Weddings

Many Catholics want to marry in Rome. Perhaps it is because this is the city of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers. Perhaps it is because this ancient city has always been associated with romance. The Paulist Fathers here in Rome are happy to assist English-speaking couples who wish to be married at St. Patrick’s Church/Chiesa di San Patrizio. We are unable to assist with requests for weddings at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Catholic American Community of Rome (formerly located at the Church of Santa Susanna) is now located at has been transferred permanently to St. Patrick’s Church (Chiesa di San Patrizio a Villa Ludovisi on Via Boncompagni, N. 31).  The Paulist Fathers, who now staff St. Patrick’s Church, will be the celebrants for these weddings.

Please be advised:

The following is provided as a service. It does not obligate us to arrange, provide specific services for, or perform your wedding. This decision occurs only after direct consultation between a priest at St. Patrick’s and the wedding couple. Until a contract has been arranged, the Paulist Fathers and the Church of St. Patrick do not assume any responsibility for your wedding! Please do not send us documents or paperwork unless you have first contacted us!

Please remember that Church weddings can only be planned through appropriate Church institutions and not through travel agencies! The licensing procedures in the State of Italy (i.e., St. Patrick’s, or any church in Rome) are different from those in the Vatican City State (St. Peter’s Basilica), and the simultaneous civil procedures can be very different depending on the couple’s country of origin.

The most important step couples need to take is to begin the process with their own pastor. It all begins with your home parish where you worship. All marriage preparation, initial interviews and documents come from there. The couple needs to mention any previous marriage (please note that an annulment may be required even if one of the couple is not Catholic, and even if the first marriage was in a civil setting only.) It is a good idea to begin the process at least one year prior to the desired wedding date. Most parishes (world-wide) require a waiting period of at least six months (sometimes more) before the intended wedding date to determine whether there may be impediments to the marriage, and whether it is appropriate for the couple to be married in a Catholic ceremony.

After the parish priest completes all the documentation, the local chancery (diocesan office) must give a Nihil Obstat in order for the wedding to take place here. For Saint Patrick’s Church, we need your documents at least two months in advance. However, to avoid disappointment, it is best to plan early, to establish schedules well in advance and to check with the Paulist Fathers that all procedures are in order. 

Due to the time-consuming complexity of paperwork, government forms and administrative involvement, U.S. couples wishing to be married at St. Patrick’s must first be married civilly in the U.S. and provide appropriate documentation (civil marriage certificate).

For more information about the process and about our fees, please contact us. We will also send you a letter of information and one for your pastor, outlining specific requirements that may be different from your own diocese. As we say at the end of our full information packet: We have tried to inform you of as many details as possible regarding marriage in Rome. However, there may be some particulars relating to you or to your intended spouse that may cause difficulty, or even make the process easier. During our initial email exchange or telephone conversation, we will be happy to discuss your particular circumstances with you. As you can see from some of our wedding photos, getting married in the Eternal City can be a very special experience, and if we can, we would like to help you fulfill your dream!

If you have any additional questions, please email the Rector at rector@stpatricksamericanrome.org. 

For couples who have been married at St. Patrick’s Church in the past 70 years:

Regarding Civil Marriage Certificates:  We get many, many requests from Irish couples who got married at St. Patrick’s Church in Rome, who now wish to obtain their civil marriage certificates from the Comune di Roma (City Hall).  This has become progressively more and more difficult.  Much time and expense have been invested in assisting these couples with very little success.  Sometimes – most of the time – the Comune di Roma cannot find these registered marriages.  And so, sadly, we will no longer provide any assistance as it is too frustrating and heart-breaking.

And so we recommend this company: MultiLex:  MultiLex <info@multilex.it>

Bureaucratic Services – Legalizations – Translations, Open every day (incl. weekends), 09:00-13:00/15:00-19:00, Our network includes partners in the USA, UK, UAE and Spain, 650+ Client Reviews, MultiLex – La Burocrazia Gentile

They can provide tailored quotations, and the fees can be discussed directly with the interested couple.  If the certificate cannot be located, they might be able to provide an affidavit: a statement to a Public Officer confirming that although the marriage occurred and was certified by religious authorities, there is no civil registration due to historical issues like floods, fires, or mishandling of the Civil Registries in Rome. However, please know that we cannot confirm the Irish authorities would accept an affidavit, so it would be best to address that possibility with them directly. In the US, it may be possible to do such an affidavit directly with the Social Security Office or banking companies, but you will need to made this investigation on your own.

We can only provide a Church certificate, which has no legal authority.

We are very sorry but with staff and time limitations, this is the best we can offer to you.

Problems with obtaining civil certificates of marriage in Rome has led us (as well as the diocese of Rome) to require that all present and future couple get married civilly in their home country before coming to Rome for their Sacramental Rite of Marriage.

We are sorry that we cannot be more helpful than this.