The Ultimate Guide to Getting Married in Rome

If you’re looking at weddings abroad, especially getting married in Italy, take a closer look at the capital city, Rome.

This sprawling, cosmopolitan city combines thousands of years’ worth of history with buzzing street life and amazing food and drink. There are plenty of incredible ruins to include in your wedding pictures – such as the impressive Colosseum – and you could even zip around on a Vespa for that authentic, Italian city feel.

Find out more about getting married in Rome.

Rome is the city of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, so it’s an ideal location for true romantics. The Eternal City was once the capital of the world and still dominates in terms of culture making it a rich choice for a city wedding abroad. 

Celebrating a Catholic Wedding in Rome

Within Rome you’ll find the Vatican City – home to the Pope, St Peter’s Basilica and the heart of the Catholic church. If you are planning a religious wedding ceremony, this could be the ideal place for you – there are plenty of magnificent settings for a Catholic wedding ceremony.

You can even have your wedding ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica – the world’s largest church – in one of the select, private chapels within the basilica. It’s a one of a kind setting for a religious wedding, but if you want something more low-key, there are plenty of other churches all around the city.

You must have a specific list of documents together to marry with Roman Catholic rites in Rome – however your wedding coordinator or chosen church should be able to talk you through this. Wedding dresses with sleeves will be the order of the day too – as bare shoulders are not permitted inside Catholic churches in Italy. You can also only have sacred music as part of your ceremony.

To have a Catholic wedding ceremony in Rome at least one of you must be Catholic and you cannot celebrate your wedding during Lent.

Civil Wedding Ceremonies in Rome

If you’d like a civil wedding ceremony in Rome, it can take place in one of three locations, called Wedding Halls. You can choose between Villa Lais Wedding Hall, Campidoglio Wedding Hall (which is close to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum) or Caracalla Wedding Hall – a less formal choice of venue with a rustic feel. Up until October 2015, a civil wedding hall was the only option for a civil marriage in Rome, but now private locations can offer them too.

For a grand but intimate wedding celebration, you can marry on a stunning terrace in the middle of the Roman Forum!

For couples who want to escape the busy-ness of central Rome, there are a few options just outside the city, including the Palace in Ariccia or a civil wedding hall on the Lake of Bracciano, which is just 40 minutes from Rome.

Wedding Receptions in Rome

After tying the knot in the capital city, you can celebrate in a number of locations, including authentic restaurants or sleek city hotels. There are also elegant villas to consider, and castles and palaces too – including the Castello Odesalchi Di Bracciano, where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes celebrated their wedding.

If you want something a little different, there are clubs, bars and pubs that can provide the ideal setting for your special day. 

Check out our guide to weddings in Tuscany if you want a wedding with a more rural feel.