Marriage

It can be done but is at best "difficult" and some town halls refuse to assist and other churches will put you through loops - including a course of lecture in Spanish about the sanctity of marriage etc.

There are now specialist wedding companies set up to organise everything. In Torrevieja there is even a restaurant that is famous for expat weddings. They do the full trip with English photographer, Irish DJ etc and the local rag somehow seems to cover them all. A friend of mine is an ordained minister and he is legally allowed to bless the happy couple.

The REALITY is that it is a blessing and the "actual" wedding were usually in Gibraltar.

Other towns that I know of - expat Jávea with Rev Clive Read and Finestrat recently famous for a gay wedding on the beach.

Hope it works out for you

Two of my friends got married in Gandia area last year and it was relatively painless. They just went to see the mayor, and he advisedf them what they should do. They are both Spanish residents, which I guess you are, and they were married in the town hall

I know what you mean Steve about companies, but I'm not sure its really worth spending the money when its relatively simple to arrange yourself.

I think it would depend where you wanted to get married.

Horror story of Irish couple who got "married" in Caribbean last year and came back to Benissa for the civil wedding - registrar refused to acknowledge the beach wedding. 100+ guests etc etc Major hassle!!

I would certainly be checking with the consul/embassy and the local town hall well before I started to make firm plans.

Irishgirl said:

Hi all,
Havent been on here in a while! Been keeping busy!! Hubby away for another 5 months on and off but surviving!!! Hope all is well with everyone.
Any how just wondering if anyone knows what me and the OH have to do to get legally married in this country. Even though we call each other the husband and the wife we arent legally married. We have our NIE and are paying taxes to the government in Spain but have our Irish passports, do we still have to go to the Irish consulate Etc.
If any one has any info on getting married in Spain it would be great!!

Ni

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Tying the knot eh?? Sounds like things are going well; I'm glad.
I got married here 18 years ago and I do remember officials reducing me to tears once and near tears a further two times, and I was marrying a Spaniard so you'd have thought it was pretty easy!!
You can go to the town hall perhaps or the Registro civil. I was getting married in Bilbao but lived in Madrid. I went to the Registro Civil in Madrid to find out what documentation I needed and she tried to tell me she didn't know! When I argued my case a little she bregrudgingly drew a paper out of the drawer of her desk and literally threw it at me saying ¡¡ "Ala"!! And Bilbao was where they made me cry
Anyway, that's not to put you off. Especially if it's a civil wedding it shouldn't be complicated, as Stravinsky says, but make sure you leave plenty of time for it. I think there's relevant info in this link.
Registro Civil