Spain has a wonderful climate, beautiful scenery and can be the ideal location to have your wedding. Prices are soaring in the U.K. and the average cost of a wedding is around £15,000. In Spain prices are far lower than you would expect and as there are frequent low-cost flights your guests can afford to be there too.

In Spain, both civil and religious marriages are legal, but you must be over the age of 18 in order to get married.

Civil Marriages

Couples wishing to have a Civil Ceremony must apply to the Civil Registry District Court where they are registered in Spain. At least one of the couple must be registered at the local Town Hall in order to apply for a civil wedding. To be able to register you must either live in Spain or own a property there. You don’t have to marry in the town or surrounding area that you are registered in, but you must state on the application form where the wedding will take place.

The Spanish Government is currently working with major non-catholic faiths in terms of accepting their religious ceremonies. In the meantime, it may be possible to have a civil ceremony blessed in a non- Catholic church.

The documentation required to get married can differ between Registry offices so it is therefore advisable to find out well in advance which documents you will be required to produce. You will also need to know whether there is a minimum residency period before the wedding.

The basic documents you will need to produce are as follows:

• A valid 10 year passport.
• An original full birth certificate.
• A certificate of Residence which proves you have been legally resident in Spain for at least two years. This is known as a Certificado de Empadronamiento.
• Decree Absolute if you are divorced.
• Death certificate if you are a widow or widower as well as the original marriage certificate.
• Change of name deed if you have changed your name.
• Proof of residency.

Any official documents you have must be translated into Spanish and must be authenticated by apostille. This means it is a document which is certified for legal purposes in other signatory states such as the U.K. It is the equivalent of the Spanish notary system.

Religious Weddings

A Roman Catholic wedding is legally binding and recognised by the Spanish authorities. You do not have to be an official resident in Spain and all of the paperwork can be prepared in the U.K. You should contact your local priest who will help you with the paperwork and will then send it off to the church in Spain where you intend to have the ceremony.

After the wedding you must take the signed certificate given to you by the priest to the local Registry or Town Hall where you marriage will be registered with the civil authorities and made legal. It can take a few weeks to receive your official wedding certificate.

Catholic weddings can only take place in a Roman Catholic Church. At least one of the couple must be catholic and neither of them can be divorced. If you would like further information on Catholic weddings in Spain, you should consult your local parish priest or a Spanish priest in Spain.
You will be required to provide the following documents:

• A valid passport.
• Certificate of Baptism
• Certificate of Confirmation.
• Certification that you are single. This is done by the parents.
• Certificate that you have completed a pre-marriage course.

Once you have received your marriage certificate you will be need to have it translated into English. This can be done at the nearest British Embassy and can then be forwarded to the General Register Office in the U.K.

Spanish Wedding Customs

There are many different customs used in Spanish weddings. Some of them are very different to what you may be used to in the U.K. You may want to consider incorporating some of these traditions into your wedding to make it extra special.

1. Orange Blossom – Orange blossoms are traditionally used to signify a life of happiness and fulfilment. They are often incorporated into bouquets along side other flowers, such as roses.
2. Coins – The groom traditionally presents the bride with 13 coins. They are presented in a special bag or tray and are used to symbolise the groom’s commitment to his bride. The bride carries the coins which are then blessed by the minister during the ceremony.
3. The Groom – The groom is traditionally escorted down the aisle by his mother.
4. Wedding Rings – It is a tradition to wear the wedding rings on your right hand in Spain and not on the left hand as we usually expect to se in the U.K.
5. Favours – Gifts are traditionally given during the reception. Men can expect to receive cigars which are a lot stronger than the ones in the U.K. The bride will throw her bouquet and may also give small pins worn upside down to any single ladies. The Spanish tradition believes that if the pin is lost during the reception, the lady who loses it will be the next to get married.

Organising your wedding can be an extremely stressful time. It may be worthwhile to consider hiring a wedding planner to help with the preparations. They can advise you on the legalities as well as ensuring you have the best venue for your special day. You can find plenty of wedding planners on the internet offering a wide range of services.