Top tip: Use this tool to find out the documents you need to get married in Spain.

Here is one couple’s experience of applying for a civil marriage in Spain where one partner has citizenship.

Photo Toni Bonet

How to get married in Spain – a real life story

To get legally married in Spain, at least one of the partners needs to be a Spanish national or have  Spanish citizenship – “residencia” or residency is different.

One partner in our real life couple, has Spanish citizenship and the other is from northern Europe with Spanish residency. This is their experience as they applied for the paperwork necessary to contract their marriage in Spain.

Photo Toni Bonet

Register your intention to marry in Spain

Our couple was advised to apply to the nearest “ayuntamiento” or town hall to where they had “empadronamiento” similar to an electoral roll.

They applied for a “cita” or appointment and were advised to bring along the following documents in order to complete a form registering their intention to marry

• passports
• birth certificates
  (the northern European partner did not need their birth certificate translating , but they did need a printed form from the EU website)
• personal tax identification
  NIE for the European partner and NIF for the Spaniard
• empadronamiento documents
  (valid within the last 3 months)

As with any registration of marriage the couple were then interviewed and asked questions to ascertain that they were freely entering into the marriage.

Questions may vary but are likely to be along the lines of

• what is your civil status?
  (divorced, single, widowed etc)
• have you been married before in this or any other country?
• how long have you been together?
• how long have you lived together?
• have you met your partner’s family?

Photo Toni Bonet

What is the process to get legally married in Spain?

As long as one of you is a Spanish national or has had Spanish citizenship for two years (this period may vary regionally), go to the council office when you live and ask to register your intention to marry.

Take with you all documents of identification listed above and be prepared to answer questions to confirm that you are freely entering into the marriage.

You will complete a form which is submitted to the “Registro Civil” or civil registration office who then publish it for a period of no less than 15 days – this is to give other people time to object to your union similar to reading the banns.

You will receive notification to make an appointment with an appointed official to legally marry you witnessed by two other persons and a formal entry is made to a register and a certificate of marriage issued to you as your copy of that entry.

Note that your marriage is registered in the country in which it is contracted.
You cannot get married in Spain and register your marriage in the UK for example, or vice versa.

Photo Toni Bonet

Who can legally marry us in Spain?

• the Judge in charge of the Civil Registry
• the Mayor of the municipality where the marriage is celebrated, or the councillor delegated by the Mayor for that function
• an authorised religious minister.

Note that many religious ministers do NOT have the legal authority to register your marriage.
A religious minister can officiate a religious wedding ceremony for you (as can an independent wedding officiant like me), but you may still need to contract your marriage before a judge or mayor as described above. It’s worth checking!!!

• diplomatic officials in charge of Spain’s Civil Registry abroad
• the captain or commander of ships or aircraft

Note, in most cases, the law requires certain special conditions to marry on a ship or aircraft such as the state of necessity, or that one of the contracting parties is seriously ill or in danger of death.

Photo Lara Jackson

The real wedding comes after your marriage in Spain

So that’s it!

As you can see, contracting a legal civil marriage in Spain is not a romantic process and the majority of couples seek a beautiful wedding ceremony after they are married to celebrate their union.

Remember that a marriage and a wedding are two different things – the marriage being the legal contract and the wedding being the ceremonial celebration.

You can have your marriage and your wedding at the same time, or on different days… and in different countries (that is what we call a “destination wedding”.)

For the ultimate wedding ceremony in Spain that blends together what is important to both of you in terms of

• not having anything religious but still wanting something meaningful
• perhaps blending two different religions to please both sides of the family
• including traditions and rituals that are important to you
• acknowledging your own personal backgrounds and love story
• whatever will make your wedding day special to you…

…contact me soon as your independent wedding celebrant right here in the Spanish sunshine, to craft your wedding day!

Photo of Debbie Skyrme, Juanma Segura

Author bio: Debbie Skyrme is an award winning bilingual wedding celebrant officiating weddings, elopements and vow renewal ceremonies across southern Spain

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The post How to apply for a legal civil marriage in Spain appeared first on Celebrant Spain.

Photo Lara Jackson

What is a wedding in Spain for summer 2020?

So the Spanish borders are open and destination wedding couples are planning their ceremonies, but what are regulations in Spain regarding social distanced weddings? The answer depends on which region you are holding your marriage celebrations in. Generally, outside locations are open 100% in Spain and inside venues are at 75% capacity but rules continue to change.

Photo Toni Bonet. Hairdresser Cesar Morilla Salvarez

So how can you make a socially distanced wedding beautiful?

It is not a matter of what you can get away with, it’s a matter of making sure your guests are comfortable and have the best possible wedding experience. There are plenty of ways to have a beautiful socially distanced wedding whilst keeping your guests safe and staying within Spain’s COVID-19 regulations.  You will have your special day in the Spanish sunshine with stunning photos to look back on and remind you of one of the most memorable days of your lives.

Photo Toni Bonet. Celebrant Debbie Skyrme

What are the facts for socially distanced weddings in Spain?

So let’s start with the facts as they stand today 15 July 2020 Spain is a very big country made up of 17 regions (a bit like England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales) and fifty provinces (a bit like counties). At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, during the State of Alarm, the Spanish government took control of all regions and implemented a strict nationwide lockdown. Now Spain is out of de-escalation, the regions have regained autonomy to make their own regulations, so you may find variations in what you can and cannot do.

Photo Toni Bonet. Makeup Violeta Carvajal

Day to day life is actually very pleasant within social distancing restrictions right now in summer 2020, shops are well stocked and in general you will find

• Outside locations in Spain are open100% and inside venues venues are open up to 75% capacity
• Maximum numbers for gatherings vary from 150 to 500 depending on the region
• The wearing of masks is compulsory on public transport and where social distancing cannot be maintained – though some regions like Andalucia, make masks obligatory at all times i.e. even when you can keep a distance of 1.5 metres.
• You do not have to wear a mask when you are stationary on the beach, when you are eating or drinking and when you are exercising.
• You cannot dance in public, but you can sing!

Photo Toni Bonet. Celebrant Debbie Skyrme

How to have a safe wedding ceremony

As a full time wedding celebrant here in Spain, here are some protocols I follow for a safe wedding ceremony within social distancing regulations for summer 2020

• Ceremony seating in family groups or social clusters of up to 20 people – alternatively, a wide semi circle with VIPs (Vulnerable Important People) to the side, works really well.
• Separate mics for the couple and the celebrant
• Individual pens for the couple and the witnesses when signing any commemorative certificate or register
• Ask family members within your household or bubble to assist with rituals such as Handfasting or swap a Handfasting for a Red Thread ceremony that the couple ties themselves to symbolise the invisible thread that connect their hearts.
• Singing is permitted in Spain and I for one love a good sing song at a wedding, so let’s get some socially distanced audience participation going!
• Provide masks for those who feel more comfortable wearing them – keep in mind that some venues may require guests to wear masks in accordance with regional regulations.
• Combine your ceremony and socially distanced wedding breakfast to avoid wearing masks

Organise your seating informally like an outside restaurant with a maximum of 20 people at each table and social spacing between tables. If guests are technically eating and drinking during the ceremony then they are not obligated to wear masks – though remember what I said at the beginning about this not being about what you can get away with, rather what makes your guests comfortable. In effect, you are having your ceremony and the start of your wedding breakfast at the same time – just avoid waiting staff serving when the ceremony itself starts.

Photo Toni Bonet. Wedding boat Sail n Play, Marina del Este

Social distanced wedding inspiration

Just think of each element of your wedding in turn and with common sense you can get creative and rise to the challenge within social distancing regulations here in Spain.

Catering tips for your 2020 wedding

• Cut your cake immediately after your ceremony so that vulnerable guests can leave early with a plated meal from your caterers to enjoy somewhere quietly and still feel part of the main events.
• Seating plans can be organised to keep family and social groups together rather than mixing people up on tables.
• Avoid communal plates with buffets and shared tapas – your caterer can offer individually plated canapes or staff food stations to serve your guests instead.
• A reduced guest list may mean you can upgrade your menu!

Photo Toni Bonet. Florist Machuno Arte Floral

Photo tips for your 2020 wedding

• Live stream the video of your wedding ceremony to an extended guest list who cannot attend in person – this great idea means you don’t have to pay for any extra guests and means you have an additional recording of your ceremony like an altar cam!
• Organise photos taken within family groups or social bubbles – perhaps guests could wear something to easily identify them as a cluster such as a different lapel pin or coloured friendship bracelet for each table.
• Rather than have a big photo of you all together, ask guests to send you a photo of them that you can make into a wedding collage – that way you can include guests who cannot attend in person.

Entertainment tips for your 2020 wedding

• Singing is permitted in Spain!
• Ask your DJ to get create and organise chair dancing music! Think of all the hand jives and arm movement songs you can play to get everyone to join in whilst sitting down – the oldies in your party will love it!
• Create a Mr and Mrs Quiz for guests to answer questions about you from your childhood, the scrapes you got into in your teens and workplace, your likes and dislikes – it is a great way for guests from both families to get to know you better as a couple.
• Make sure any wedding stations are staffed rather than do-it-yourself – the exception is your hand wash station of course!

Photo Toni Bonet

The ultimate socially distanced elopement

Photo Toni Bonet. Wedding Planner Mar Aday

The ultimate socially distanced wedding ceremony is an elopement on your own private yacht! Whether you want a small wedding party or just the two of you and your celebrant, you might consider a ceremony in a Mediterranean marina on a luxury catamaran or vintage fishing boat before you sail off on a romantic cruise as the sun sets making the most romantic photos ever!

You cannot lock down love and all of your family and friends will be so full of warm wishes for you both and sooooooo very ready to celebrate you making your vows to each other on your special wedding day in Spain that it is likely to be one of the most beautiful and memorable days ever – Covid or no Covid.

Psssssst! By the way, all wedding photos were taken within Spanish social distancing regulations!

Author: Debbie Skyrme is a full time wedding celebrant officiating bilingual wedding, elopement and vow renewal ceremonies in the Spanish sunshine.

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Photographer of photos in this blog: @tonibonet_wedding

(c) Debbie Skyrme 2020 & 2021 This content was authored by Debbie Skyrme and originally published on https://celebrantspain.es/blog/
Unauthorised publishing of the text or image content in part or in full is strictly forbidden.

The post How to have socially distanced weddings in Spain, summer 2020 appeared first on Celebrant Spain.

Photo Jack Hartley

Getting to Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory on a piece of rocky land that sticks out on the end of southern Spain. On one side of the airport is Spain and on the other side, Gibraltar – it is that easy!

Gibraltar has its own airport with flights to six main UK airports plus the Moroccan airports of Casablanca and Tangier.

As the main road from customs into town crosses the runway, the road is understandably closed at certain times of the day – so take this into consideration if you need to get to the register office for a particular time!

Top tip: check the Gibraltar live flight info before planning your trip. Not just regarding flights, but also for when the main road across the runway is closed to traffic and pedestrians walking into town.

Arriving in Gibraltar from Spain

You can fly into the international airport at Malaga then hire a car to follow the Mediterranean motorway for 90 minutes to the border with Gibraltar.

Alternatively, there are four buses a day to La Linea (the Spanish border with Gibraltar) costing about €14. You can then walk over the border and walk into town to the register office, take one of the many city buses, or a taxi for about €5.

Just walk across the runway from Spain into Gibraltar

 

What paperwork do we need to get married in Gibraltar?

• Birth certificate
• Proof of civil status
• Passport
• Proof of any change of name eg previous marriage certificate and divorce decree absolute

Top tip: download a copy of the current Guidance Document for Marriages and Civil Partnerships in Gibraltar

When the Gibraltar register office confirms your documents are in order, you can pencil in a date for your marriage ceremony, complete the Registrar application form and send your payment. Simples!

 

Spain on one side of the airport, Gibraltar on the other

Debbie Skyrme officiating a wedding on board the Sunborn yacht, Gibraltar

The post How to get married in Gibraltar appeared first on Celebrant Spain.