Tips when getting married abroad

Documentation and requirements

For virtually any wedding abroad, you should be prepared to show a valid passport and birth certificate. If you have been married previously, bring the divorce decree, annulment certificate or death certificate indicating that you are free to marry.

In many countries, you must present an “affidavit of eligibility to marry” in which you testify that there is no reason why the marriage cannot take place. Most countries require parental permission if the prospective bride or groom is under age 18, and some may want to see a plane ticket home.

Is the wedding legal?

Sometimes what looks like a wedding might not be one. In Japan, for instance, religious ceremonies are not considered legal marriages, so if you are married in a religious ceremony there, your wedding will not be recognised as legal unless you also have a civil marriage recorded at the registry office. The opposite is true in Indonesia, which only recognises religious marriages. Couples married in a Muslim ceremony don’t need to record their marriage with the Civil Registry, but those married in other faiths must have a religious ceremony first, and then record the marriage. In Italy, couples can choose either a civil or a religious ceremony, but those married in a non-Roman Catholic religious ceremony should first be married in a civil ceremony to ensure the legality of the marriage.

A destination wedding is an exciting alternative to a traditional wedding, and an exhilarating way to start your lives together. But plan carefully, and don’t count on embassy officials to step in, in a pinch.

It’s best to get your civil marriage certificate in hand before heading off for ceremony in paradise.