For all those couples out there who are looking to the tie the knot, Florence and Tuscany are the most romantic and charming locations for your wedding abroad.

Several of you have already read about the usual places to marry, like the town hall of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence and the legal procedures involved. However there is now the special possibility to have a legal wedding in a private location organized for you in Florence or in the Tuscan countryside. Your legal wedding can take place in a private medieval castle, centuries-old villa, historic palace, or beautiful garden. You can choose from several other fantastic settings with the most incredible views of Florence and the picturesque Tuscan rolling hills as your backdrop.

The legal procedures are the same as those for a town hall wedding. This unique possibility offers a truly private ceremony venue option, plus it gives you the chance to set the ceremony where and when you would like it to take place. In addition, you can personalize the verbiage and have the music and the length you prefer.

This means you do not have to have a legal wedding at home or at the town hall in Italy prior to the one legal ceremony you have at the private venue. The one ceremony you have at the private location in Italy would be recognized legally at home. The ceremony is celebrated by an English speaking minister and the ceremony can be religious or non-denominational. So no translator is required and having the ceremony in your original language makes it so much more personal and intimate.

Just within the last year, some noble and important Florentine families have begun opening their homes to foreign couples looking for private ceremonies in Florence.These take place in their beautiful palaces and above all in their lovely gardens looking out on spectacular views of the city and surrounding countryside.

If you are Catholic, you can have a true Catholic wedding in a beautiful Catholic church here celebrated by an English speaking Catholic priest or an Italian priest with an interpreter. One of the main advantages to this type of wedding is that aside from it being Catholic, it's also legal so you do not need to have a civil wedding first at home or in Italy. You need to complete all of the requirements by the Catholic church which are the same worldwide, plus the usual legal documentation.

Jewish couples are getting married in the beautiful, historic synagogues of Tuscany, including that of Siena and in the synagogue in Florence. On occasion, the rabbi in Florence is open to celebrating Orthodox weddings in a private castle or villa under a beautiful Tuscan chuppah overlooking the rolling hills, vineyards and olive trees. Couples must obtain permission from their Orthodox rabbi at home who sends authorization to the rabbi in Italy. If you are from a Reform background, it is possible to have a Reform rabbi celebrate your wedding here which is becoming a quite popular option so that couples can have the ceremony in any private location they would like without having to obtain any paperwork from home first.

Couples today are also discovering the little Tuscan town halls for their wedding, such as Lucca, Siena, and Certaldo. Today you can also have a unique wedding on a hot air balloon ride above the spectacular Tuscan rolling hills, vineyards and olive trees while exchanging your vows. You can have a symbolic ceremony, religious blessing or even a legal wedding while on a hot air balloon. Following the ceremony, a local wine tasting can be arranged or a full meal with true Tuscan cuisine.

Despite being famous throughout the world for its torturous bureaucracy, Italy is actually one of the easier European countries for foreigners to get married in. For town hall weddings and simple symbolic ceremonies, there are many agencies today that can assist you. We advise you to search for those that are licensed and recognized by the Italian state so that you do not hit any unexpected surprises. With regards to private weddings with legal validity in the private locations described above (palaces, villas, gardens, etc...) these can only be arranged by Weddings in Italy by Regency. This wedding planning agency has the exclusive possibility to arrange legal weddings in private locations, as well as organize Catholic and Jewish weddings with legal validity. You can contact Weddings in Italy by at phone number + 378 941108 or visit their web site weddingsitaly.com.

ALL of the legal paperwork for US citizens can be done with this agency's assistance in Florence or Rome. Other agencies may tell you that you need to do paperwork in the states but Regency has been arranging weddings longer than anyone in Italy and has very good relations with the offices in Italy so that everything can be completed in Florence or Rome, including the atto notorio. In fact many agencies and luxury hotels go to Regency for assistance with the legal documentation for their clients. This means that US citizens do not need to do any Italian paperwork in the US before arriving in Italy, which greatly reduces your amount of pre-wedding preparation and saves you a great deal of money.

FLORENCE AND TUSCANY WEDDING LOCATIONS & SERVICES

		EVENTS ANGELS Daniela & Lisa We are dreamers; we love creativity, taste and beautiful things. We love emotions and memories that remain in your heart! We believe that everything regarding the planning and execution of your event can be managed with competence, passion, and enthusiasm to create something exclusive and unforgettable.   Mission An event is successful if the guests are happy and if they are having an unforgettable time. This requires proper planning in order to avoid last minute changes and stress! We want to look after all the small details: for us it is important to look after you personally in every step of the event planning. We want to give you direction in the whole planning process of your personal event. We will pull the strings behind the curtain in order to make you shine. Events Angels is at  www.events-angels.com
		EFFFETTI WEDDING PLANNERS IN TUSCANY Efffetti Wedding Planners in Tuscany is an experienced agency of wedding coordinators aimed to help couples to come to Tuscany, to celebrate their marriage, but not only. Efffetti can help you planning your romantic stay and enjoy Tuscany and Italy even if you simply came to renew your vows. Efffetti Wedding planners in Tuscany today also covers weddings in Venice and on the Lake Como, weddings on the Alps mountains and Piedmont, Rome and Sicily. Efffetti has specialized teams for Luxury Weddings in Italy and Classical Weddings, also cooperates with an experienced team of Wedding Humanist Celebrants, on top of all of the best in class specialists necessary to grant a superb wedding. The whole team of wedding planners, have always lived in Italy, and all of the planners have more than a decade of experience in marketing, organizing events, in traveling and communication in local agencies and in multinational companies, Celebrants are ministers of the Universal Life Church or belong to UAAR. Efffetti are creating memories that last for a lifetime. The team of bilingual coordinators will be able to arrange weddings in the most romantic cities and towns in Tuscany, like Florence, Siena, Chianti-Shire, Pisa, Lucca, Volterra, or on the seaside, whether you need a civil, religious or symbolic wedding. Visit Efffetti's website, here you can find a collection of most of the information you might ask, you can have a look at the services Efffetti can support you about, and read testimmonials of our past couples and enquire for a detailed and personalized quotation. Efffetti - Wedding Planners in Tuscany, can guide you through all the most important decisions you have to take to plan your wedding in Italy. We offer full wedding plannig services but also "a-la-carte" single services, such as just taking care of documentation, if you prefer enjoying organizing all the rest yourself. Read through, share your ideas, thoughts or doubts in our wedding blog... just start dreaming, contact Efffetti, if you want to, and they will make your dreams come true, and make your Wedding in Tuscany a reality. Efffetti Wedding Planners in Tuscany is at  www.weddingintuscany.info
		PALAZZO MAGNANI FERONI Luxury honeymoon suites in Florence, Italy Looking for charming venue for your wedding in Florence? Palazzo Magnani Feroni is a luxury all suites hotel, located in an enviable position: just a few steps away from Palazzo Vecchio in the Florence's historical centre. This enchanting Renaissance Palace from the 16th Century offers all you could desire to make your wedding and honeymoon an unforgettable experience. With more than 110 sq. meters, a very spacious living room, a magnificent master bedroom and a marble bath, the Feroni Deluxe Suite - expressly reserved just for you - will be your love nest in the most beautiful day of your lives. Attentive, professional staff is always at your service and will take great care of you in any way they can, starting with the caring touches you will find in your suite daily. Should you decide to get married in Florence, Palazzo Magnani Feroni's staff will assist you in organizing your wedding and will take care of your invited guests both before and after the ceremony. Palazzo Magnani Feroni is at  www.florence-luxury-accommodation.com
		RELAIS VILLA L'OLMO Your Tuscany wedding venue... Make your wedding in Tuscany the most beautiful day of your lives at Country Relais Villa l'Olmo, among the rolling Chianti hills near Florence: the perfect scenery for memories you will cherish forever. The wonderful country Relais Villa l'Olmo will be the perfect Tuscan wedding venue and will welcome you and your guest in a dream atmosphere: charming private cottages with private pools and gardens, cosy apartments and an authentic farmhouse with common pool area and common garden are at your complete disposal during your wedding ceremony and honeymoon. This lovely venue is the most romantic and charming place to celebrate your love, immersed on the enchanting hilltop surrounded by the Florentine Chianti hills, yet just a moment away from the ever romantic Florence, the true heaven of lovers. If you want your dreams come true, plan your marriage or your honeymoon at Relais Villa l'Olmo! Relais Villa l'Olmo is at  www.florence-luxury-accommodation.com
		WEDDINGS INTERNATIONAL At Weddings International we pride ourselves on creating a wedding that will "Wow!" your guests and make them (and you, of course) remember it for the rest of their lives. Every wedding we do is ultimately a custom affair. Do you want to stay in a country villa but have your reception on a beach? Do you want to choose from more than 1,200 villa properties to stay in? Or simply have a romantic, candle-lit dinner for two in Italy's finest restaurant instead of a big reception? Just let us know! We'll explore options to help you figure out what will be perfect for you. Orchestrating a perfect wedding goes far beyond hiring a band and a caterer. It's like planning some theatre -- when and how will you enter, what will your guests' experience be like from the moment they land, keeping things moving as planned when they're actually happening. Our experience in the choreography of weddings, from planning to execution, is really what sets Weddings International apart.   If you desire an event that's both stylish and unique, Weddings International's knowledge and resources are unparalleled. Write us at: info@italianwedding.com ! Weddings International is at  www.italianwedding.com
		TUSCAN DREAM TuscanDream orchestrates some of the most beautiful weddings Tuscany. With offices both in Tuscany and Beverly Hills, our experienced bilingual wedding planners provide impeccable service, paying attention to every small detail and exhibiting superb taste to guarantee your dream wedding under the Tuscan Sun comes true! We provide complete wedding planning service for both religious and civil marriages throughout Tuscany including Florence, Chianti, Siena, Lucca, Arezzo, and the sea coastal towns of Maremma. Whether you are looking for a majestic medieval castle, a splendid Renaissance mansion, or a rustic country villa we will find you the perfect location for your wedding. We will assist you with all your travel arrangements and preparation of legal documents. We work with the finest caterers, florists, musicians and photographers to create spectacular weddings that capture all the magic and romance of the magnificent paradise know as Tuscany! Please do not hesitate to call us at 866 859 3494, toll free within the US or at 0845 869 3479 if you are located in the UK. TuscanDream is at  www.tuscandream.com