Getting Married In... Venice!

© Photo courtesy of Venice Events

Venice - One of the World's Most Beautiful Cities
The north-eastern Italian city of Venice has a reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The millions who visit Venice each year can’t help but fall in love with its striking Venetian architecture, alluring renaissance art and the hundreds of picturesque bridges which straddle a labyrinth of charming canals.

First settled in AD 452, Venice has many captivating stories to tell, particularly those of love and romance. Venice is the birthplace of the infamous master of the art of seduction Casanova, Venice also produced a host of talented and passionate people including renowned adventurer Marco Polo, painters Titian and Canaletto and composer Vivaldi.

Once commonly referred to as the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice is built atop a marshy lagoon, there are no roads only pedestrian ‘streets’ and all manner of boat traffic which navigates the canals. Public transport in Venice is by water and you can also take a water taxi or gondola ride to reach your destination.

© 2011 Photo by Lisa LaRue  

Best Time to Get Married in Venice

To find out the best time to get married in Venice I consulted Jayne Seddon of Venice Events. “I have organised weddings all year round, because each season is wonderful. The backdrop of Venice is beautiful, even in the fog and quieter outside the hot summer season.” she said. Jayne also told me that although the warmer months of May, June and July are most popular, September still offers reasonable weather. She added “I’ve also had some beautiful weddings in January, November and of course close to Christmas for a winter wedding.”

Ceremony Venues
There are many venue options in Venice for your symbolic, civil or religious wedding ceremony including grand palaces (palazzo), lavish hotels, hidden gardens and magnificent renaissance churches. Here’s just a small selection of venues available:

Palaces (civil ceremonies)
The most popular civil wedding venue is the elegant Palazzo Cavalli, a 16th century building in the centre of Venice, overlooking the Grand Canal with views to the Rialto Bridge. Other palaces licensed by the city to host civil ceremonies in Venice include:

• Sala Degli Stucchi at Ca' Farsetti, a 13th century palace facing the Grand Canal near the Rialto bridge. 
• Venice Council Hall at Ca' Loredan, is another 13th Century Palace which also faces the Grand Canal 
• Sala Cuoi d'Oro at Ca' Vendramin Calergi, a stately Renaissance Palace on the Grand Canal that also houses the Venice Casino and the Wagner Museum. 

Hotels (symbolic ceremonies)

• The Westin Europa & Regina has its own terrace with breathtaking views of the Grand Canal and the beautiful Church of Santa Maria della Salute. 
• Hotel Cipriani boasts its own beautiful Casanova and Antique Gardens for symbolic ceremonies overlooking the lagoon.

Church Weddings (religious and symbolic ceremonies):
With approximately 137 churches in Venice of various denominations, you’re sure to find a suitable church venue for your religious or symbolic ceremony. Apart from consulting a local wedding planner, you can research churches in Venice at the Churches of Venice web site, a fantastic resource loaded with information and wonderful photos perfect for those researching from afar.

© 2011 Photos by Lisa LaRue

For more ceremony venue options, contact a wedding planner who specialises in weddings in Venice.

Reception Venues
With the exception of churches, many ceremony venues also offer wedding reception facilities. In particular, the majority of hotels and private palazzos in Venice will be more than happy to arrange catering for your post wedding reception. If you are using a wedding planner, they will be best able to advise you on your options based upon the number of guests you plan to host and the kind of venue you have in mind.

Where to Stay
Wherever you stay in Venice you’re certain to experience its enchanting ambiance and old-world Venetian charm. Although canal or lagoon front hotels and guest-houses (pensione) are the most popular and can be expensive, more affordable accommodation options can be found away from the water’s edge. Here's just a small selection of accommodation options in Venice:

• Danieli Hotel is made up of three palaces one of which, the 14th century Palazzo Dandolo, was once the home to the Doge Dandolo family. The hotel has 225 luxuriously decorated guest rooms and suites some of which overlook the Grand Canal and lagoon.
• Hotel Monaco Grand Canal overlooks the Grand Canal in San Marco with spectacular views of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute and the island of San Giorgio. It has 100 rooms furnished in grand Venetian style. 
• Hotel Le Isole has just 16 stylishly decorated contemporary rooms each dedicated to different islands in the lagoon. 
• Casa de Uscoli is a hosted bed and breakfast with just four rooms, two of which overlook the Grand Canal. This charming 14th century palazzo is furnished in an eclectic classic Venetian meets modern art-house style.

© 2011 Photograph by Lisa LaRue Author of Destination: Wedding

Local Customs and Traditions
It is local tradition for the bride to walk to the church, usually accompanied by father, mother and bridesmaids whilst the groom waits in the church.

There are four wedding gondolas in the city, which are kept purely for weddings. These gondolas are typically manned by two gondoliers, wearing special wedding uniform with coloured sashes. Couples might choose a singing gondolier to sing as they make their way through the narrow canals after the ceremony.

A Venetian Table, a dessert table laden with Italian desserts is a must if you are hosting a reception. Typical offerings include mini sized tiramisu, Napoleons, cannoli, profiteroles, cream cakes, cheesecakes, fruit log and shell-shaped filled pastries known as Sfogliatelle.

Italian favours (confetti) are small bags with five sugar coated almonds symbolising health, wealth, happiness, fertility and longevity. The favours are also tied onto gifts for the witnesses and close family members and can be quite important gifts, such as vases or silver ornaments. The guests they may receive a small gift (bomboniere) accompanied by their favour. Favour bags can be made from silk handkerchief, tulle or other materials. The favour bag will usually include a tag with the names of bride and groom and the date of the wedding.

Legalities
The legal requirements vary according to nationality and residence of couples, but Jayne tells me that UK couples require the following:

• No impediment certificates obtained from local registry office 
• Full-length birth certificates 
• Passports 
• If divorced, original marriage and divorce certificates 

All these documents go to the British Consulate in Milan who issues a Nulla Osta, which is required by the town hall. The benefit of using a wedding planner like Venice Events, is they will handle all the documentation and liaise with both offices, pay the necessary fees, deal with any queries and make sure everything goes smoothly.

I asked Jayne about the recommended timeframe for organising a wedding in Venice, “We have arranged ‘last minute’ civil ceremonies within about two months (but you need to allow time for documentation). Generally six months for civil ceremonies, say a year for religious. Most couples start planning a year ahead, particularly with regard to booking ceremony and venue, hotels and flights.” She stressed that if couples are choosing to marry during the high season they may need to allow even more time to get the venue they want.

Venice Events is based in San Marco, Venice Italy

Destination: Wedding - A guide to planning the destination wedding of your dreams is available in paperback and digital formats at Amazon (UK), Amazon (USA) and from www.destination-wedding-book.com.