How to Get Married in Spain

When it comes to getting married, Spain is an attractive choice thanks to its vibrant culture and beautiful weather. If you’re thinking of getting married here, there are a few things you should know about the process.

The first thing you need to do is apply for a marriage license (matrimonio). This will depend on the municipality where you live and will require certain paperwork.

Catholic

Catholic weddings are very popular in Spain, and there are many churches where you can marry. The process is a bit long-winded, however. There are a lot of documents to gather, translate and get signed, so give yourself plenty of time.

The first step is to talk to your parish priest in your home country, who will provide you with a pre-nuptial enquiry form and guide you through the paperwork. Ideally, you should speak with him at least six months prior to your wedding date. He will then give you a letter to take with you on your big day to ensure you have the correct paperwork and that the right people are signed off on it.

Once you’ve met your local priest and have all the required paperwork, he will send it off to the Archbishop of your diocese in Spain where you are planning to get married. The Archbishop’s office will check all of the paperwork and send it on to the parish where you will get married a month before your wedding, if everything is in order.

You need to have the following documentation ready: 1 Pre-nuptial enquiry (from your parish priest back home) and 2 Baptismal, Communion and Confirmation certificates issued by your parish church within the last 6 months. These must be dated and signed before you leave the UK to get married in Spain.

This is the document that allows you to legally marry in Spain. It must be in Spanish and the certificate must not be older than three months at the time of your wedding.

Usually, these need to be translated into Spanish by a notary and you may need more than one copy. These are not always included in the Church wedding package, but they are necessary and should be obtained before you leave the UK.

Another important piece of paperwork is the marriage license, which needs to be registered with the local civil authorities in Spain before the wedding can be legally celebrated. This must be done within a week of the ceremony and the marriage must be legalised in Spain.

Protestant

If you are a Protestant and wish to get married in Spain, there are a few steps you need to take. A good starting point is to contact a local priest or pastor who can provide you with pre-nuptial paperwork. You should discuss your plans with them at least 6 months before your wedding date.

Once the paperwork is in place, you must apply for a certificate of marriage granting permission to marry (Certificado de Capacidad Matrimonial) at your local Civil Registry Office. This process takes between 30 and 50 days, so it’s best to start this as soon as possible.

It’s also essential to make sure that the person you plan on marrying is legally resident in Spain for at least two years before applying for a marriage license. The couple can also choose to work with a local wedding planner who can help them with this process and organize their big day.

While the Catholic Church is not very tolerant of non-Catholics, it has made some recent reforms to its marriage policy. This has been particularly helpful for people who wish to marry non-Catholics, including Muslims and Jews.

However, it is still important to get the right paperwork from your parish back home and ensure that everything is translated into Spanish. This can be difficult for non-native speakers so a lot of the time it is best to hire a wedding planner who can take care of all this for you.

Once all the legal requirements are in place, you can arrange to have a religious ceremony with the officiator from your church of choice. This can be a blessing or a full Catholic ceremony. This is a great way to mark your wedding in Spain and can be easier for many couples than the civil wedding route.

A Catholic wedding can be a wonderful experience and the ceremony itself is highly symbolic of the Christian faith. Guests can also partake in communion, which is an important part of the Catholic ceremony.

The ceremony is a very beautiful experience and the officiator can make sure that you and your partner feel truly loved on your special day. Getting married in a Catholic church is a very sacred experience and you should be careful to follow the guidelines of your local priest so that you can have an authentic ceremony.

Non-religious

In Spain, non-religious couples are increasingly choosing to get married. They are not only enjoying the opportunity to celebrate their big day abroad but they also are seeing the benefits of reducing their carbon footprint.

The process for getting married in Spain is relatively straightforward but there are still some complexities, especially if you are non-Spanish and not living in Spain. Luckily, there are a number of English speaking wedding planners in Spain that can take care of the paperwork for you and do all of the legwork for you.

There are two main ways to get married in Spain: a civil ceremony and a religious blessing. The first route is a traditional one where you get married in a church and then the priest will issue you with a certificate of marriage. If you wish to have a religious ceremony you will need to get in touch with the church of your faith in Spain and request a blessing.

Another option is to have a symbolic ceremony or wedding blessing, where you exchange vows and rings but you do not actually get legally married. This is becoming more and more popular because it means that you can have your big day exactly how you want to without dealing with the stress and hassle of the legal side in Spain.

A non-religious Spanish wedding is very much a celebration of both the bride and groom and this has prompted many couples to incorporate their own traditions into the ceremony. For example, it is customary for the bride to keep her engagement ring on her left hand but wear her wedding ring on her right. This is to symbolize her promise to her husband to provide for their family and future.

When it comes to flowers, a lot of non-religious brides choose orange blossoms because they symbolize happiness and fulfillment. Alternatively, they can opt for white petals or flowers grown on the same plant as their own, which are also a symbol of purity.

Traditionally, the groom will present his bride with 13 gold coins (arras) that represent Jesus and his apostles as a sign of good luck on their wedding day. It is a tradition that has been around since the Crusades, and has a deep meaning for some Spanish couples.

Legal

If you’re a legal person and want to get married in Spain then there are a few things that you need to do. This includes contacting the civil registry or town hall of your choice and finding out what documents they require.

You’ll also need to make sure that both of you meet the legal age requirements. The law in Spain states that both of you must be at least 18 years old and show voluntary and intelligent consent to marry.

Then you need to visit the civil registry of the town hall where you plan to get married and fill out a marriage petition. They will then send you to collect your certificate of marriage.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to have the papers translated and then legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (if the documents are not in Spanish). This is a very important step and should be carried out before you leave for Spain.

As well as these formalities, you will need to have a letter from your parents confirming that they’re happy for you to be married in Spain. This should be sent to the registrar in your home country a minimum of two months prior to the wedding.

To ensure the success of your ceremony you need to coordinate with the local priest or minister ahead of time to arrange the details. They can provide you with guidance and tell you exactly what to do and when.

A church wedding is a popular way to get married in Spain. However, the process and paperwork can be complicated for non-nationals so it is always a good idea to start planning early.

In order to be legally married in Spain, one of the parties must be a Spanish citizen or have lived in the country for at least two years. They must also be able to present a document proving their legal residence in Spain (Certificate of Residence or Padron).

You’ll need to have your birth certificates and the ones for both partners translated into Spanish before you arrive. These should be certified by your home country’s embassy or consulate.