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3d ago

American Couples Drive 64% Growth in Italy’s Destination Weddings

Luxury planners now stage nearly 90% of their events in Italy to meet American couples’ demand for intimate, multi-day celebrations.

FILE - U.S. actor Tom Cruise, right, and U.S. actress Katie Holmes with their daughter Suri, who became engaged in June 2005, hold hands as they leave their hotel ahead of their wedding ceremony in Rome, Nov. 16, 2006. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
FILE - A bride poses for photos in front of Rome's Pantheon, June 28, 2013. (AP Photo/ Domenico Stinellis, File)
FILE - The boat carrying George Clooney and his wife, Amal Alamuddin, is surrounded by media and security boats as they cruise the Grand Canal after leaving the Aman luxury Hotel in Venice, Italy, Sept. 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Luigi Costantini, File)
FILE - People look at Chinese couple in wedding clothes posing for photos in front of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Jan. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

Overview

  • Italy hosted more than 15,000 foreign weddings in 2024, marking a 64% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
  • American couples accounted for roughly one-third of those ceremonies, making Italy the second-most popular international wedding destination after Mexico.
  • Foreigners spent an average of €61,500 ($70,600) per wedding in Italy, more than double the typical $32,000 cost of domestic ceremonies in the U.S.
  • American clients in Italy spend about three times more than Italian couples due to elaborate multi-day décor and side events.
  • Concerns over President Trump’s proposed alcohol tariffs have prompted at least six U.S. ceremonies to relocate to Europe so far in 2025.