British Couples Flock to Riva del Garda for Weddings and Ceremonies
“I love you, let’s get married in Riva del Garda”. This is more or less the phrase that many British couples have thought over the past few months. Since May, at least ten “British” marriages have been celebrated at Palazzo Pretorio, vastly outnumbering the “German” ceremonies, which are more common but have only reached a total of three.
A UK-based travel agency that has studied packages including the wedding ceremony is encouraging young and old fiancés to tie the knot by the lake. As a result, almost once a week, subjects of Queen Elizabeth pronounce their fateful “yes” in front of the mayor of Riva.
Ceremonies and key participants
Nervous and emotional, sometimes with wedding looks that bear little resemblance to the renowned Italian style, the newlyweds cross piazza Tre novembre hand in hand, arrive under the portico, and, understandably disoriented, enter the large hall where the City Council usually meets. Here, they are greeted by the mayor or a councillor: a few minutes of ceremony, the customary tear, the traditional kiss, and the couple steps out on the stone balcony that overlooks via Fiume.
Sometimes, only a friend takes photos below, but there are also applauses from passing tourists. Some couples arrive alone, prompting witnesses to be recruited on the spot in a hurry, while others are accompanied by a large crowd of relatives and friends who help make the ceremony more lively.
Organization and services offered
All are assisted by Elisabetta Ballardi from “Benacus Tourist Services” – affiliated with the UK agency – who manages all aspects of the honeymoon-ceremony, from handling the various bureaucratic formalities to immediate translation of what the Italian authority pronounces during the ceremony.
“This is the first year,” explains Elisabetta, “that Airtours, a travel agency we have been working with for some time, offers this type of package to British tourists in our country. In addition to Riva, other locations are available where one can marry, such as Sirmione or Gardone Riviera. Or, also with the same agency, in Sorrento.”
From next year, however, the number of ceremonies is expected to double: another agency we are connected with will launch similar offers.
Practical aspects and motivations
Attracted by the scenery, enchanted by the natural beauty, and historically in love with Bel Paese, together with the relatively straightforward bureaucratic process, many Anglo-Saxons aspiring to marry choose to fly to Italy for their honeymoon and wedding in one go.
“They are mostly very young couples,” continues Elisabetta, “or more mature couples, formed by people on their second experience, who want a special celebration. After initial contact, the British authorities send me the certificates ensuring no obstacles exist to the marriage.”
All this documentation, attached to the application, is sent to the British Consulate in Milan, which provides the declaration of no impediment. This document is necessary for Sara Arese and Angela Bertoldi from the Civil Status Office of Riva to start the procedure.
“Certainly,” explain Sara and Angela, “for foreigners everything is easier, although it doesn’t mean our workload has decreased. For an Italian couple, in fact, the banns must be published for at least eight days, plus another three or four days. For foreign couples, the banns are published the same day.”
This year, for the first time, they found themselves with such a long list of English applicants that it practically displaced the Germans.
Costs and economic aspects
What about costs? For Benacus, expenses vary depending on the package chosen by the intending spouses. On the purely bureaucratic side, instead, the municipality of Riva “earns” 250,000 lire, excluding stamp duties. A small business, as they say in England.
