Getting married in Spain

Spain, the country on the Mediterranean Sea. The country of love, beautiful people, passion and not to forget the beautiful Spanish language. The country of beautiful wedding locations. Why wouldn't you want to get married in such an old and picturesque village in the hills? In a beautiful little church and then party with a beautiful view of one of the most beautiful beaches on the Spanish coast? Maybe it is because of these aspects that the Spanish themselves enjoy marriages so much. The commitment that is made and the vows that are spoken in such a magical location. You could actually say that weddings are an important part of Spanish society, because traditionally a lot of value is attached to them. If you compare it like that, a wedding is a little less magical for us Dutch, isn't it? Are you planning to get married or do you have a wish to emigrate to Spain? Perhaps you want to change this now and therefore choose a magical wedding in Spain.

A Spanish fairy tale

There are couples who want to celebrate their love with a very big wedding, just like in the old days, with at least 200 guests. Brides who want to make their dream with the prince on the white horse come true, but nowadays most bridal couples celebrate it on a smaller scale. Furthermore, you will see that when you are invited to a Spanish wedding it seems like you have ended up at a gala. The men come in a suit and the ladies all wear beautiful (long) evening dresses. You will not quickly come across jeans like in the Netherlands.

The Spanish wedding party

During the wedding party, the Spanish party until the early hours, surrounded by their friends and family. There is a lot of eating, because the Spanish know a thing or two about good food and delicious wine. As we have said before, the wedding parties are not always traditional, but you will definitely come across a few traditions that you may not know (yet). Maybe not all, but certainly a few. It is quite nice that if you ever get married in Spain, you incorporate a number of Spanish traditions into it. Wouldn't it be fantastic to get married abroad like that?

Spanish traditions

Of course, every country has its own traditions. The Spanish do too. If you have ever experienced a Spanish wedding, you may already know these traditions. Have you never experienced a Spanish wedding before? Then there are many traditions that are very special to us Dutch people, because we simply do not know them.

The rings and the fingers

An interesting difference with Dutch fiancés is that when women in Spain get engaged they wear their ring on the ring finger of their left hand. After the wedding when they also get their wedding ring, they wear it on the ring finger of their right hand. So this is a small difference, because in the Netherlands we wear both rings on the ring finger of our left hand.

The bridesmaids and guests

Also, in Spain they don't have bridesmaids/groomsmen on the big day. What they do have are padronos. These are normally the father of the bride and the mother of the groom. These are also often the witnesses. The parents of the couple therefore have an important role during the wedding and are therefore also placed at the table of the bridal couple. That is why this table always has 6 chairs. Nowadays it is of course also the case that people sometimes have children before the wedding and that is why there will not be 6 chairs today, because in the case of children they are also placed at this table.

Even more traditions

Furthermore, after the ceremony, when the newlyweds are just married and leave the church/community, it is tradition to throw rice or rose petals over them. In this way, the guests wish the newlyweds a happy and fruitful life.

Orange blossom is also the traditional flower for Spanish weddings. These flowers also represent happiness and fertility in Spain. It is also the case that during Catholic weddings, so also in Spain, the bride and groom receive 13 gold coins '“arras” must share. Number 13 in the Catholic Church symbolizes Jesus and his 12 apostles. Sharing these gold coins stands for prosperity in marriage and after sharing these coins they will have a good future. All that superstition may not have its charm after all?

Another fun tradition is the Cut the Corbata del Novio, or cutting the groom's tie. During this tradition, most people, usually the groom's friends, gather around him, cut off his tie and cut it into small pieces, after which the guests can bid on the pieces. In this way, a lot of money is often collected for the couple.

Formal activities

There are also some serious formalities that need to be completed. During the Banquet of Bodas, so the reception, it is customary for the wedding guests to walk to the table of the couple to hand over their gift to the couple. They do this as a thank you for the invitation. After this, during dinner, the bride and groom or sometimes a designated person will again present the "details", or the favors given to the guests as a thank you for coming and as a lasting memory that they can take with them. In the past, men often got a cigar and women often got a bottle of wine, but nowadays the bride and groom often give more personal favors.

After this beautiful, but sometimes chaotic and especially long day/evening the couple of course goes on honeymoon. In Spanish called Luna de Miel.

Fun fact..

A fun fact is that in the past Spanish brides wore black. Their black dress was then a symbol of devotion and dedication to their husband. Nowadays, of course, the fashionable white is chosen and it is not often that the bride chooses black.

As you have read, Spanish weddings are a real party and when you are invited to one, you should definitely not turn it down. You may not understand everything, but you will definitely have fun!

Spanish wedding paperwork

It's great to read about Spanish weddings and their traditions, but of course you'll want more information about how you can get married in Spain. Spain sounds like the perfect place to get married, but what people often forget is the paperwork that precedes it. Of course you always have the paperwork, even in the Netherlands, but often it's just a little more complicated for foreigners. So do you really want to get married abroad? Then it's wise to always think about this carefully first so that you don't get any surprises later.

What do you need to do to get married in Spain?

To get married in Spain, you or your partner must be registered in the municipality where you live and of course you must both be at least 18 years old. Are you or your partner not an EU citizen? Then the Spanish authorities will carry out extra checks to ensure that the marriage is genuine. These extra checks are often carried out on people who come from countries where it is difficult to obtain a visa to Spain. In this way, the Spanish government wants to prevent abuse of marriage.

In Spain, it is also possible to marry people of the same sex. This has been legal since 2005. Furthermore, these couples not only have the same rights in the area of marriage, but also in the area of inheritance and adoption.

Types of marriages Spain

In Spain you have civil marriage and church marriage. In Spain people are mostly Roman Catholic. For civil marriage you must first contact the Civil Registry (civil registry) in your place of residence in Spain. They must issue the marriage license so that you can plan your wedding. To apply for this you will need the following documents:

Necessary documents for a Spanish marriage

• NIE, passport/ID card and copies
• Extract from birth register. Are you or your partner not from one of the countries in the European Union? Then they must have this document legalized by the consulate of the country of origin.
• Certificate of employment. NOTE: one of the two partners must have been registered in Spain for 2 years.
• Affidavit of marital status
• In case of previous divorce, copies of marriage and divorce papers. In case of death, copies of marriage and death certificates.
• The application form completed and signed.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of paperwork that you need to have in order. Make sure that you perform these tasks on time and that you have the necessary papers and documents in your possession on time.

Legalization of documents of the bridal couple

Do you or your partner not have Spanish nationality, but are you getting married at one of the most beautiful wedding locations in Spain? Then don't forget that all these documents must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator in the Netherlands or in your partner's home country. The documents must also be legalized. Furthermore, the permit issued by the Registro Civil is only valid for 6 months. This means that you must submit the document to the District Municipal CouncilThis is the city council of the municipality in which you live.

Church wedding

As previously mentioned, you can also get married in a church in Spain. For this, you need to contact the parish 3 months before your wedding day. In addition to your marriage license, you also need to submit your baptismal certificates. These documents must have been issued no more than 6 months earlier.

What is also good to know is that when you get married in church in Spain you are also legally married. It is true that fewer and fewer couples are choosing a church wedding.

Civil marriage

If you want a civil marriage, this is usually free. Do you prefer to get married in church? Then it is often customary to make a donation. This is usually an amount of at least €300. And as you have read, fewer documents are required for this marriage and there is not really a legal procedure. In both cases, you must have the marriage registered as soon as it has been performed so that you can Family Book receives. This is a booklet that the Registro Civil issues when you get married. It contains the details of you and your partner and is actually a document to register your marriage. It also registers the birth of your children, a possible divorce or death. If you ever lose this booklet or need a copy, you can simply request one from the Registro Civil. In this case, you must take all passports/ID cards of the people registered in the booklet with you.

Finally..

As you have read, getting married in Spain, whether it is on the Costa del Sol or in a tropical garden, is quite an event. Also, saying the vows and saying yes under the Spanish sun gives you a completely different, but very special feeling.

Have you decided to live and get married in Spain? We wish you the best of luck. Do you have any other questions regarding your emigration to Spain? We would like to refer you to the other articles on our website.