by Francesca Di Meglio

As many of you know, I'm preparing to marry my love Antonio, an Italian, in Ischia, an island off the coast of Napoli, in the fall. I just booked my ticket to visit Italy for a month in June, so I can actually plan the event and get married in a civil service (a requirement to marry legally in church in Italy). Even though I have been a bridesmaid or flower girl in about 13 Italian American weddings, I have never been to a wedding in Italy. For kicks today, I headed to YouTube to see what some weddings in Italy look like. Here's what I discovered:

The photos will be beautiful.

Italy is one beautiful country - and we'll be on a gem of an island, Ischia, home of my ancestors. It is close to the Amalfi Coast, where this video was taken. The scenery in just about every inch of the country is the perfect backdrop for wedding photos.

The groom will wear a classic suit.

Tuxedos that make the groom look like a penguin are a no-no in fashion-conscious Italy, where many weddings take place in the afternoon and take on a more casual feel. Grooms wear stylish suits - often custom-made for the day - with chunky Italian ties in the color of their choice. A white tie isn't a must either.

The flowers will be simple but spectacular.

Unlike American wedding bouquets, which tend to include different blooms and lots of glitz, Italian bouquets seem to put one or two types of flowers on display with not much else. In the case of this video, the bride wears a crown of flowers and carries a bouquet of calla lilies (known as donne in camicie or women in gowns in Italian) that is wrapped in netting and held together with a ribbon.

The bride and groom will be models for the day.

Photojournalism has not caught on in the land of bella figura, where everyone dresses to impress and parades in the piazza. In Italy, the bride and groom unashamedly pose for their wedding pictures in very public places, often in front of important local sites. You'll see what I mean in this video of brides and grooms in Venezia.

The bride and groom will kiss - a lot.

Italian weddings, like most everything Italian, are full of love. The bride and groom, like the ones in this video, are encouraged to kiss each other by their guests, who scream baci outside the church or clink their glasses at the reception. The guests also demand some sugar for themselves - receiving lines and visits from the bride and groom during the lunch or dinner reception require that every guest gets a kiss hello and good-bye.

The bride and groom will make a fun getaway.

Roman Holiday might have been a movie but young lovers - especially newlyweds in Italy - seem to enjoy taking the Vespa for a spin. In this video, the bride and groom are joined by some friends, who are also on their motorini.

The ceremony will sound even more romantic in Italian.

With a language that is like poetry and a serious approach to religious ceremonies and tradition, Italians recite vows that sound like a song.

The bride and groom will be left with wonderful memories of their big day.

One thing is the same all over the world: Your wedding is a big deal, one of the most important days in your life. You'll probably look back fondly on it forever - whether you were married in Italy or the United States or Brazil or Africa. You get the idea. Viva gli sposi!

Di Meglio is the guide to Newlyweds for About.com, where you'll find information on everything from setting a romantic table to fighting fairly. You can also find information on all things Italian at www.francescadimeglio.com.

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