Foreigners choose the Belpaese to get married

In 2024 over 15 thousand foreigners got married in Italy: the number of ceremonies increased by 11%, for almost 1 billion euros as a turnover. The US couples want to celebrate their union (30.4%), followed by British (20.7%) and German (8.7%) couples in the Belpaese.

These are the data processed by the tourist studies center of Florence for Italy for weddings, on a sample of 896 entrepreneurs in the supply chain, released today by Convention Bureau Italia. The prevalent rite is the civil one (22.5%), followed by the religious one (13.5%), while the share of “symbolic” weddings amounts to 64%.

As for territorial preferences, the largest share of requests focused on Central Italy (31.3%), while the South regions and the islands intercepted 29.3% of the application. In third position, for volume of organized events, the North West area (22.9%), followed by the North East (16.5%). In particular, Sicily is one of the most requested regions. The summer period is confirmed as the main one for the events: between May-June and July the peak of requests is concentrated (over 50%), but in the meantime the October-November band grows, with peaks of up to 22.4%. A dynamic that shows how the wedding tourism sector embraces basically all year round.

The number of events also grows with a number of envoys greater than 100 units. The celebrations with a maximum of 30 participants pass to 10.4% of the total. The reports for events with 31-50 participants are stable, while the ceremonies with a number of guests between 51 and 100 stood at 56.1%. Inflation and increase in the average number of guests push the average expenditure of the event to +4.2% compared to 2023, attesting it to around 61,500 euros. The catering service remains the highest item (36%).

Overall, the market share of European countries has risen to 53%, one more point than 2023 Therefore an expansion that can attract new investors and international operators in Italy is underway.

In 2024, moreover, the share of weddings organized with the intervention of Wedding Planner (from 44.2% to 46.3%) increased. The main request for foreign couples goes in the direction of the Small or intimate wedding (25.2%), followed by the wedding week (19.8%) and the Green Wedding (12.9%), while keeping marriages well in the vineyard ( 12.3%) and the renewal of promises (5.4%). Foreigners confirm a predilection for the wedding party in the villas (23.9%), which remain on the top step of the podium, followed by historical residences (13.8%), villages (12.4%) and Castelli (11 , 9%).

Econdo Carlotta Ferrari, president of Consention Bureau Italia, “it is a reason for national pride, because the peninsula firmly positions itself as a world leader in the sector, thanks to the aura of quality and exclusivity that is able to issue. The segment It therefore continues to grow, net of a normalization of the rates compared to previous years, attesting itself as one of the main tourist levers of the country.