Marriage in Spain

October 2, 2012 10:31 AM

Can a foreign non-priest officiate at a wedding in Spain?

My husband has been asked to marry two of his friends. The wedding will be in Spain and will not be a religious ceremony of any type. My husband is British and unaffiliated with any religion. None of those involved are Spanish or live in Spain.

Is this even possible? And if so, how? Any tips welcome. [Internet churches? A permit from a Spanish local authority? Etc]

posted by tavegyl to Law & Government (5 answers total)

there are organisations that do all the work for you, the first one I spotted is
this http://www.publiboda.com/organizacion_de_bodas/index.html.
Presumably someone in the party speaks Spanish right?
posted by kairab at 10:44 AM on October 2, 2012

here's another http://www.spanishweddingplanner.com/
posted by kairab at 10:45 AM on October 2, 2012

Just have the happy couple get a civil marriage (town hall, courthouse, etc.) in their home country, and have hubby "officiate" a lovely ceremony where public vows are exchanged.

I looked into this for my own wedding, and getting officially married in many countries is just a huge pain--certificates in triplicate, notaries, etc. Much easier to do a lovely ceremony on your own terms with no question about the validity of the union.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:46 AM on October 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: No, it is not possible. Do a courthouse wedding in the UK or US or wherever and let your husband conduct a fake ceremony in Spain. (We did this, except with a fake wedding in Scotland, and it worked well.)
posted by DarlingBri at 1:09 PM on October 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: That seems pretty clear, thanks to all. A fake wedding it shall be.
posted by tavegyl at 11:12 PM on October 2, 2012