Know of any Symbolic / Elopement "all inclusive" wedding venues?

Wow - I’m speechless...

Hi @tim, thanks for the reply! Why are you speechless?

I think, like me, Tim is reacting to the 4000 Euro price for a pretend wedding. ;-)

Ah yes @wbfey1 I understand, though really...aren't all weddings pretend? The piece of paper, doesn't matter where you get it to us. City hall here, celebration there. Everything else is the same. The only thing that really matters is the commitment, and even that doesn't always work out. So depends on your lens.

Nonetheless. yeah. Weddings are stupid expensive, we are both divorcees and are looking for a simple, and no frills celebration. Part of the reason I posted here was in hopes to find cheaper options but remote weddings have so many details that I'd rather just pay one person to handle. Officiant, dinner, photographer, location, transport etc..

Appreciate the feedback

Go to www.matrimonio.com and search for venues under "ricevimento" and put your region (Toscana or Umbria) under "dove". It's all in Italian of course but you can use the Google translate option to go to English

Hello dantbarnes,

Congratulations on the wedding. If you're looking for a symbolic spot you could consider Verona - the mythical location of Romeo and Juliet. I can't recommend a specific outfit but they embrace the idea of weddings there so there should be a number of operators to choose from. And it looks like you can even get married under the "Juliet" balcony there if you want.

https://magicdayevents.com/wedding-in-verona/
https://www.wedinverona.com/en/our-weddings
https://www.italianweddingevent.com/wedding-in-veneto/wedding-in-verona/

The last link there also offers weddings by region so you can look at Tuscany etc if you don't think Verona is your place.

I'm wondering if calling it a "vow renewal" is maybe the easiest way to explain it in wedding planning terms. That way they understand there is not legal requirement etc without a lengthy explanation.

Have a great wedding - symbolic or not.
=Tod

Hi @jackie and @hiredman thank you both for the links! Love the Verona idea!

Yes it is very similar to a vow renewal, the paperwork to get married in Italy is INSANE especially if its not your first rodeo, and we are not the least bit religious so you can imagine that adding the the nuance of an Italian ceremony. Thankfully, these are very common there, resources however are harder to dig up.

Amy at cinqueterreinsider.com arranges events in the Cinque Terre. She's American and a Cinque Terre resident.

So I'm confused. This is going to be just the two of you, no guests? Why do you need to pay for anyone to arrange this? Find a lovely spot, say your commitment and pick a wonderful place for dinner and hotel. Am I not a romantic? ... I am frugal. I don't pay people to do what I can do myself...well, except for painting the house. I'm ready not to do that...but I digress.

Hi @wray yes, we certainly could do that, and we may have another couple with us but its unknown.

We, want it to "feel" like a wedding. We will have vows, and such. We do want an officiant to perform the ceremony as one would if it was a legal or more traditional wedding. Exchanging of rings, those simple things. We would like someone to take photos for keepsakes as well, so these packages seem to take the planning out of that for us.

Its possible we will do what you suggest, but we are still looking. Trying to hire out individuals to do each thing on their own could prove more difficult then just paying the service.

I feel you on painting, so true!

@mike thank you for that link, we loved Cinque Terre!

It WILL be your real wedding!

Our wedding was done totally by ourselves, in a nobody-officiating Quaker-like ceremony, with some friends and family, at my parents' farm in Virginia. Just what we wanted. The stupid few minutes we'd spent a few weeks earlier with a justice of the peace (or whoever he was) and the paperwork meant nothing to us --- it was necessary legal stuff and we giggled through parts of it and rolled our eyes at other parts. So, yeah, I am on board for your Italian wedding to be just what you want it to be. The real thing, not symbolic.

Together 44 years, so our real wedding must have worked just fine!

About how many people total will be attending? Suspect if you pick a desired location, the owners could assist with arranging or at least with giving you contacts for photographers, flowers etc. Sounds like you want a location that can provide a meal. Seems like many wineries in Tuscany have hosted “weddings”. Also, Locanda in Tuscany looks wonderful.

"Elopement", and nobody has mentioned Gretna Green so far!
Not Italy, but it is just about the most well known place to elope to. The town itself has few attractions, and Scottish weather is not like Italian. The surrounding Scottish countryside is nice for a honeymoon.

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretna_Green
Or google: Gretna Green marriages

The town has an oversized registry office which is needed due to the number of people who get legally married there.
We did it. We decided we were too old to have a wedding with families, we just wanted a wedding for us. When we got together we decided if we lasted 5 years we would get married. We told friends and family this at the time, and we did, to the exact day.
When we told people we were going on holiday to Scotland somehow nobody did the arithmetic and realised 2 + 2 = 5 years. So we sent people postcards from Gretna Green: "Greetings from Gretna Green. We have now done everything this town is famous for".

Why not just book a photographer to take pictures of you running through a Tuscan vineyard, with you in your wedding dress?

About how many people total will be attending?

Becky, he said that that no one else would be attending other than another couple that might be coming with them (mentioned after the opening post): Re-read his original post:

Just the 2 of us, no guests....

Yes just us and perhaps another couple if they can swing the trip, I hate to ask anyone to travel internationally for such an event.

Scotland is on the list to visit for sure, I’ll have to check that out!

We may very well end up hiring a photographer and trapping around, open to all options for sure!

Love the ideas and posts I appreciate all the input so far!

I just read this article in Italy magazine that is pertinent to your situation. Lots of good information.

https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/getting-married-italy-beginner-tips-planning-it-yourself?utm_source=ITALY+Magazine+Newsletter&utm_campaign=0c2506fd8e-ITALY+Newsletter+-+January+12th+2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7e828ebed3-0c2506fd8e-419041

Hi @april thank you for that link! Much appreciated!