Frequently asked questions

Riccardo Meo Evoli is a wedding celebrant based in Monopoli, Puglia, in southern Italy. Born in Rome to a father from Puglia and a French mother, he is a native French speaker and lived in Spain and the Netherlands, where he studied at university. He has worked in weddings and hospitality in Puglia for over ten years and has written and led symbolic ceremonies since 2019, mostly for couples from the UK, the US, Australia, Italy, France and Spain. He loves meeting new people and discovering new cultures.

I celebrate in English, Italian, French and Spanish. A ceremony can also mix languages, so that both families fully understand the meaning of the moment. I have led ceremonies in Italian and Spanish, and in Italian with parts in French.

I am based in Monopoli and celebrate across Puglia: Monopoli, Polignano a Mare, Fasano, Ostuni, Alberobello and the Valle d'Itria, Bari, the Salento and the Gargano. I am happy to travel elsewhere in Italy and abroad.

A symbolic ceremony is a wedding ceremony written around your story, with no legal effect in Italy. You choose the place, the time, the language and the content. Most couples marry legally at home and celebrate the symbolic ceremony in Puglia with their guests. If you would like a legally valid ceremony, ask me: in some cases I can officiate that too. See the guide Symbolic wedding in Italy.

Between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on how many people speak, such as guests giving readings. I strongly advise against reaching 30 minutes or more: beyond that the ceremony becomes heavy for your guests and for the two of you, especially outdoors in the summer heat.

There is no fixed script: every ceremony is built around your story, your guests and the tone you want. We shape it together during our meetings, deciding whether to include readings, vows, rituals and the people closest to you.

Yes. Couples often choose a sand ceremony, a ribbon or handfasting, the signing of a symbolic certificate, or a moment to remember loved ones who cannot be there. I suggest rituals that fit your story, and none is required.

Vows are not mandatory, but they are often one of the most emotional moments of the ceremony, for the two of you and for your guests. I highly recommend including them, and writing them yourselves. Keep them short: about one minute each is plenty. We can have a chat together and I will give you some tips to write them, even if you feel stuck or nervous about speaking in public.

Yes. Guests can do a reading, and with your permission I contact a few family members or friends to collect stories and memories. Those details often become the most moving part of the ceremony.

Yes. I love celebrating elopements and intimate ceremonies, just the two of you or with a handful of loved ones: on a cliff over the sea, among the olive trees or in the white streets of an old town. The ceremony is just as personal, written around your story, in a simpler and more intimate format.

You will agree the structure, the readings and the rituals with me, but I keep the full text as a surprise. Couples hear their story for the first time on the day, together with their guests.

Yes, of course. I celebrate every couple, and I have already celebrated a same-sex wedding in Puglia. A symbolic ceremony is open to everyone.

Book a free 30-minute video call. We get to know each other and you tell me your story; then you receive a summary and the contract by email the same day.

Through one or more video calls together, and separately if you like, plus a short questionnaire. With your permission, I also talk to some of your family and friends.

There is no minimum notice, so it is always worth asking, even close to the date. Booking early gives us time to prepare the ceremony calmly, and gives you time to get clear on the ceremony you want.

Yes. I often work alongside wedding planners and masserie in Puglia, and I coordinate timing, sound and the ceremony set-up with them directly. I have celebrated at Masseria Spina, Masseria San Giovanni and Miramonte ai Monitilli, among others.

About 30 minutes before the ceremony, to check the set-up, meet the readers and settle any last details with the planner.

I work alongside your sound service and musicians, and I use the microphone they provide. If there is no sound system, I can bring one at an extra cost: just let me know well in advance.

Yes. If you would like a rehearsal the day before the wedding, I am happy to join it, so you, the readers and the wedding party know exactly where to stand and when to speak. The rehearsal is quoted separately, as it takes up an extra day.

Yes. Every ceremony includes a symbolic wedding certificate printed on parchment. You can choose whether to sign it during the ceremony, in front of your guests, or keep it as a keepsake.

My ceremonies start at €600 in the Bari, Brindisi and Taranto areas, in any of my four languages. That includes the calls, the writing of your ceremony and the celebration on the day. Elsewhere in Puglia a small travel fee applies; outside Puglia, travel and accommodation are quoted separately. Elopements and intimate ceremonies receive a tailored quote.

A 30% deposit secures your date when you sign the contract. The balance is due in the week before the ceremony.

No. A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect in Italy. To be legally married you need a civil (or religious) wedding, at home or in Italy, before or after the symbolic one.

Yes, at the town hall (Comune), with a civil registrar, in Italian with an interpreter. It needs documents from your own country, so many couples find it simpler to sign at home. Your wedding planner or embassy can confirm what applies to you.

In some cases, yes. In Italy the mayor can delegate the celebration of a civil wedding to a citizen, and I have officiated a legally valid civil wedding this way. It follows a different procedure with the town hall and has different costs, so tell me early if this is what you want.