No, not the Royal Wedding, I mean your wedding day, the memorable, important day that will be remembered for evermore.
Some arrange to celebrate in faraway places like the Far East, the Middle East or some Pacific Island, but quite frankly you cannot beat a wedding in Andalucia, where it is practical to even expect families and friends to attend and floow on to a terrific reception.
Andalucia is probably one of the best locations for weddings abroad and if you happen to be a resident in Spain, then it is even better and more practical. The idea of an Andalucian wedding can conjure up beautiful thoughts of sunshine, blue skies, beaches with expanses of sparkling blue sea and silvery sand, white villages with traditional, classical looking churches and romance.
Bearing in mind that Spain is a Catholic country, getting formally married means formalities and as a foreigner either living on these shores or a foreigner coming over for that special occasion there are certain legalities which need to be adhered to.
Spanish civil registry after the wedding in order to get an official marriage certificate.
Marriage application form duly completed.
A form from the civil registry of your home country to prove that both parties are single.
If previously married, the original Absolute Divorce Certificate or Death Certificate of partner.
Residence Certificate. If you are nonresident, a certificate of Affidavit made before your Consular Officer.
If it is a Catholic Church wedding, you will also need your Baptism certificate.
Of course, there are more expedient ways to get hitched Andalucian style. Often couples have the ceremony at home (Registry Office or Church) and then come to Spain either for a church blessing or a celebratory reception.
have the whole thing done in Spain.
Alternatively, there is Gibraltar, made famous by John Lennon and Yoko Ono who flew there in a private jet on 20th March 1969, went directly to the British Consulate and were married in a 10-minute ceremony performed by the Registrar. In so doing, you can then follow on with a glorious reception in Spain with all the lovely attributes it has to offer. It is advisable, to book the Registrar several weeks ahead and this can be done by telephone but remember to complete the paperwork in advance as a special license is required for non-residents.
With a bit of forethought and planning your wedding day in Andalucia should go without a hitch making it the day everyone remembers.