Same-sex marriage in Spain

Same-sex marriage in Spain

Same-sex marriage in Spain was legalized on the 3rd of July 2005 by the social democratic government led by President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
It followed in the footsteps of the Netherlands and Belgium making it the third country in the world to recognize same sex marriages. Although the ratification of this law came up against some criticism, 66% of the population were in favor, along with the King of Spain who gave his Royal Assent.
Under Spanish law, the country’s same-sex marriage law permits a Spanish citizen to marry a non-Spaniard irrespective of whether the partnership is recognized in that persons homeland.
Gay Poster shutterstock_35189605In order to marry, at least one partner must be a Spanish citizen. However, two non-Spanish citizens can legally marry if they both have legal residence in Spain.
Unfortunately, two non-resident foreigners cannot legally marry in Spain.
There is fear however, that Rajoy and his conservative Popular Party could pose a serious threat to the nation’s same-sex marriage legislation.
Rajoy has said “he supports civil unions for same-sex couples, but does not think they should be called marriages”.
The Popular Party has lodged an appeal against the nation’s 2005 law allowing gay marriage in the Constitutional Court.
This has caused a rapid increase of same sex marriages in Spain due to fear of the legislation being changed.
Gay marriage is recognized in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.
It’s also recognized in some states of the USA, Brazil and Mexico.
Civil unions and registered partnerships are recognized in Andorra, Austria, Brazil, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Uruguay and some states of Australia, Mexico, United States and Venezuela.

Why choose Gran Canaria for your Same Sex Wedding?

OP Homoseksuelt ægteskab same sex marriage homo vielser bryllup tropisk bryllupGran Canaria is perfectly placed as the ideal locat
ion for a same sex union abroad. The island is renowned for its liberal, open-minded attitude towards the gay & lesbian community and the vibrant gay tourism sector on the island has flourished as a direct result of this. The cosmopolitan and wide reaching gay communities and social scene, coupled with the blissful year-round sunny weather, make Gran Canaria the perfect choice for a same sex wedding ceremony.
You will also find apartment complexes, bars, restaurants and beaches in Gran Canaria, which are focused around the gay and lesbian community.
There are two options for a Same Sex Wedding in Gran Canaria:
1) A Legal Civil Partnership/Same Sex Marriage
If you cover all the previously mentioned requirements to legally marry in Spain, a legal civil ceremony conducted at the Civil Registry Office or Town Hall can be arranged.
Requests can also be made for authorized Town Hall personnel to conduct ceremonies in establishments other than the town hall buildings.
2) A Blessing after a Civil Partnership or Marriage Ceremony
A blessing is a short ceremony that takes place after a legal civil partnership or same sex marriage ceremony, which would take place here or your country of origin.
Unlike a ‘gay marriage’ or civil partnership, a blessing is not legally binding; it’s a way of publically symbolizing your commitment to one another.
Many people view a blessing ceremony as their ‘actual wedding’, as this is the moment they express their love and union to one another in front of their family and friends.

Why choose a Blessing Ceremony?

lips-651339_640You would choose a blessing ceremony in Gran Canaria if you or your partner are not Spanish citizens or are non-residents of Spain, but would like to hold your wedding ceremony on the island. A blessing ceremony is the perfect way to introduce a spiritual or religious element to your celebrations after a legal civil ceremony. Blessings in Gran Canaria can also be conducted in a multitude of venues, from onboard luxury yachts, to country hotels, private villas, or even overlooking a white-sand beach, giving you flexibility and endless options.
If you are looking to express your love and commitment to one another in an open-minded and non-judgmental environment, with sunshine, beautiful beaches, stunning local scenery and a rich local culture alongside, Gran Canaria is the perfect choice for your same sex wedding abroad.
If you would like more information regarding same sex ceremonies in Gran Canaria then please contact me on the following email and I would be more than happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.
Bernadette Garside

Phone:             (0034) 653 642 208

Email:               [email protected]

Website:          www.perfectweddingcompany.com

Destination Weddings – 13 Top Tips

Destination Weddings – 13 Top Tips

Organizing a destination wedding, blessing or renewal of vows ceremony can be much more complicated than organizing an event in your local area. Here are a few tips that can help you along to ensure your day runs as smoothly as possible.
OP Blessing Ceremony outdoor ceremonies spain gran canaria wedding planning planner

1 – Get Help

If you haven’t already, check out the local wedding planners to see what services and packages they offer.
Organizing a wedding in your local area can be daunting enough but in a different country can be a minefield.
A Wedding Planner will shoulder the burden of researching, interviewing, and securing local suppliers especially if the said suppliers do not speak your language. They are also the behind-the-scenes fairy godmother, vetting special requests such as hair and beauty, dry cleaners, and so on.
They also get everyone where they need to be on time and ensure that you have a “go to” person to send your guests when all the itinerary queries get a little too much.

2 – Itinerary

Unlike a wedding in your local area, guests are dependent on you once they reach the destination. Create an itinerary of pre and post wedding events along with an itinerary of the day, important contact numbers and addresses. This will avoid them asking you when & where they need to be and will help them in the event they get lost or delayed.

3 – Pre-wedding visit

You’ll need to take a trip to the destination to visit local venues and suppliers such as the church, reception venue, hotels for you and your guests, rehearsal dinner venue and local suppliers such as florists, photographers and hair and beauty salons.
Food tastings and hair and beauty trials can be organized in this trip or a second trip may need to be made depending on the size and complexity of the wedding and the arrangements. You can also take advantage of organizing activities (golf, spas and excursions) for everyone while they are in the destination.
  Wedding Gran Canaria Wedding planner Bryllupsplanlegger (1)__1447949014_83.43.200.18

4 – Supplier checks

If you’re hiring a supplier without any experience of their work, ask for a portfolio of pictures and references from previous clients who held a similar event as yours.

5 – Build up a relationship with your suppliers

Building a relationship with your suppliers is paramount. They are not local businesses that you can pop in and see whenever you wish, so stay in contact with them as much as possible with updates and thank you emails or calls.
A little goes a long way; the level of service they offer you can make or break your wedding day so building a rapport can help you deal easier with any issues that may occur or even help you negotiate little extras.

6 – Bring your own professionals

Don’t be afraid to fly in your own pros for important aspects of your day such as hair, makeup and photography.

7 – Inform guests of the destination

Before you invite your guests to join you on your very special day, give them a well informed explanation of your destination of choice to enable them to politely decline should finances be tight. Gran Canaria is great destination for your wedding, blessing or renewal of vows. Flights and accommodation are available to accommodate all budgets and tastes. It’s a great holiday destination, enabling your gues
ts to combine your wedding with a fantastic holiday for all the family. It’s only 4 hours from most European countries and it’s known for its all year round sunshine, making it the perfect winter and summer wedding destination.

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8 – Be realistic

Try not to be too upset if some of your closest friends or family cannot attend. Although you are footing the bill for the wedding, the cost of travel, accommodation and car rental costs can mount up. Your chosen destination might be the perfect holiday for you; but it may not be the type of holiday that they want to take.

9 – Dress to impress not stress!

Take into account the climate when choosing that perfect wedding dress. Choosing a satin ball gown to get married in the summer sun may have you more stressed than impressed.
Check out the average temperature and weather conditions for the chosen month in the local town where you plan to get married. Remember, temperatures can vary from resort to resort so don’t just take the temperature rating for the capital of the country if you’re to marry in a totally different area.

10 – Relax & enjoy!

One advantage of marrying on an island or in a tropical destination is its relaxed and laid back atmosphere.
Keep an open mind on slight punctuality differences and minor mishaps; they can even make for some of the best memories.
Also take into account that supplies available on islands can be limited so slight differences in the products you order may occur. Flowers are a great example of this; their availability differs from season to season.

OP Religious blessing ceremony gran canaria wedding planner

11 – Packing your suitcase!

Be sure to pack lots of strapless tops if you’re wearing a strapless dress or wedding gown and slap on the suntan cream. You would be surprised how much you can catch the sun by just walking to the local supermarket in the
morning. You don’t want noticeable strap marks or post sun burnt peeling skin on your wedding pictures.
Also don’t forget to leave ample room for your wedding gown and contact your airline to get advice as to how your gown will be transported so you can pack it accordingly. It’s very disappointing to get to the check in desk carrying your perfect wedding dress only to find that it needs to be checked in with your suitcases or will be thrown in the overhead compartment with other passengers bags.
Always pre arrange for your wedding dress to be steam when arriving at your resort, 9 times out of 10 it will get slightly creased in transit no matter how much care you take.

12 – Wedding gifts

Organize for all wedding gifts are sent directly to your home address. If you do happen to have some gifts brought to the destination, arrange for family and friends to take them home with them to keep until you come back from your honeymoon. Alternatively pack an extra bag to bring them home yourself just in case.

13 – Welcome Your Guests

It can be customary to leave a wedding basket of destination essentials for your guests that have travelled a long way to share your special day with you. It can include samples of local cuisine or artisan goods, sun cream, local wines or spirits and can be adapted to your own budget. Coupled with a thank you note, it’s a lovely way to show your appreciation to your guests for taking the time and effort to come and stand alongside you on such a memorable day in your life.
If you’re interested in Gran Canaria for your perfect destination wedding, blessing or renewal of vows ceremony,
contact me, I’m more than happy to answer any questions or queries no matter how large
or small.
Bernadette Garside
Phone:             (0034) 653 642 208
Email:               [email protected]

7 OP Anfi Heart Shaped Island Weddings Abroad Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Blessing Reception Celebrations - copia - copia

Civil Ceremonies – The legal paperwork

In a former blogpost on “How to get married in Gran Canaria”, we explained that in order to legally marry in Gran Canaria via a Civil Ceremony, one or both of you need to be a resident on the island.
heart-631757_640I’m now going to go into greater detail as to the legal paperwork required in order to go about this.
As we have a multi-national readership we’re going to cover all nationalities as the necessary paperwork varies between countries.
If you follow this step by step guide, organizing the paperwork for your Canarian wedding isn’t as daunting as what you might initially think.
First you need to make an appointment to transmit all the necessary paperwork at the Civil Registry Office in your borough. They will give you a list of all the paperwork you need to bring to the appointment with you. It’s important you collect this list from them as processes and requirements may change from year to year.
As the appointment can take between 2 to 3 months to take place, it is advisable to make the appointment first and then prepare all the necessary paperwork.
legal paperworks wedding abroad destination gran canaria spain canary islandsAppointments can be made at the Civil Registry offices by calling between 09.00h and 13.00h Monday to Friday.
It’s also important to remember that Spanish is spoken in all official offices on the island so if you do not speak Spanish you are required to take a translator along with you.
If all the paperwork is correct by the date of your appointment, it takes around one month to receive the authorization to marry.
Once receiving the paperwork, it is then valid for up to
6 months so bear this in mind when setting a wedding date.
Citizens of France, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Holland, Dutch Antilles, Switzerland and Turkey need to present:
1) Certificate of capacity to marry from your country
of origin (according to the Munich signed agreement 5 of September 1980), you can contact your consulate for more
information regarding this document.
2) An International Birth Certificate or an original Birth Certificate in its own language with the Hague Apostille Stamp and a legal translation into Spanish.
3) A Certificate of registration on the electoral role in your borough (municipio) “Certificado de Empadronamiento” in Gran Canaria.
4) The original and photocopy of your passport.
For citizens of other countries including the UK and Ireland you need a few more documents:
1) The original legalized and translated Birth Certificate (issued within one year of the wedding date).
2) A Certificate of being on the electoral role in Gran Canaria for at least 2 years, or a Consulate Certificate accrediting your residency for the last 2 years whether in Spain or another country. At least one of the couple wishing to marry must be registered on the electoral role here in the borough where they wish to marry and this must be proven with a “Certificado de Empadronamiento”.
3) A Consular Certificate accrediting the publication of the EDICTS (proclamations/bands) of civil marriage in Spain (if this applies to the law in your country).
4) A Certificate of marital status, applied for via your consulate or the appropriate authorities in your country.
5) The original and photocopy of your passport and residents certificate (the green A4 paper or the older plastic ID card).
6) A witness with their original and photocopy of their passport, DNI or residents certificate.
7) If you are divorced you need your legalized and translated marriage and divorce certificates.
8) If you are a widow, you need your legalized and translated marriage certificate and partners’ death certificate.
It’s important to remember that all the documentation that is not in Spanish needs to be translated by a “Traductor Jurado Oficial” (Official Sworn Translator) and legally authorized by the corresponding authorities.
More information can also be obtained from your corresponding embassy or consulate or visit our website www.perfectweddingcompany.com
If you have a Wedding Planner, they will help you with all your paperwork, the legalization and the official translation of all documents.
Gran Canaria is such a beautiful island to get married on. It’s well worth taking the time to organize the legal paperwork and celebrate your special day with your family and friends in
this magical place!
CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICES
San Bartolomé de Tirajana – 928 72 32 18
Las Palmas – 928 32 53 89
Telde – 928 13 87 38
If you have any questions or want more information about weddings abroad, please do not hesitate to contact us, we love to talk weddings!
Bernadette Garside

Phone:             (0034) 653 642 208

Email:               [email protected]

Website:          www.perfectweddingcompany.com

Beach Weddings in Gran Canaria!

Want a dream beach wedding in Gran Canaria?

Well now you can!

beach weddings gran canaria destination weddingsThe Government delegate to the Canary Islands has welcomed the idea of weddings on the beaches allowing the islands be sold to tourists as a wedding destination.

Beach weddings have long been a dream on Gran Canaria, that national laws prevented from happening officially.

We have many people enquiring about beach weddings, but until now it simply has not be legally possible, if all goes well we should now be able to offer The Perfect Wedding on the beach in certain areas designated by the local town hall in conjunction with the coastal authorities.

Great news for couples planning to marry here and great news for Gran Canaria 

Permission has been sought for years, both by the tourism sector as well as some municipalities of the Islands.

The new Costas act, according to news reports, could make such events now be possible in certain areas, provided that “they have no negative impact on the public domain”.

“To celebrate a wedding on a beach in the Canary Islands would mean needing to apply to the provincial department for demarcation of Costas and the payment of a deposit and a fee for the occupation and utilisation of public property” Bento explained in an audio file released this week.

The Spanish Government’s delegate in the Canary Islands, Maria del Carmen Hernandez Bento, underlined the need to find a balance between such activities and requirements to ensure that the public can freely enjoy the beaches.

Bryllup Bryllupsplanlægning Gran Canaria bryllupstraditioner OP

Wedding authorizations for a beach wedding would need to have favourable reports from the relevant municipalities and the regional Ministry of Territorial Policy, added Bento.

There are still a lot of items to clarify, and possibly some bureaucratic red tape but in the very near future we hope to be turning many couples dreams into reality on our beautiful beaches.

We can help you with all the paperwork process, holding your hand every step of the way, ensuring your wedding planning and wedding day itself is a stressfree and enjoyable day to remember!

Watch this space and we will keep you abreast of all the latest updates.

Alternatively, we love to talk weddings, so feel free to contact us for more indepth wedding information.

Bernadette Garside

Founder of The Perfect Wedding Company, Gran Canarias Wedding Specialists

Tlf.:                  (0034) 653 642 208

Website:          www.perfectweddingcompany.com

Email:               [email protected]

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