Italy: Can our wedding go ahead this year?

Rome: Since Italy announced the first easing of its strict lockdown rules will begin from April 26th, we’ve received a large number of emails and messages from readers anxious about their wedding plans.

Whether you’re planning a destination wedding, or are an international couple living in Italy, many who had planned to say “I do” in 2020 have already postponed until 2021 and are still unsure what their big day will look like.

A lack of clarity on when restrictions on travel and events will be lifted means everything is still up in the air regarding weddings in Italy this year.

While some reopening plans have been announced, the Italian government hasn’t yet approved any new Covid-related guidelines for wedding ceremonies or receptions.

And international travel was not mentioned on Friday when the government outlined plans for easing restrictions.

This doesn’t mean that the rules won’t change. The government is still working on the new set of measures, due to be released by Friday under a new emergency decree, which is expected to contain further information on what will be allowed to reopen and when.

As there is currently no official protocol or date set for allowing receptions to go ahead, it’s currently impossible to organise an event that is in compliance with the Covid rules.

Both civil and religious wedding ceremonies are allowed, although with restrictions in place including capacity limits for venues, distancing, and the mandatory wearing of masks.

The maximum number of attendees allowed at wedding ceremonies currently depends on the venue and on local rules in the area in which you are getting married.

But until clarifications on the protocol for both ceremonies and receptions are published, couples remain unable to plan their events with any certainty.

This is the big question right now as wedding guests wonder whether it’s time to book flights and hotels or ask for time off work, perhaps for a second or third time.

Many brides- and grooms-to-be tell us they’re now banking on summer 2021 dates for their Italian weddings, reasoning that travel restrictions for many countries were relaxed last year for the holiday season.

Italy is widely expected to relax rules on travel again this summer to help keep the country’s highly lucrative tourism and wedding industries afloat.

But this is not yet certain, and the government still hasn’t set a firm date for allowing “non-essential” travel to restart.

The Italian prime minister and tourism minister recently suggested that travel could restart by early June – however nothing is confirmed yet.

At the moment, almost all arrivals in Italy are subject to testing and quarantine requirements – the rules vary depending on where you travel from.

It is still too early to say exactly what weddings will look like in Italy this year, and any decision to postpone or change wedding plans is a very personal one.

The health situation in Italy remains delicate, and the government does not expect to have most of the population vaccinated until Autumn – meaning it appears likely that testing requirements, masks, distancing and other restrictions will be a feature in any Italian wedding or travel plans this year.

Capacity may be limited, as was the case at wedding receptions last year (with restrictions changing several times throughout the summer months) and travel to Italy is likely to remain complex, particularly from countries outside the European Union.

If you decide that the ongoing restrictions mean your day will be too different from what you wanted, from a financial point of view it may be better to postpone rather than cancel.

While many couples tell us they were charged fees for postponing last year, more venues and suppliers are now allowing people to change their dates without incurring any penalties.