A region in central Italy is offering people a grant of €2,000 (£1,662) to host their weddings or civil unions in the area in an attempt to boost business for the local wedding sector following the pandemic.
The Lazio region, which includes the country’s capital, Rome, is the second most populated region of Italy.
Under the initiative, named “Lazio with love”, €10m has been allocated to give Italian and foreign couples refunds of up to €2,000 when they purchase services or products from local caterers, florists, wedding planners and events companies for the big day.
All weddings and civil unions that take place between 1 January and 31 December 2022 will be eligible for the grant.
The grant may also cover honeymoon costs, photography services and wedding entertainment.
The region’s official website states that it hopes the grants will increase business to the area and help local vendors recover from the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Italy has one of the highest Covid-19 death tolls in the world and was one of the first countries to impose a lockdown.
In September 2020, Assoeventi, the events and wedding companies arm of Italy’s Confindustria business lobby, told the Financial Times that 85 per cent of planned Italian weddings for that year had been put on hold because of the pandemic.
Additionally, it estimated that 9,000 weddings planned by international couples had been either postponed or cancelled.
Couples who take up the regional offer will need to provide proof of a maximum of five receipts. Applications can be submitted up until 31 January 2023, or until the funds run out.
“The scheme is needed to support a sector that has suffered badly from the economic crisis,” Nicola Zingaretti, the president of Lazio, told The Guardian.
“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.”
The region offers a vast range of wedding locations from the city to the countryside. The country’s capital is home to some of Italy’s most famous landmarks including the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
