# HELP!! Can we get married in Spain while still living in England??



## Dean swift

Hello to all of you very helpfull people....My girlfriend and i visit Calpe in spain 3 to 4 times a year and are working towards moving to Calpe. We would love to get married on the beach but dont know where to start. We also want to hire a boat to take the wedding party a mile or so around the coast line to the small harbour next to Puerto Banco resaurant where we will have our reception.
Can anyone help me with any advice please?
Thank you so much.
Dean Swift


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## Pasanada

Yes and no!! It is VERY difficult to get married in Spain and the process is complicated for foreigners. As you don't live in Spain, then your chances of marrying here is almost zero!

Your best bet would be to marry in Gibraltar (if you're both British citizens, this is no problem) and have a blessing/reception back in Spain.


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## jojo

I have a friend who's getting married in Turkey next year. what they're doing is the registry bit in the UK and then going straight off to Turkey afterwards to have the "wedding"!

Jo


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## Pasanada

My Sister-in-Law did the same thing, Jo. She was living in Spain but found the red tape involved a complete nightmare! The British Consolate were of no help in advising her either so she went back to the UK and returned to Spain for a blessing.


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## chris(madrid)

Dean swift said:


> Hello to all of you very helpfull people....My girlfriend and i visit Calpe in spain 3 to 4 times a year and are working towards moving to Calpe. We would love to get married on the beach but dont know where to start. We also want to hire a boat to take the wedding party a mile or so around the coast line to the small harbour next to Puerto Banco resaurant where we will have our reception.
> Can anyone help me with any advice please?
> Thank you so much.
> Dean Swift


Dean - Actually I'd REALLY RECOMMEND not trying. 

If you want a religious wedding - FORGET IT - unless you find some very willing expat no conformist minister. If Civil will, do you'll have to HOPE (and I mean HOPE & PRAY) that the local councillor is prepared to do so. If not you're stuffed. And even so you'd actually still have to present yourself in the Town hall before(or after). This assuming you resolve ALL the legal issues such as being residents etc.

It was SUCH a hassle - my wife (who's Spanish) and I finally married in a UK registry office.


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## scudd

Dean swift said:


> Hello to all of you very helpfull people....My girlfriend and i visit Calpe in spain 3 to 4 times a year and are working towards moving to Calpe. We would love to get married on the beach but dont know where to start. We also want to hire a boat to take the wedding party a mile or so around the coast line to the small harbour next to Puerto Banco resaurant where we will have our reception.
> Can anyone help me with any advice please?
> Thank you so much.
> Dean Swift



A friend of mine provides that service, take a look at 

yourdreamweddinginspain dot com

the ladies name is Marcella and she does a really good service. She is based in Alcalali which is only 20 mins away from Calpe!


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## Davidakky

YES is the quick answer!
It is becoming more common to the point that some Irish priests have actually taken a long term rental of an apartment for their priests when in Spain conducting services.
Speak to Julie Soubiron on 0034 952 593 797. She is a professional wedding organiser, and my sons God Mother, and will certainly put you in the right direction...and she isn't very expensive either...organising everything, church, boats, cars, restaurants...the lot!!
Regards,
Davidakky


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## SteveHall

HUGE obstacles (unless you can get somebody to turn a blind eye) Many expats who actually live her shoot off to Gibraltar and just have a ceremony in Spain. 

My best friend Keith Nicol can help and his partner also Sue wrote this 
 article for me 

If you need it blessed I have a "sympathetic" priest in Jávea. PM me for details

Good luck if you try, life is too short for me.


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## almendros

Davidakky said:


> YES is the quick answer!
> It is becoming more common to the point that some Irish priests have actually taken a long term rental of an apartment for their priests when in Spain conducting services.


Yes, if you are an Irish catholic you can get married in Spain. There is a constant stream of Irish couples getting married in Nerja.

Unfortunately if you are not an Irish catholic you had better forget it and do as others have suggested.


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## Dean swift

SteveHall said:


> HUGE obstacles (unless you can get somebody to turn a blind eye) Many expats who actually live her shoot off to Gibraltar and just have a ceremony in Spain.
> 
> My best friend Keith Nicol can help and his partner also Sue wrote this
> article for me
> 
> If you need it blessed I have a "sympathetic" priest in Jávea. PM me for details
> 
> Good luck if you try, life is too short for me.


Thanks you Steve


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## chris(madrid)

Dean - whilst it's not "the beach" I have Spanish friends who wanted to be married at their home earlier this year. The councillor responsible in the town they (and I) live in would NOT perform the ceremony outside the Town Hall. Was a civil thing as both are divorced.

He/She was however prepared to sanction another similar councillor from a different town to deputise at the ceremony. The weddings councillor in the town hall I work in was prepared to - BUT it does not remove the need to go to the official person who oversees that municipality and deal with all the paperwork etc.

As it transpired there were some administrative difficulties with one set of divorce papers and eventually they had the party without the marriage itself. Was a happy and honest event - actually very moving, with the vows being personal and not "what is decreed".

It's just my opinion - But I find this redtape hassle takes the fun out of it. Was far more spontaneous & fun in the UK. And it's supposed to be a happy memory after all. Do the civil bit in the Uk and by all means have a MEGA PARTY here.


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## Dean swift

Thank for that Chris. It looks like that will be the case. I really have had enough of this country but it looks like its the only option for now.
Regards
Dean


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## Stravinsky

Dean swift said:


> Thank for that Chris. It looks like that will be the case. I really have had enough of this country but it looks like its the only option for now.
> Regards
> Dean



I've just got back from a non catholic wedding party with two divorced ex pats living in the Gandia area. They say the papwerork was daunting, but it was mostly the UK authorities that messed them about and lost their birth certificates

They do though reside in Spain


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## chris(madrid)

Stravinsky said:


> They do though reside in Spain


This is VERY key!


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## spooky

Me and my girlfriend got married here in June 08 i am catholic so made things a lot easier !
The lady mentioned earlier "Marcella" in Alcalali helped us !


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## Purple Muffin

I am wondering if anyone could give some pointers, but I have to say from reading the posts on here and other comments I get the impression it is not going to be possible!

My boyfriend and I are both British, but have lived in Germany for 9 years.

We would really like to get married in Spain, a Civil ceremony somewherein the Granada area. 

I have read that it varies on region to region if you are allowed to get married in Spain or not and that the local registrar/town hall would have to decide. 

Not that this helps much but I do have friends from the area.

I read it is a lot of paperwork and red tape, but I am not scared of that as I have lived in Germany for the past 9 years it is like second nature. But I would like to know if it is possible at all, how difficult doesn't matter.

Going to Gibraltar is not really an option I am dreaming of....


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## SteveHall

Sure, if you are prepared to perjure yourself or can find a sympathetic funcionario who will turn a blind eye - the first is between you and your conscience. The second is unlikely as it is more than his/her job is worth. 

Does it happen? Yes.


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## Suenneil

*Gibraltar wedding :::*

Hiya ..... just to give you a view on getting married in Gib - we did it and it was fabulous! We did not get married in the horrible registry building (its v ugly in my opinion) ...... we got married in a tiny garden at the Caletta Hotel overlooking the sea - beautiful flowers, the hotel set up lovely chairs / tables / music (all for free!) and we paid the taxi fare of the registrar to come and marry us there ....... it was second time around for us both and we wanted a very small wedding with specially chosen guests only - perfect! The hotel was brilliant and no cost for the actual wedding planning etc - they even let us choose our lunch menu and then printed it on personal menus etc - no cost! the only criteria for being able to marry there was to stay in the hotel the previous night (honeymoon in reverse eh????????????????) that was fun!

Gib is not the prettiest place on the planet - but wherever your hotel / venue / reception you rarely get to see outside of it - so in the hotel and garden we could have been anywhere hot and sunny! no hassle whatsoever .... and we both have great memories (4 years ago this june)


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## SICKO ZERO

*Javea Priest*



SteveHall said:


> HUGE obstacles (unless you can get somebody to turn a blind eye) Many expats who actually live her shoot off to Gibraltar and just have a ceremony in Spain.
> 
> If you need it blessed I have a "sympathetic" priest in Jávea. PM me for details
> 
> Good luck if you try, life is too short for me.


Hi Steve,
I came across your post when I googled Getting married in Calpe, as we have a studio there. We was going to get married in Zaragoza or Girona but my English Priest friend is not able to get to spain this year, so I was looking for someone else, and Seen you know someone in Javea, a place I know well, as it's close to Calpe. Do you think he could help me out?
Thankyou
Johnnie & JoJo
.........


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## xabiaxica

SICKO ZERO said:


> Hi Steve,
> I came across your post when I googled Getting married in Calpe, as we have a studio there. We was going to get married in Zaragoza or Girona but my English Priest friend is not able to get to spain this year, so I was looking for someone else, and Seen you know someone in Javea, a place I know well, as it's close to Calpe. Do you think he could help me out?
> Thankyou
> Johnnie & JoJo
> .........


I live in Jávea - there are several celebrants in Jávea.....

when you've made a few more posts PM me & I'll put you in touch with a properly ordained one - not all of them are

have you arranged a full wedding here - or are you getting married elsewhere & just wanting a blessing?


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## SICKO ZERO

No, we haven't arranged to get married anywhere yet, my friend was going to marry us (basically for free) , but he is in Brasil now so is unable to. I am involved with the church in the uk, so I know quite a few people who are able to marry us, but it is not practical to drag them out to calpe. I was just putting the feelers out to see where we can get married, as we don't want to be in the uk. I have a studio/appartment in a hotel in Calpe, so I was thinking of having a function after the wedding at our hotel, and Javea is within distance.
Thankyou for replying xabiachica


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## Grievesy73

Hi everyone. My partner and I were planning to marry in the Punta Prima area next August and I've made this forum my first port of call as research. Neither of us are Catholic, or any religion for that matter and both divorced. I guess I'm right that its difficult in terms of paperwork etc. We hoped for just a small wedding as my outlaws to be ( no they are really nice people actually lol ) have a home in the area but are residents in the UK. Not sure if that would make a difference in organising the wedding. We have ruled out marrying in Gibraltar. Any suggestions/ ideas would be helpful. Thanks


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## mrypg9

Two gay male friends got married in Casares a couple of years ago, sin problemas.
They had however both been resident for some years.


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## Grievesy73

mrypg9 said:


> Two gay male friends got married in Casares a couple of years ago, sin problemas.
> They had however both been resident for some years.


Just to clarify my post, when I said partner and I, we are male and female Lol but I'm glad all the same that your gay male friends got married in Spain.....


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## xabiaxica

Grievesy73 said:


> Hi everyone. My partner and I were planning to marry in the Punta Prima area next August and I've made this forum my first port of call as research. Neither of us are Catholic, or any religion for that matter and both divorced. I guess I'm right that its difficult in terms of paperwork etc. We hoped for just a small wedding as my outlaws to be ( no they are really nice people actually lol ) have a home in the area but are residents in the UK. Not sure if that would make a difference in organising the wedding. We have ruled out marrying in Gibraltar. Any suggestions/ ideas would be helpful. Thanks


you do need to be resident in Spain...(or at least one of you does :confused2: )........ the son of some friends of mine is having horrendous problems - he is supposed to be getting married later this year, but although he has been registered as resident (green cert.) here for a couple/ several years, he had neglected to sign onto the padrón until they started the process of arranging the wedding & he was told that that was a requirement.... so he hasn't actually been on the padrón long enough...........

all the other 'complicated' paperwork has been sorted out, but no-one knows quite how to get around this one....


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## webmarcos

It may be worth contacting Marta Priu at BCN Wedding Planners. They organise weddings in Barcelona and other parts of Spain for foreign clients, so they should know the pitfalls and obstacles.

Wedding planning in Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain


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