In order to be legal, all weddings in Switzerland must be civil, and must be performed in the City Hall. If you wish a religious ceremony following your civil ceremony, Switzerland has some of the most gorgeous churches and natural settings that you’ll find anywhere. Many couples have a religious ceremony immediately following their civil ceremony.
Foreign embassies and counselor offices are forbidden from conducting wedding ceremonies in Switzerland, so in order to be legally married in Switzerland you must contact the City Hall in the town in which you wish to hold the ceremony and make all the arrangements.
The documents you will need are pretty standard. If you are not a Swiss citizen you will need a legal passport unless you are a member or a foreign military. You will need a certified copy of your birth certificate, issued within the past six months and translated into either French, German or Italian. You will also need a sworn statement that you are legally entitled to marry and if you have been married before you will need a copy of your final divorce decree or a death certificate for your former spouse.
Swiss law forbids a male under the age of 18 or a female under the age of 17 to marry.
Sending documents and obtaining a marriage authorization can all be handled by mail before you ever arrive in Switzerland. Once the Swiss officials have all of your documentation it is usually only a few days before a decision is made. Once you have the official authorization for a wedding in Switzerland that authorization is valid for three months. It is generally recommended that you begin your process at least sixty days before you plan to be married just to give yourself plenty of time in case any needed documents prove troublesome.
Keep in mind, too, that some municipalities in Switzerland may try to discourage you from getting married in their town because there are so many local weddings taking place. Do not let them deter you. Under Swiss law your wedding request must be considered. Be persistent and you will have the wedding of your dreams in the place of your dreams.
Switzerland has three major official languages – none of which is Swiss. Your wedding ceremony may be conducted in Italian, French or German. If neither the bride nor the groom speak any of these languages, an interpreter may be necessary.
The Swiss are very precise and very practical people, but when it comes to weddings they can also be very romantic. It is customary for the bride and groom to arrive at the church in a horse-drawn cart or a sleigh with bells. The Swiss also have a great sense of humor and often jokes are played on a newlywed couple, such as wrapping their entire car in pink toilet paper. And no Swiss wedding reception would be complete without amateur entertainment. It is customary at the wedding reception for guests to put on skits and plays and read poetry, often poking good-natured fun at the bride and groom.
If you have always dreamed of a fairytale-like marriage before a roaring fireplace in a turn-of-the-century Swiss Chalet with the Matterhorn gracing the background, or you have simply dreamed of a wedding in Geneva overlooking the lake, or marrying in St. Moritz and then skiing away on your honeymoon, then come to Switzerland and make those dreams come true.
Foreign embassies and counselor offices are forbidden from conducting wedding ceremonies in Switzerland, so in order to be legally married in Switzerland you must contact the City Hall in the town in which you wish to hold the ceremony and make all the arrangements.
The documents you will need are pretty standard. If you are not a Swiss citizen you will need a legal passport unless you are a member or a foreign military. You will need a certified copy of your birth certificate, issued within the past six months and translated into either French, German or Italian. You will also need a sworn statement that you are legally entitled to marry and if you have been married before you will need a copy of your final divorce decree or a death certificate for your former spouse.
Swiss law forbids a male under the age of 18 or a female under the age of 17 to marry.
Sending documents and obtaining a marriage authorization can all be handled by mail before you ever arrive in Switzerland. Once the Swiss officials have all of your documentation it is usually only a few days before a decision is made. Once you have the official authorization for a wedding in Switzerland that authorization is valid for three months. It is generally recommended that you begin your process at least sixty days before you plan to be married just to give yourself plenty of time in case any needed documents prove troublesome.
Keep in mind, too, that some municipalities in Switzerland may try to discourage you from getting married in their town because there are so many local weddings taking place. Do not let them deter you. Under Swiss law your wedding request must be considered. Be persistent and you will have the wedding of your dreams in the place of your dreams.
Switzerland has three major official languages – none of which is Swiss. Your wedding ceremony may be conducted in Italian, French or German. If neither the bride nor the groom speak any of these languages, an interpreter may be necessary.
The Swiss are very precise and very practical people, but when it comes to weddings they can also be very romantic. It is customary for the bride and groom to arrive at the church in a horse-drawn cart or a sleigh with bells. The Swiss also have a great sense of humor and often jokes are played on a newlywed couple, such as wrapping their entire car in pink toilet paper. And no Swiss wedding reception would be complete without amateur entertainment. It is customary at the wedding reception for guests to put on skits and plays and read poetry, often poking good-natured fun at the bride and groom.
If you have always dreamed of a fairytale-like marriage before a roaring fireplace in a turn-of-the-century Swiss Chalet with the Matterhorn gracing the background, or you have simply dreamed of a wedding in Geneva overlooking the lake, or marrying in St. Moritz and then skiing away on your honeymoon, then come to Switzerland and make those dreams come true.
article : europeanweddings.net
img : switzerlandweddingcompany.com
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