Civil Marriage
Application for a civil marriage must be made, depending on the city, either to the Civil Registry or to the District Court (Juzgado.) Note that in order to be married in Spain, at least one of the two applicants must be a resident of Spain.
Both parties are usually required to each submit the following documents:
An application form to be obtained from the Civil Registry or Court in whose jurisdiction the marriage is to take place.
An original non-abridged birth certificate, legalised and translated into Spanish.
A certificate of bachelorship or non-impediment to marriage. A declaration of bachelorship may be obtained at the local Civil Registry. Where this is not possible, a "Statement in lieu of an Embassy issued certificate of non-impediment to marriage" is usually accepted.
Divorced / widowed: Original marriage and death or divorce certificates, as the case may be, which must be legalised and translated into Spanish. Divorces obtained outside of Spain must be convalidated, the Exequatur must be obtained from the Sala 1ª del Tribunal Supremo, through a lawyer.
Posting of banns: The Embassy or Consulates may issue a letter saying that this is not required in your country of origin.
Certificate of residence: Residents of Spain may obtain this document from the Tenencia de Alcaldía in their district of residence. For non-residents, a sworn statement declaring the addresses of the last few years may be signed before a consul.
A certificate of consular registration: Issued by the Embassy or Consulates upon presentation of a valid passport and completion of a registration card, this certificate must include an address in Spain.
All required documents must be submitted at least 8 days before the desired date of marriage although the average delay is 35-40 days.
Legalisation of required documents: Contact your consulate or embassy. Translations should be done by an official translator.
Many businesses offer assistance in planning a marriage in Spain. You can get married in a hot air balloon, on the beach, in a boat... Look on the internet or check out these websites:
www.beachweddingsinspain.com / www.weddingsinspain.com / www.weddingsinspain.net
Interesting Wedding Facts
The most money spent for a wedding singer was the wedding of multimillionaire Peter Shalson and wife Pauline who paid £2 million to get Elton John to sing a song at their wedding.
The most expensive wedding was the one held in a purpose-built stadium in Dubai for a Sheik's son. The wedding cost over £22 million.
The largest wedding attendance was a Jewish wedding in Jerusalem in 1993 where 30,000 people attended.
The longest marriage in Britain was between James Burgess and his wife Sarah Ann, their marriage lasted 82 years. Percy and Florence Arro Smith from Hereford have just made it into the Guinness Book of Records for being married for 80 years.
The oldest bride ever to get married was Minnie Munro from Australia who married at 102 years of age; she married a man aged 82 years.
February 10th is World Marriage Day.
The longest ever recorded marriage was Sit Temulji Nariman and his wife Lady Nariman, who were married at the age of five. The marriage lasted for 86 years.
Good Luck Tips For The Big Day
Tuck a sugar cube into your glove - according to Greek culture, the sugar will sweeten your union.
The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck.
Rain on your wedding day is actually considered good luck, according to Hindu tradition!
For good luck, Egyptian women pinch the bride on her wedding day.
Middle Eastern brides paint henna on their hands and feet to protect themselves from the evil eye.
Peas are thrown at Czech newlyweds instead of rice.
A Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to ensure that she'll never do without.
A Finnish bride traditionally went door-to-door collecting gifts in a pillowcase, accompanied by an older married man who represented long marriage.
Moroccan women take a milk bath to purify themselves before their wedding ceremony.
In Holland, a pine tree is planted outside the newlyweds' home as a symbol of fertility and luck.