Italians now offer weddings in the house of Shakespeare’s Juliet. Young bridegrooms pay to be put in Romeo’s shoes.
It is a famous line from the Shakespeare play: “til death do us part”, clearly fitting for a wedding. This line, and particularly the place of Verona, has become the subject of wedding tourism: a branch of tourism devoted to making sure couples never forget the big day.
Some go on Safari, others may choose the beach, yet now it is possible to take advantage of the extreme romance offered by Verona and get married playing the parts of Romeo and Juliet, one of the most famous characters of all time.
In Verona couples can now say their vows right in the house where Juliet lived (at least in the play). For many it is an absolutely ideal way for a young romantic man to show his quality and for a fairy tale marriage to come true. It may either take place below the infamous balcony or in the house itself. The ceremonies, notably, do not have to be on a religious base.
The weddings are not, however cheap. Some may argue that it is a once in a lifetime occasion so it is worth splashing out the extra cash. For Verona residents, the price fluctuates around EUR 600, yet the price is EUR 1000 for non-EU residents. The higher price is due to the bigger amount of documentation needed. Allegedly, once the project is fully up and running, the proceeds will go to the town hall and other organisations. This would keep in with the atmosphere of romance.
The earnings from this wedding tourism project could, indeed, be quite high as Verona has 1.2 million visitors per year. Hardly any of these visitors have wedding bells in mind but the thought of getting married in the house of Juliet may just persuade a few young hearts.
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