I guess every couple in love wants to be Romeo and Juliet. To refresh your memory, Juliet was a 13-year-old girl who couldn’t marry her boyfriend, so she takes a potion that makes her seem dead, then he finds her and takes poison, and when she wakes up and sees his body she stabs herself to death.

What young love bugs wouldn’t want a relationship like that?

Now modern lovers can have the ultimate romantic thrill, getting married on the balcony in the 13th century mansion thought to be the home of the Capulets of Shakespeare’s tragedy, ‘West Side Story.’

This is big stuff for incurable romantics. If it’s a success, there’s no end to the mawkishly tragic romantic shrines of pop culture that can offer the same deal.

Modern Romeos and Juliets can tie knot in Verona

A modern-day Romeo finally got his girl on Monday when the northern Italian city of Verona opened up the balcony where Juliet pined for her lover as a venue for weddings.

The 13th century mansion of the Cappello family -- believed to be the Capulets of William Shakespeare's tragic play "Romeo and Juliet" -- has for years been a place of pilgrimage for lovers worldwide, who have scrawled love messages on its walls.

Now, Verona's town council is offering couples the chance to follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare's "star-crossed lovers" and see for themselves "what light from yonder window breaks."

The first Romeo to take advantage of the offer was soccer player star Luca Ceccarelli, who plays for local team Verona.

"I feel very emotional. You know, marriage always gives strong emotions especially in a situation like this," said a beaming Ceccarelli, before exchanging rings with his Juliet, Irene Lamforti. "We hope that this bring us a lot of luck."

But it does not come cheaply. A normal civil wedding license in Italy costs about 45 euros (S$92): for non-European citizens the Verona license will cost nearly 900 euros, with EU non-Verona couples paying approximately 700 euros.

At that price, lovers will hope for a happy ending. -Reuters