Problem: Article: You will need at least six months to gather all of the appropriate documentation. Resist the temptation to just hop on a plane to Italy with your fiance. It is unlikely you will be able to have a legally binding ceremony if you don't have the proper documentation. Most civil and religious ceremonies have restrictions on location. Catholic ceremonies must be conducted in a church and civil ceremonies must often be conducted in a town hall. While a town hall might sound like a boring, clinical setting, many of them are located in beautiful castles, villas or palaces. The Palazzo Municipale in Ferraro or the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence with its striking Sala Rossa are notable spots. If you have your heart set on an outdoor ceremony, check with the local mayor or deputy to see if they will perform the ceremony in your desired park or outdoor destination. While the general laws of marriage apply in the same ways all over Italy, certain towns may have fewer requirements than others. Once you decide on a location, contact the registry of the local town hall for their specific requirements. A list of all of the town halls in Italy is available at Ancitel.it If you do not have a valid passport, then you will need to apply for a new one or renew your existing one. You will need to allow at least six weeks to receive your new passport, so complete your application right away. Both you and your partner will need to have your original birth certificates in hand to get married in Italy. If you do not have the original copies, then obtain them as soon as possible. If applicable, you will need to prove that any prior marriages have been legally dissolved. This might require you to obtain a divorce decree, an annulment decree, or the death certificate of your late spouse if you have been widowed. You will need the original copies of these documents as well. Some citizens may also need to swear a Nulla Osta to be allowed to marry. For example, citizens of Australia must swear a Nulla Osta at the Australian Embassy in Rome or at the Australian Consulate in Milan. The Nulla Osta is a sworn statement that you are legally allowed to marry someone. The Atto Nottario is a declaration where you affirm that you have no obstacle (such as a pending divorce) to getting married in Italy. You might find it easier to get this done at an Italian Embassy in your home country before you leave for your wedding rather than at your country's Consulate General office or the Embassy in Italy. There are some things to keep in mind as you complete the Atto Nottario, such as: The declaration must be sworn by two witnesses. The witnesses must be at least 18 years old, they must know both you and your spouse, and they cannot be family members or future in-laws. Think of asking friends, fellow church members, or co-workers to serve as your witnesses. If you decide to get an Atto Nottario in Italy, you must do so at the closest Notary Office to the location of your wedding. You must also have two witnesses (non-family members both over 18 years old). If either you, your spouse, or even one of your two witnesses does not speak Italian, then you must also hire an interpreter to be present at the notarization. You will also need to provide evidence of your legal presence in Italy, such as a plane ticket, a visa or a permit to stay. You must also procure two revenue stamps (costing 16 euros each) and one additional stamp costing 10,62 euros. These lower cost stamps will require four to ten days to process and then pick up for your notarization. If you need the stamps issued on-the-spot, then you will need to buy the same two stamps costing 16 euros each and a third stamp costing 30,86 euros. Make your appointment for the Atto Nottario well in advance. If you only have a limited amount of time in Italy, then you need to make sure you have this appointment lined up before going. You will do this in the Marriage Office belonging to the town hall where you intend to get married in Italy. You will need all of the above documentation in order to do this. For Italian citizens and residents of Italy, civil banns are posted for at least two weeks after they submit their Declaration to Marry. They cannot have a civil ceremony before these postings have occurred. But for international visitors to Italy, the banns requirement might be waived or shortened to a length ranging from one day to one week. Contact the local town hall where you plan to get married to find out if they waiver the banns requirement for international visitors.
Summary: Plan ahead. Consider the type of ceremony you want. Pick a destination. Apply for a passport. Collect your birth certificates. Provide evidence of the end of previous marriages. Get an Atto Nottario in your home country if possible. Learn about additional rules for an Atto Nottario completed in Italy. Submit your Declaration to Marry.

Problem: Article: Quakers are a smaller breed of parrot, but because of their active nature, they do best with a roomy cage. An 18" x 18" x 18" cage should probably be the minimum size for your bird, but also consider safety and security features. Quaker parrots are known for being escape artists, so make sure the bars on the cage are not too far apart, nor at the same time narrow enough that a curious quaker can get its head stuck between them. -inch spacing between bars is a good reference point. Likewise, to counteract their curiosity and escapability, choose a gate that swings open (not a guillotine-style gate that a quaker may be able to lift up only to have it become a trap). Quakers have been known to figure out how to unlatch a gate, so consider a lock as well. A repetitive daily diet of bird food pellets not only lacks the diversity to provide proper nutrition, it may also cause boredom (and thus a lack of eating) in birds like quakers. Make the pellets part of the diet, but also mix in a variety of fruits and vegetables, and occasional seeds and nuts. Avoid feeding birds avocados, however, as this can be toxic to them; also skip chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol. Birds are messy there is no way around it. In addition to droppings, quakers will strew food scraps, destroyed toys, and bits of anything else they can get their beaks on throughout the cage and on your floor. Give the cage a quick cleanup daily, removing large bits of junk and replacing the newspaper liner (you may want to subscribe to a daily paper if you're going to be a bird owner). Each week, give the cage a more thorough cleaning, scrubbing down the bars and such. You may want to place the cage over an easier-to-clean floor surface, such as tile or hardwood rather than carpet. Take your quaker for annual checks (and more as warranted) by a veterinarian, preferably one with a bird specialization. Beak, claw, and feather health should be areas of particular focus for you and your vet, as problems in these areas are often indicators of larger issues. Quakers may be more susceptible to fatty liver disease, so don't let your bird become overweight. Limiting seeds and other high-fat foods may be necessary. Talk to your vet if you are concerned. Feather plucking is another disorder that can be common among quakers, and can have physical or behavioral causes. A good avian vet can help you with this issue as well.
Summary:
Buy the right cage. Provide a diverse diet. Expect messes and frequent cleaning. Find a good vet.