 MARRIAGE
FORMALITIES IN SPAIN Civil and religious (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and
Muslim) marriages can be celebrated in Spain for people over 18. While Spanish
law appears to permit foreigners to marry in Spain, in practice it will usually
be necessary for one of the couple to have been legally resident in Spain for
at least two years. An application for marriage in Spain will usually involve
lengthy and time-consuming paperwork, and applicants should therefore allow enough
time before the intended date of marriage for the application to be processed.
There are no facilities for a marriage at a British Consulate in Spain. Where
couples are unable to marry in Spain, Gibraltar may offer a possible alternative.
Information is available from: Civil Status & Registration Office, Marriage Registry,
277 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: 00 350 72289 (from outside Spain) - 9567 72289
(from Spain)
Getting
married in Spain, a land so rich in history and colour, the possibilities for
a dream wedding are practically limitless “Quien dice España dice todo” (He who
says Spain says everything) is a proud Spanish expression. It’s not hard to see
why when you visit this country shaped by many cultures including Roman, Greek,
Moorish, Jewish and Celtic. The climate does its part too, varying from near tropical
in the south through desert in the interior to cool and temperate in the north.
On Spain’s
northern coast the Atlantic crashes onto the rugged shore of three regions of
verdant beauty - Galicia, Cantabria and the Basque Country. Each has its own language
or dialect but all are places of green hills, towering peaks and pristine beaches.
Getting married in the beautiful seaside towns of San Sebastian or La Coruña or
in the revived and vigorous city of Bilbao you and your new spouse can enjoy exquisite
seafood and sip on Spain’s best wine produced in the neighbouring region of La
Rioja. Holding the Atlantic at bay the majestic Pyrenees sweep eastward to another
sea, the relatively benign Mediterranean lapping on the shores of Catalonia. The
Catalans, living in Spain’s wealthiest region, are very proud of their language
and culture. They
can be equally proud of the unique coastline of the Costa Brava, the inspiration
of so many Dali masterpieces, and the beauty, grandeur and vigour of Barcelona.
In this grand city’s gothic quarter churches like the Santa Maria del Mar open
on to charming little squares providing the perfect setting for the colour and
drama of a destination wedding in Spain. Moving southward from Catalonia things
start to look more ‘typically’ Spanish. Orange groves and rice paddies finally
give way to the dry, sun-baked Costa del Sol. The bride may wear something blue
– in Almeria and Marbella the sky wears only blue 320 days each year. Going west
from the Costa del Sol olive groves sweep in endless succession over the rolling
plains of Andalusia, the original Flamenco country. Spain’s African past is everywhere
evident in Moorish palaces and the white painted settlements. After a wedding
ceremony in the vibrant cities of Seville or Cádiz newlyweds can sip sherry fresh
from Jerez whilst local flamenco artists pay impassioned tribute to their new
marriage. | 
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