Getting Married in Spain

Although Italy has been at the top of the list of European destinations for weddings so far, Spain is destined to catch up. With reliable sunshine, and beautiful locations – from beaches, to cliff tops; luxury spa resorts to romantic castle ruins – Spain has something to offer everyone.   Currently, non-residents can only marry through the help of wedding planners in north Costa Blanca and Gran Canaria. Although most areas of Spain are still reluctant to perform legal weddings for non-residents, the following ceremony options are available, with over 500 couples from the UK, Ireland and the US ‘tying the knot’ in one of these ways each year…

Wedding Blessing

This is the most popular option for couples wanting a destination wedding in Spain. A blessing ceremony can look and feel exactly like a wedding, and offers full flexibility for locations, and style. They can be held almost anywhere, and held by any type of celebrant, reflecting your own beliefs, and traditions. A wedding blessing is not a legally recognized ceremony, and a legal marriage must be held in your home country before or after the blessing.   Many of the wedding images you see on our site are blessings, and sometimes guests do not even know that there is a difference between a blessing and a full wedding.

Civil Wedding

One or both parties must be resident in Spain for at least 6 months, by being registered on the local Padron in the area in which you would like to marry. Weddings must be conducted by an authorized official, such as the town Mayor. Some areas of Spain may only allow civil weddings in specific locations such as a town hall, while other areas are more flexible. The ceremony must be in Spanish, although specialist translators or celebrants can be hired to translate all or parts of the ceremony.

Catholic Wedding

If you are Roman Catholic, you can have a religious church wedding in Spain that is legally recognized in the UK or US. You must follow the guidelines set out by the Catholic Church, and should speak to your local priest for more information.   You can hold your wedding in a Catholic church, and the ceremony will be performed by the local Spanish priest. Banns may be read out in the church in the lead up to the wedding, and other Catholic practices conducted as they would be in the UK, Ireland or the US.

Angel Neal