Dreaming of an Italian Destination Wedding? One Region Will Pay You $2,200 To Get Hitched There
If the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into your wedding plans, one Italian region is hoping to make your destination wedding dreams come true with a pretty sweet offer. Officials in Lazio — the central Italian region which includes the country’s capital city, Rome — are hoping to boost tourism in the area, offering local and foreign couples alike the opportunity to get married in 2022 by giving €2,000 (that’s around $2,205 USD) towards your big day.
The new “From Lazio with Love” incentive includes a €10 million (around $11.1 million) fund that will be divided among applicants throughout the year until it runs out. Chosen couples will be able to use their portion towards just about anything they want, wedding-wise, including wedding attire, a cake, flowers, photography, catering — you name it, as long as you purchase items through local Lazio companies to help industries impacted by the pandemic. You can also use up to €700 (roughly $780) on an Italian honeymoon.
It seems the region was hit badly by COVID-19 travel restrictions, with pre-pandemic ceremonies dipping from 15,000 in 2019 to just 9,000 in 2020 and 2021 combined. Lazio’s president Nicola Zingaretti told the Guardian that the year-long initiative will hopefully help “support a sector that has suffered badly from the economic crisis,” adding, “We have put the significant investment in place also with an eye on the tourism sector, and with the awareness and pride of being able to boast about every part of our region, with many locations among the most magical and fascinating in the world thanks to an unparalleled cultural heritage.”
If you’re interested in exchanging your vows in Italy this year, there’s no shortage of dreamy locations to choose from. Whether it’s a Roman romance you’re looking for, a reception situated on a historic medieval hilltop, or a ceremony at the sand dune beaches that line Circeo national park, you’re sure to find the venue of your dreams.
Interested candidates can apply online through January 2023 or until the €10 million fund runs dry.