Getting Married In Spain

Information and questions about the Law in Spain and Andalucia.
zanuck
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Getting Married In Spain

Postby zanuck » Thu Jan 01, 2015 2:37 pm

I've searched in this forum for this topic and drew a blank.

Has anyone any experience of non-residents getting married in Spain? See below:

We are non-resident Brits; our daughter has said she'd like to get married in 2016 in our pueblo's church.

A couple of questions come to my mind and it would be good to know answers so that we can see if it is practical to take her idea any further:

1 Would the marriage be legally recognised in the UK?

2 Are there any drawbacks to being married in Spain whilst a British resident in the UK?

3 The village church is Catholic, she is non-practising C of E; he is non-practising Catholic - I'd have thought that this might be a showstopper, has anyone non-Catholic married or knows of non-Catholics marrying in a Spanish church?

4 We know an English (Spanish resident) Lay Preacher who I think has carried out marriages before in Spain and we will make contact to see if he can take the wedding ceremony, but would like to see if the answers to the first two points above are positive, what should the next (first) steps be - contacting the priest for his agreement to use the church and in tandem contacting the Lay Preacher?

5 Do we have to get the Ayuntamiento involved?

We have until spring of 2016, but clearly need to see if her idea is feasible or not.

Many thanks - Z

El Cid
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby El Cid » Thu Jan 01, 2015 3:04 pm

I believe it is possible, but very complicated with tons of paperwork. A friend recently organised it for his daughter, but most people seem to pop down to Gib and get married there and have the reception in Spain.

There are some good wedding planners around so it might be worth talking to one of them.

Sid

Lyric
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby Lyric » Thu Jan 01, 2015 5:22 pm

As one who has done this I can confirm it is difficult but not impossible. One of the stumbling blocks is the requirement for one years residency, we did this by getting Empadronamiento.(against the rules I know).
With neither of us being religious we had a civil ceremony carried out by a town hall official.
I arranged it all myself and it took just over a year.
I think, but do not KNOW, that the planners must have a way round the rules.
Most of the church weddings here seem to be Catholic to Catholic. My Manager used to do make-up in cahoots with one of the agencies and they were nearly always Irish.
I will send you a PM with the contact details of the agency she worked with and maybe she will be better positioned to advise further.
At least time is on your side at present.

El Cid
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby El Cid » Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:07 pm

Lyric wrote: Most of the church weddings here seem to be Catholic to Catholic. My Manager used to do make-up in cahoots with one of the agencies and they were nearly always Irish.
I understand that Irish Catholics have some special dispensation with their bishops that make it much easier.

In Nerja they nearly always seem to be Irish weddings.

Sid

katy
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby katy » Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:32 pm

I have been to three expat weddings at the Church in La Virginia, Marbella. Lovely setting and one of the people was Jewish so it must be possible :think:

Manchesteral
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby Manchesteral » Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:33 pm

El Cid wrote:
Lyric wrote: Most of the church weddings here seem to be Catholic to Catholic. My Manager used to do make-up in cahoots with one of the agencies and they were nearly always Irish.
I understand that Irish Catholics have some special dispensation with their bishops that make it much easier.

In Nerja they nearly always seem to be Irish weddings.

Sid
It's something to do with the E U directives regarding Tarmac laying :lol:

zanuck
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby zanuck » Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:47 pm

El Cid wrote: A friend recently organised it for his daughter, but most people seem to pop down to Gib and get married there and have the reception in Spain.

There are some good wedding planners around so it might be worth talking to one of them.

Sid
Thanks Sid,

Gib is not an option as far as our daughter is concerned, plus of course the distance from the village and back. I'll look at wedding planners for guidance.

Z

zanuck
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby zanuck » Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:48 pm

Lyric wrote:As one who has done this I can confirm it is difficult but not impossible.
I will send you a PM with the contact details of the agency she worked with and maybe she will be better positioned to advise further.
Many thanks Lyric
I've seen your pm and replied to it and will follow up in the morning.

Z

zanuck
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby zanuck » Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:49 pm

katy wrote:I have been to three expat weddings at the Church in La Virginia, Marbella. Lovely setting and one of the people was Jewish so it must be possible :think:

Katy
Thanks for your reply, Marbella is too far away, but the fact that you have been to three expat weddings gives us some hope that it is do-able.
Z

zanuck
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby zanuck » Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:54 pm

Being somewhat of a novice at weddings - whilst we had a DIY wedding in 1976, this will be the first one that we have assisted our daughter with and I hope that there is a way; one often sees on TV or hears of the offsprings' friends that got married on a beach in Goa; or Barbados etc etc so hopefully Spain can accommodate.

Please, no-one respond with "well this is Spain" :thumbdown: :lolno: :lol:

scotty
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby scotty » Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:20 am

El Cid wrote:
Lyric wrote: I understand that Irish Catholics have some special dispensation with their bishops that make it much easier.
In Nerja they nearly always seem to be Irish weddings.

Sid
Dispensation my *ss. Nobody cares about the RC church here anymore. It's all about the money €€€€. The weddings cost substantially less in Spain. As long as you get the " civil ceremony" legal stuff sorted that what matters. The days of the rosary beads are long gone here now. Only a few like my 95 year old mother left now 8)

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Mowser
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Re: Getting Married In Spain

Postby Mowser » Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:35 am

Edited and pm sent instead.
Dave


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