Today's blog post is actually just a checklist of things that need to be done prior to getting married in Italy. It is the list that was given to me by Massi's sister to help us keep in mind the numerous amount of tasks to be considered prior to the big day. I've included it in both her original version in Italian with my notes in English. Hope that it's helpful to some of you! Especially if you're a non-Italian planning a wedding to an Italian...there were alot of aspects that are traditional to weddings here that I had absolutely no clue about! Of course, in the end, it's your day so you can organize it and include/exclude whatever you like but the following is a list that would apply to a very traditional (also, religious- Roman Catholic) wedding day:
N.B. If you're not Italian, you will also need to check with your native country (call the Embassy in Italy) to see what documents you require in order to get the civil marriage certificate and you cannot leave this until the last moment!
Lista x Matrimonio/To-Do List for the Wedding Ceremony:
- Lista nozze o comunque far sapere agli invitati cosa volete che vi regalino/Complete a wedding registry or at the very least, you need to tell people what you would like to be gifted for the wedding
- Scelta delle fedi. Conta che di solito richiedono almeno 3 settimane per procurarvele e incidere nome e data. Ci sono diversi modelli, grandezze e bombature, i tipi classici sono 3./Choosing rings. This typically requires at least 3 weeks from start to finish to have them ordered and inscribed with names. There are different styles that vary according to width and shape but there are three classic models that most people choose. *This is different from North America because Italians still go very classic (as in, a gold band) for wedding rings. They don't necessarily have matching "sets" with band that matches your engagement ring, for example.
- Honeymoon, decidere, organizzare, prenotare/Decide and book the honeymoon.
- Noleggio o scelta auto sposi/Choose and rent the newlywed car. *Again, different from North America where we might use a limo. Here, you usually rent a very particular kind of car whether it's a luxury car or an antique one!
Messa: Dovete decidere/For the Mass (if you're having a religious ceremony):
•preghiere/prayers
•chi legge cosa/who will read what
•i canti/hymns
•quale versione della promessa inserire (io prendo te come legittimo sposo.... Ci sono varie versioni)/which vows you want to use as there are various versions
•offertorio, dovete decidere chi e cosa porterá degli oggetti all'altare. Ed eventualmente trovare gli oggetti/for offerings to the church, you need to decide what to bring to the altar and who will bring them and eventually find and purchase these objects
•Tutto questo va scritto e impaginato nel libretto della messa/all of this then needs to be assembled into the mass program; if you're organizing a bilingual/bicultural wedding like we did you will also need to have both languages in the program
Bomboniere/Party Favors:
•per i genitori/a specific gift for each set of parents
•per i testimoni/for your witnesses
•per gli invitati al pranzo/for all-day guests (coming to the ceremony and the reception)
•per gli invitati la sera (di soluto solo il sacchetto di confetti)/for those just coming to the evening portion (usually people give a little bag of confetti)
Inviti/Invitations:
•x il pranzo/for the reception
•x la sera/for those just being invited to the dance portion
Other (Miscellaneous):
-Bigliettini da inserire nei sacchettini dei confetti/thank you cards to put inside the little bags of confetti
-Scelta musica in chiesa/music for the church
-Scelta musica ristorante (controlla chi deve preoccuparsi della SIAE e dovrai portare il documento che accerta che la siae sia stata pagata al ristorante)/music for the restaurant (and you need to get a "music license" from SIAE that allows you to have live music/a DJ at the venue; this can now be done online instead of going to the SIAE office
-Organizzazione giochi/scherzi/animazione al ristorante ed eventualmente fuori dalla chiesa/organization of wedding games and entertainment during the dance and also, during the exit from the church
-Fotografo/photographer
-Fiorista/florist; you will need flowers for...
•fiori chiesa/the church
•bouquet sposa/the bouquet
•auto/the car
- Parrucchiere/hair and makeup
-Cuscino fedi/cushion for the wedding rings
- Damigelle o paggetti/attendants, flowergirls, ringbearers etc.
-Menu: Di solito é da confermare il numero di invitati e richieste speciali (bambini, vegetariani, vegani, allergie...)/the menu at the restaurant usually requires confirmation for numbers and number of special meals required
- Pensare all'offerta da dare x la chiesa/think about the donation to make to the church
- Comprare/preparare ceste con fiocchi bianchi x le auto/buy and prepare baskets with white bows for the cars of wedding guests
-Segnaposti tavoli: Decidere i nomi dei tavoli ed eventualmente la grafica/Placeholders: Decide on table names and any necessary graphics/illustrations you want
-Suddivisione tavolate. Chi mettere a che tavolo./Table organization and where each guest will sit
-Centrotavola: Alcuni ristoranti ci pensano loro, altri devi fare tu. Se questo é il caso devi parlare col tuo fiorista/The centerpieces at each table (some restaurants do this for you, others you need to ask the florist to do)
-Confetti bianchi sciolti da portare in giro ai vicini di casa/ in ufficio/white confetti to take to your neighbors and to your co-workers
-Pensare a dove far pernottare gli invitati- trasporto a ristorante/how to get your guests from the church to the restaurant and back to their hotels *applies if you are having guests come from overseas
The photos used in this post were from the wedding of Massi's best friend.
N.B. If you're not Italian, you will also need to check with your native country (call the Embassy in Italy) to see what documents you require in order to get the civil marriage certificate and you cannot leave this until the last moment!
Lista x Matrimonio/To-Do List for the Wedding Ceremony:
- Lista nozze o comunque far sapere agli invitati cosa volete che vi regalino/Complete a wedding registry or at the very least, you need to tell people what you would like to be gifted for the wedding
- Scelta delle fedi. Conta che di solito richiedono almeno 3 settimane per procurarvele e incidere nome e data. Ci sono diversi modelli, grandezze e bombature, i tipi classici sono 3./Choosing rings. This typically requires at least 3 weeks from start to finish to have them ordered and inscribed with names. There are different styles that vary according to width and shape but there are three classic models that most people choose. *This is different from North America because Italians still go very classic (as in, a gold band) for wedding rings. They don't necessarily have matching "sets" with band that matches your engagement ring, for example.
- Honeymoon, decidere, organizzare, prenotare/Decide and book the honeymoon.
- Noleggio o scelta auto sposi/Choose and rent the newlywed car. *Again, different from North America where we might use a limo. Here, you usually rent a very particular kind of car whether it's a luxury car or an antique one!
Messa: Dovete decidere/For the Mass (if you're having a religious ceremony):
•preghiere/prayers
•chi legge cosa/who will read what
•i canti/hymns
•quale versione della promessa inserire (io prendo te come legittimo sposo.... Ci sono varie versioni)/which vows you want to use as there are various versions
•offertorio, dovete decidere chi e cosa porterá degli oggetti all'altare. Ed eventualmente trovare gli oggetti/for offerings to the church, you need to decide what to bring to the altar and who will bring them and eventually find and purchase these objects
•Tutto questo va scritto e impaginato nel libretto della messa/all of this then needs to be assembled into the mass program; if you're organizing a bilingual/bicultural wedding like we did you will also need to have both languages in the program
Bomboniere/Party Favors:
•per i genitori/a specific gift for each set of parents
•per i testimoni/for your witnesses
•per gli invitati al pranzo/for all-day guests (coming to the ceremony and the reception)
•per gli invitati la sera (di soluto solo il sacchetto di confetti)/for those just coming to the evening portion (usually people give a little bag of confetti)
Inviti/Invitations:
•x il pranzo/for the reception
•x la sera/for those just being invited to the dance portion
Other (Miscellaneous):
-Bigliettini da inserire nei sacchettini dei confetti/thank you cards to put inside the little bags of confetti
-Scelta musica in chiesa/music for the church
-Scelta musica ristorante (controlla chi deve preoccuparsi della SIAE e dovrai portare il documento che accerta che la siae sia stata pagata al ristorante)/music for the restaurant (and you need to get a "music license" from SIAE that allows you to have live music/a DJ at the venue; this can now be done online instead of going to the SIAE office
-Organizzazione giochi/scherzi/animazione al ristorante ed eventualmente fuori dalla chiesa/organization of wedding games and entertainment during the dance and also, during the exit from the church
-Fotografo/photographer
-Fiorista/florist; you will need flowers for...
•fiori chiesa/the church
•bouquet sposa/the bouquet
•auto/the car
- Parrucchiere/hair and makeup
-Cuscino fedi/cushion for the wedding rings
- Damigelle o paggetti/attendants, flowergirls, ringbearers etc.
-Menu: Di solito é da confermare il numero di invitati e richieste speciali (bambini, vegetariani, vegani, allergie...)/the menu at the restaurant usually requires confirmation for numbers and number of special meals required
- Pensare all'offerta da dare x la chiesa/think about the donation to make to the church
- Comprare/preparare ceste con fiocchi bianchi x le auto/buy and prepare baskets with white bows for the cars of wedding guests
-Segnaposti tavoli: Decidere i nomi dei tavoli ed eventualmente la grafica/Placeholders: Decide on table names and any necessary graphics/illustrations you want
-Suddivisione tavolate. Chi mettere a che tavolo./Table organization and where each guest will sit
-Centrotavola: Alcuni ristoranti ci pensano loro, altri devi fare tu. Se questo é il caso devi parlare col tuo fiorista/The centerpieces at each table (some restaurants do this for you, others you need to ask the florist to do)
-Confetti bianchi sciolti da portare in giro ai vicini di casa/ in ufficio/white confetti to take to your neighbors and to your co-workers
-Pensare a dove far pernottare gli invitati- trasporto a ristorante/how to get your guests from the church to the restaurant and back to their hotels *applies if you are having guests come from overseas
The photos used in this post were from the wedding of Massi's best friend.
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