter, witnesses if you need them, and the apostilled certificate sent to you in the US.
The legal ceremony is added to the wedding you are planning rather than sold as a separate package:
- An elopement for two in Rome starts at €15,000, with the photographer, flowers, hair and make-up, a vintage car and an aperitivo. Marry at the Campidoglio instead of on a terrace, and the legal ceremony is simply added. Rome elopement →
- A wedding with your guests in Rome starts at €60,000 for thirty guests, with dinner in a Borromini convent in Trastevere or a garden in the centre. Rome weddings and real budgets →
We name our planning fee in full on the first call, as a figure.
Or sign at home and celebrate here
We will be honest: many American couples sign the legal papers at their local courthouse before they fly, and then have a symbolic ceremony in Rome, on a terrace above the Forum or in a garden, led by a celebrant in English. It saves the consulate appointment, the embassy morning and two days of the trip, and the day in Rome looks and feels exactly the same.
Others want the real thing in Italy, the Italian certificate, the Campidoglio steps and the words said in Rome. Both are good reasons. Tell us which matters more to you, and we will plan the day around it.
Civil weddings in Rome we have planned
Krina and Yuriy married in the town hall on the Campidoglio, with the whole of Rome below the steps, and moved on to dinner in the garden of Hotel de Russie. Read their story →
Questions couples ask
Ask your ownIs an Italian civil marriage valid in the US?
Yes. You receive a multilingual Italian marriage certificate with an apostille, and it is recognised in the United States without registering it again.
How long do we need to be in Rome before the wedding?
At least three working days, for the US Embassy, the Prefettura and the town hall. Weekends and Italian holidays do not count.
Can we do the paperwork remotely?
Only part of it. We prepare and check every document from Italy, but the Atto Notorio at the Italian consulate at home, the declaration at the US Embassy and the declaration at the town hall are made by the two of you in person.
Is the ceremony in English?
It is conducted in Italian by an officer of the town hall, with a sworn interpreter translating every word for you. The law requires the interpreter, and we bring one.
Can we bring our guests?
Yes: up to twenty seated at the Campidoglio and in Tivoli, twenty-five at Caracalla, and more standing in Rome. For a larger group, a symbolic ceremony at your venue after the legal one is often the nicer choice.
Which place would you choose?
The Campidoglio for the Rome of the postcards, Caracalla for a small group and a garden, Tivoli if you want the day to breathe, and the Gran Loggia of Villa d'Este if you want the fountains as your witnesses.
How much does it cost?
Our legal-ceremony service is €3,500 including VAT, plus the town hall fee, added to an elopement from €15,000 or a wedding with guests from €60,000.
Talk to us about a date
Marina, who founded WOWITALY, answers every inquiry herself. The first video call is with Katerina, it costs nothing, and it is not a sales call. Tell us your dates, whether you are both US citizens, and roughly how many people are coming. We will tell you which hall suits you, how many days to plan in Rome, and what the whole day costs.
hello@wowitaly-weddings.com · +39 334 840 2086