Getting Married in Italy as an Expat (Part 2)

After all the cooking for our wedding lunch, after all the running around gathering documents, Fra and I finally tied the knot! In Italian, you'd say abbiamo fatto il grande passo. (We took the big step.)

We decided to save the big celebration with all our friends and family for next year, so this time, we had a modest lunch with Fra's immediate family.

Getting Married in Italy: Church or Comune?

In a country that is 79% Catholic, a lot of people opt to get married in church. But since I'm not religious, we opted for the comune, or city hall.

Because Davoli holds such a big place in our hearts, and since we're moving there in two weeks, we decided to get married there. The mayor happens to be a family friend!

Once the family was gathered, Fra and I walked hand in hand to the front of the room. One thing that's different in Italy, whether you get married in the church or comune, is that the couple sits for the ceremony! How comfortable!

We sat down and the mayor began. He read several laws that authorized him to conduct the ceremony, then gave the usual litany of vows (I think. I kinda tuned out, knowing what my response would be.).

When it was Fra's turn, he replied sì. When it was my turn, I decided to be cheeky, so I responded, "yes." The mayor looked stern and told me I had to respond in Italian. Yea, yea, va bene. Everyone laughed.

After exchanging rings and a few kisses, we were officially married! We celebrated with sweets and prosecco.

A Quick Photo Shoot

We took a few photos with the family, then Fra and I took the photographers on a tour of Davoli. It's such a photogenic place, so we kept stopping in crumbling stairwells and tunnels to take shots.

We went to our future home and took photos outside. I can't wait to see how those turned out!

It was fun walking through Davoli as everyone we knew saw us and realized that we'd gotten married. We got so many kisses and well-wishes.

A Family Meal

Initially, I had my doubts about hosting our wedding lunch at Fra's parents' house. After all, it's where we celebrate every holiday...would it feel special enough for our wedding?

I need not have worried. I realized: it wasn't the location but the people who made it a wonderful afternoon.

All the hard work that Mamma, the aunts, and I had put in paid off when everyone practically licked their plates clean. I was proud that Dora and her husband Francesco got to see what my adopted family is like. They had a marvelous time, too.

After dinner, we had sweets and more prosecco. The cake, filled with berries and the lightest cream, was a hit. Then we opened presents, which is always a good time.

Once everyone had left, we were exhausted. But so, so happy.

Here's to our bliss!