Planning for a Wedding in Italy
Piani di matrimonio
It
is not unusual for modern couples to forgo the who-pays-for-what discussions
and it has become more like a "he-who-has-it-pays-for-it" principal. This
is because it takes a lot of money a mettere su casa or
"to set up your own household." You usually don’t get married in Italy
unless you have substantial financial backing. A couple must be able to
move into a luxurious furnished apartment or villa, often as nice or better
than that of their parents, the day they return from their honeymoon.
Hope chests and dowrys
Italian brides were in the habit of collecting household items and clothing for their hope chests as women did in many parts of the world. The girl’s family might also be given a dowry or money at the time of marriage. Hope chests had to be very carefully packed and left in special hiding places, because during the next war, and there were several in Italy, the soldiers of an invading army coming through might walk in and take out its carefully selected contents.
