WEDDING IN BODRUM
Welcome to our guide to getting married in Turkey. Before you go into depth about the specifics for your wedding in Turkey we have a couple of articles that we suggest you read first.
Wedding Abroad
With the average cost of weddings still continuing to escalate its no wonder more and more couples are choosing to get married abroad.
Wedding Abroad - Advantages
- There are numerous tour operators who will be more than happy to help you plan your wedding.
- You can marry in an exotic location.
- The weather will be perfect, but check the weather forecast just to be on the safe side.
- You can start your honeymoon straight after your wedding ceremony.
Wedding Abroad - Drawbacks
- You may have fewer guests as they may not be able to get the time off work to join you on your wedding day.
- You may want a church wedding, but the ceremony may not be legally recognised in the UK, so you might have to have compromise and have a civil ceremony followed by a blessing.
- You need to ensure you have all the required documentation before you get married abroad, this will vary depending on the country.
- There may be a minimum residency stay.
Getting Married Abroad - Checklist
- Ensure you can marry on your chosen date. Make sure you get this confirmed, in writing, with the celebrate who is to perform the wedding ceremony.
- Check you have a valid 10 year passport.
- Check the weather for your wedding date, ensuring there are no freak changes in weather predicted.
- Take out travel insurance and wedding insurance for all those unforeseen events. Ensure you read the small print so you know exactly what is, and what isn't, included in the insurance.
- Find out if there is a minimum residence stay before you can get married.
- Ensure you have a list of all the required documents you will need in order to get married in your chosen country.
- Check whether your documents will need to be translated into the countries own spoken language.
- Check if the bride or groom need to deliver the documents to appropriate authorities in person before the wedding day.
- Allow plenty of time to gather all the correct documentation needed to get married abroad.
- Contact your chosen countries embassy in the UK, for further information on getting married abroad.
- If you are using a tour operator and they are offering you a wedding package, ensure you know exactly what is, and what isn't, included in your package.
- Ensure the wedding ceremony abroad is legally recognised by the UK.
- If you are planning a church wedding abroad, you will need to seek permission from the church authorities where you wish to marry. You may need to allow extra time sa you may be asked to attend pre-nuptial consultations in your chosen country.
- If your wedding is to be preformed in another language, other than English, ensure you have an interpreter present to translate the proceedings.
- If your marriage certificate is written in a foreign language you will need to ensure it is translated on your return to the UK.
Wedding Abroad - Legal Considerations
Overseas marriages are legal in the UK, provided they comply with the marriage laws of the country you have got married in. However, overseas marriage cannot be 'registered' in the UK. An exception to this is where one of the couple is a serving member of, or is attached to, the British Armed Forces at the time of the marriage. This should be discussed with the Forces prior to the marriage-taking place.
If, however, this is not the case, provided one or both of you is a British citizen, and your wedding has taken place in one of the countries from which the General Register Office (GRO) can accept formal notifications, (these are referred to as 'Article 7 marriages'. Please view the list of countries from which overseas certificates ( LINK 3 ) can be accepted), a 'record' can be created for your overseas marriage by depositing the marriage certificate along (with translations if applicable) in the GRO.
This record can be created at anytime after your marriage ceremony. In order to have your marriage certificate deposited you will need to specifically contact the GRO in the UK, and the British Embassy in the country you were married, as this is not an automatic process, and state that you wish to deposit your marriage certificate with the GRO.
You will need to provide the British Embassy, in the country where you got married, with a certified copy of your marriage certificate, which will have been duly authenticated by the local authority. They will then translate the certificate, possibly subject to a fee. The British Consular General will then forward the certificate, along with an accompanying note, to the GRO in the UK, again subject to a fee.
Once the documents have been received by the GRO you will be notified. The documents are then held with the GRO and from then onwards a copy of your marriage certificate can be requested, should the need arise.
Always check the exact rules and regulations during you wedding preparation.
