Brides UK

They wed away

For further information, documents and advice, visit gov.uk/marriage-abroad

WORDS: TABITHA JOYCE. PHOTOGRAPHS: INFRAORDINARIO, PAMELA HANSON/TRUNK ARCHIVE, SOPHIE LINDSAY

The legal bit

Marrying in one of our top ve? We’ve done your homework for you

WHEN IN

GREECE...

e expert

Anna Wohlfart,

wedding planner at the

Sani Resort, Halkidiki

When to go? May,

June and September

What to expect

Whitewashed villages

and olive groves

Need to know You will

both need a CNI, copies

of your passports and

legalised translations of

your birth certicates,

and must present the

original documents to

the registrar three days

before the wedding.

You can only marry in

a Greek church if one of

you is Greek Orthodox.

You will need your

marriage certicate

translated to register

the wedding in the UK.

WHEN IN

FRANCE...

e expert

Anne-Laure Renaud,

etvoila-weddings.com

When to go? June

to September is best

for an outdoor wedding,

but cities like Paris are

beautiful in any season

What to expect Wine

estates and châteaux

Need to know To get

married legally in

France, you need to

be resident for at least 40

days; therefore most

Britons choose to marry

legally in the UK before

a bigger ceremony

in France. Religious

ceremonies are not

legally binding. All

couples must head to

the city hall to marry

rst before having

a blessing in church.

WHEN IN

MUSTIQUE...

e expert Sarah

Tu c k , e Turquoise

Holiday Company

When to go? Between

December and April

What to expect Private

villas and small beaches

Need to know You will

need to stay in St Vincent

and e Grenadines for at

least two nights before you

can legally marry in

Mustique. Couples must

provide passports and

birth certicates and meet

the ociating minister at

the registrar’s oce

to obtain the

marriage licence.

e marriage is

legally binding

and will just need

to be registered

in the UK on

your return.^

WHEN IN ITALY...

e expert

Raaella Alatt,

wedinitaly.co.uk

When to go? June

to mid-September in

the north; or May and

October if you head south

What to expect Fashion,

ne dining and amazing

architecture; or majestic

peaks, gentle valleys and

miles of coastline

Need to know Civil

ceremonies must

take place in the

local town hall,

oen located in a

stunning historical

venue. Your CNI

will need to be

ocially translated

into Italian in order

to obtain a marriage

licence. To marry in

a Catholic church, one

of you must be Catholic.

WHEN IN SPAIN...

e expert

Susannah Garcia,

Mr & Mrs Smith

When to go? April, May

and September; it’s

preferable to avoid the

heat of July and August.

What to expect Pretty

coves and beaches

Need to know Proof

of local residency, or

empadronamiento,

is required for a civil

wedding, which means

one of you must own

a property or live

permanently in Spain.

As a result, people tend

to marry legally in the

UK rst. Ceremonies

which are held in a

Catholic church are

recognised as legal and

don’t require residency,

but paperwork can take

as long as ve months.

Before you leave the UK...

CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT (CNI) STATUTORY DECLARATION LEGALISATION

WHAT?

HOW?

WHEN?

WHO?

COST?

A certificate confirming there are no

objections to your marriage.

It is a legal requirement that each party

gives notice prior to any proposed

marriage. You’ll need to arrange

a meeting at your local register office

• your notice will then be displayed for
  15 days before your CNI is issued.

The certificate is issued without an

expiry date. However, the country in

which you intend to marry may have its

own validity period; so check.

If you are getting married in Italy, Spain

or Greece, you will be asked for a CNI.

You’ll need to get your CNI translated

and sworn before the courts or Justice

of the Peace in the relevant country.

A register office notice fee costs £35 per

person while there is no charge for a CNI.

A legal declaration

used to confirm

your single status.

You will need to make a

declaration under oath, in

the presence of a solicitor,

stating your intent to

marry in the destination

that you have chosen.

This document must

be obtained within

three months of your

intended wedding date.

Italian law requires a

Statutory Declaration.

The cost is nominal

(from £5).

The Foreign & Commonwealth

Office needs to certify your

statutory declaration and

CNI as genuine.

You will need to complete

thelegalisation application

form at gov.uk and then

send away the relevant

documents and payment

to be processed.

Immediately after you have

your Statutory Declaration

and CNI, as the SD has a

three-month expiry date.

Weddings in Spain, Greece

and Italy require the

legalisation of documents.

This service costs £30 per

document, plus postage.