Sicily has welcomed same-sex couples for well over a century. Today it is one of the most beautiful places in Europe for a same-sex wedding, as long as you understand one thing from the start: what Italian law allows, and what a ceremony in Sicily can be.
Italy does not have same-sex marriage. Since 2016 it has had the unione civile, a civil union with legal effects close to those of marriage, open to foreign couples too. Many international couples choose a different path: they marry legally at home and celebrate in Sicily with a symbolic ceremony, in their own words, in the place they love.
This guide explains both options, the places where couples feel most at ease, and how we film a same-sex wedding, from our own experience behind the camera. For the full paperwork of every type of ceremony, see our guide to getting married in Sicily.
- Legal option in Italy
- Civil union (Law 76/2016)
- Most popular choice
- Legal wedding at home, symbolic ceremony in Sicily
- Catholic ceremony
- Not available for same-sex couples
- Best season
- May to June, September to October
Option One: The Italian Civil Union
The unione civile was introduced by Law 76 of 2016. It is a legal union for two people of the same sex, celebrated by the mayor or a delegated official in front of two adult witnesses. Foreign couples can form one, and many comuni celebrate it in the same rooms and authorised venues they use for civil weddings, including historic palazzi.
The procedure has its own rhythm. You first file a request with the comune, which draws up a record that you sign in person or through someone holding your power of attorney. The office then has up to 30 days for its checks, and the union can be celebrated within the following 180 days. Each foreign partner usually needs a nulla osta from their consulate in Italy, or an equivalent declaration if their country has no civil unions.
Whether an Italian civil union is recognised at home depends on your country, so check before you choose it. Rules and timings also vary from comune to comune: start the conversation with your planner and the town hall early.
Option Two: Marry at Home, Celebrate in Sicily
Same-sex marriage is legal in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and much of Europe. For most of the couples who write to us, the simplest path is to sign the legal paperwork at home, often a short appointment with a few witnesses, and then celebrate the real wedding in Sicily.
A symbolic ceremony has no legal requirements in Italy, which is exactly why it is so free. You choose the place: a terrace above the sea, a garden among olive trees, a Baroque courtyard, a beach at sunset. You choose the time, the language, the words and who leads it, whether a professional celebrant or a friend who knows your story. Nothing is translated by an interpreter, and nothing is dictated by a town hall timetable.
From a film point of view it is also the richest option: we can plan the ceremony for the best light of the day and record every word clearly, because the whole ceremony is yours.
Where Couples Feel at Home in Sicily
Sicily is a traditional island in many ways, but its largest cities and its classic destinations are used to welcoming every kind of couple, and the wedding industry that serves international guests is professional and discreet.
Taormina
Taormina has a long queer history. At the end of the nineteenth century the photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden made it famous across Europe, and in the early 1950s Truman Capote lived and wrote at the Fontana Vecchia, just outside the town. Today it is Sicily's most international destination, with five-star hotels, terraces over the Ionian Sea and the Greek Theatre on the hill. Our guide to the venues of Taormina is a good place to start.
Palermo
Palermo is lively, open and proud of its mix of cultures, and it celebrates Pride every summer. Its palazzi, cloisters and rooftop terraces suit couples who want a city wedding with character. See our guide to weddings in Palermo.
The Baroque South-East
Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Ortigia are smaller and quieter, and that is often their appeal: private country estates where the whole group stays together, golden limestone at sunset, and a slower pace. For couples who want privacy above all, an exclusive-use estate is the ideal setting.
Choosing Suppliers Who Get It Right
A good wedding is made by people. When you contact a venue, a planner or a photographer, notice the details: whether forms still ask for a bride and a groom, whether they ask how you would like to be introduced, whether they have worked with same-sex couples before. Ask directly, and expect a direct answer. The best suppliers will simply adapt everything to you, from the running order to the way the toast is announced.
How We Film a Same-Sex Wedding
We have filmed same-sex weddings here in Sicily, and each one has confirmed the same thing: there is no template. Before the wedding we talk about how you want to get ready, together or apart, who walks with whom, which traditions you are keeping and which you are leaving out. The film follows your day, not a script written for someone else.
In practice that means two equal getting-ready stories if you prepare separately, microphones on both of you and on the celebrant, and care with the people who matter: some families need a quiet moment, some friends will make the loudest speech of the night. We film all of it with the same attention, because a wedding film is about two people and the people around them, nothing more and nothing less.
In Their Own Words
To say we chose well is an understatement. Thank you for dedicating yourself to our wedding with excellent professionalism and availability, and above all for making us feel at ease. … Thanks to you and your team, our wedding will forever be our dream come true.
★★★★★
Sara & Francesca · Matrimonio.com review, translated from Italian
Frequently Asked Questions
Can same-sex couples get married in Sicily?
Italy does not have same-sex marriage, but same-sex couples, including foreign couples, can form a legally recognised civil union under Law 76/2016, celebrated at the town hall or in an authorised venue with two witnesses. Many couples instead marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Sicily.
What documents do foreign couples need for a civil union in Italy?
Each foreign partner usually needs a nulla osta from their consulate in Italy, or an equivalent declaration if their country has no civil unions, plus passports and the documents requested by the comune. Requirements vary between comuni, so check with your planner and the town hall early.
How long does the civil union procedure take?
After you file the request with the comune, the office has up to 30 days for its checks, and the union can then be celebrated within the following 180 days.
Is an Italian civil union recognised in the US, the UK or Australia?
It depends on your country and its current rules, so check with the relevant authority at home before choosing it. Many couples avoid the question by marrying legally at home and holding a symbolic ceremony in Sicily.
Where can we hold a symbolic ceremony in Sicily?
Almost anywhere: a private villa or estate, a garden, a terrace over the sea, a beach or a historic courtyard, with the venue's permission. A symbolic ceremony has no legal requirements in Italy, so you choose the place, the time, the language and the celebrant.
Have you filmed same-sex weddings in Sicily?
Yes. We have filmed same-sex weddings in Sicily, and we plan every one around the couple: how you get ready, who walks with whom, which traditions you keep and which you leave out.
Which places in Sicily are most welcoming for same-sex weddings?
Taormina and Palermo are the most international and have long histories of welcoming queer travellers. The Baroque south-east, with Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Ortigia, is quieter and ideal for private estate weddings.
Official sources: Law 76/2016 on civil unions (Normattiva). Rules change: always confirm with them before you plan.
Planning a same-sex wedding in Sicily?
Tell us your date, your place and the kind of ceremony you imagine, and we will tell you how we would film it.
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