Legal Information regarding Weddings in Tarfia
The following information pertains to Legal Weddings in Spain, not just in Tarifa. There are several options to chose from. One of our wedding planners in Tarifa will be able to asssit you in choosing what is best for you:
Catholic Ceremonies
It is indeed possible to have a full Catholic ceremony in Spain and we are in contact with many qualified and friendly English-speaking priests who can conduct the ceremony in the church or chapel of your choice. Once you have chosen your wedding venue in Tarfia, the paperwork needs to be initiated with your own parish priest. Once that is completed, he will send the documentation to the Bishop of Cádiz, where it will be translated and he will then give permission and contact the church where your wedding will be held. Should one of the couple not be Catholic, a dispensation must first be requested from your parish priest. Following the wedding, it is important to remember to deliver the marriage papers to the local Spanish Civil Registry so that the marriage is made legal.
Civil Ceremonies
It is also possible to marry civilly in Spain, but a proof of residency is required (empadronamiento). An application for a civil marriage must be made at the Civil Registry in the place where the couple reside. This can be a lengthy and complicated process, and most couples chose to marry civilly next door in Gibraltar instead.
Gibraltar civil ceremonies
This is the most popular option for couples wishing to marry formally near Tarifa, as it is so close. Minimum planning and paperwork is needed and the ceremony is low key - only requiring 2 witnesses. The usual procedure for non-residents to marry in Gibraltar is to firstly make a booking for the ceremony; this may be done by phone or in writing. Once you have a booking you must both attend the registry offices no later than 10.30 am on any working day to complete the paperwork. This may be done as much as three months in advance or as late as the day before the marriage. Documents to be produced are your respective passports and birth certificates. If either of you has been married before then divorce decrees absolute or the death and former marriage certificates are required.
Blessing ceremonies
Once a couple is married civilly - in Gibraltar or the UK, Ireland, Scotland or from wherever they hail, they most often then choose to have a blessing ceremony in Tarifa. This ceremony is exactly like a wedding, with vows, exchange of rings etc, just not legally binding. A blessing is a flexible event, and can be held anywhere - on the beach, in a church or perhaps at your reception venue.
Protestant, Jewish and Buddhist ceremonies
These are all possible in Spain but must be backed up by a civil ceremony to be legally binding.
Homosexual marriages
As of July 2nd 2005, homosexual couples can be married civilly in Spain. However, the same rules apply (see civil ceremony above) and proof of residency is required.