Wedding celebration, a ceremony that reflects your image!
Between laughter and tears of joy, your civil wedding will undoubtedly be the happiest day of your life. Like any event, careful planning is essential. Start now with the essential steps and formalities for weddings at the town hall. Noces Italiennes will help and support you throughout this process. No detail will be left to chance.
WHAT IS CIVIL WEDDING ?
Let's start by defining what a civil wedding is. It is a legal act performed by a civil servant at the town hall of the spouses' place of residence or at a town hall abroad. Its purpose is to formalize their union before the law. In other words, it has the power to make a union legal. Note that town hall weddings must take place before religious ceremonies. If you don't want a religious ceremony, a civil wedding is enough in itself to grant your couple family status. In short, a civil wedding is an important step that requires careful preparation beforehand!
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR A WEDDING AT THE TOWN HALL?
It is important to note that a civil wedding can be based on two different regimes. The wedding contract, which involves separation of property, universal community of property, and participation in acquired property, on the one hand. The common law regime, which is a wedding without a contract, on the other. You and your spouse must work together to choose the regime that best suits your situation. Note: spouses can change their matrimonial regime throughout their life together.
Civil wedding is subject to several specific conditions. First, the spouses must be adults, single, and not closely related by family or wedding. They must also give their free and informed consent. Otherwise, the union is declared null and void. A wedding application must be prepared by the spouses in advance. Once the union is sealed, the spouses are subject to certain obligations and receive certain benefits.
PREPARE YOUR WEDDING FILE
Approximately three months before your wedding at the town hall, you must complete your wedding application. Each spouse must submit the following documents to the town hall:
- a form of identification
- a birth certificate issued by the town hall of your place of birth three months before the wedding date (six months if you are a foreigner)
- proof of address or residence
- a sworn statement of celibacy
- a medical certificate dated less than two months ago
- the civil status information of the witnesses: identity, date and place of birth, profession, and residence
These documents must be provided to the Civil Registry Office.
SPECIAL CASES OF CIVIL WEDDING
If you are divorced, widowed, or a foreigner, you will need to provide additional documents. If you have a wedding contract, a notarized certificate must be provided. Finally, if you decide to get married in your parents' municipality, request proof of address from them. Once your wedding documents are ready, the town hall will publish the banns. The publication of the banns corresponds to the official and public announcement of your upcoming ceremony. They are posted for 10 days on the walls of the wedding town hall, as well as that of the other spouse's home if they do not reside in the same municipality. The banns contain the location where the wedding will be celebrated and the full names, first names, profession, and address of the future bride and groom.
CHOOSE A LOCATION AND DATE FOR YOUR CEREMONY
As mentioned above, you can choose to get married in the town hall where your parents live, but also in your second home. Most of the time, the bride and groom choose the town hall of their commune. In all cases, civil wedding must be celebrated in a hall open to the public. You can also organize your celebration abroad. Italy is a very popular destination that attracts many couples. The country offers the advantage of being able to choose the city of your wedding, unlike a civil union in your home country. Once you have chosen the Italian town hall, you can submit your wedding documents there. Regarding the date, the ceremony can be held 10 days after the publication of the banns. It is best to plan your wedding several months in advance to celebrate it with complete peace of mind.
HOW DOES A CIVIL CEREMONY TAKE PLACE?
A civil union is a short wedding ceremony, lasting approximately fifteen minutes. According to the Civil Code, the ceremony must be officiated by the mayor or one of his or her deputies in the presence of the spouses and their witnesses. During the ceremony, the texts provided for by the Civil Code are read, and the engaged couple agree to honor the obligations of wedding, such as respect, fidelity, support, and assistance. They then express their consent orally. At the end of the civil ceremony, the bride and groom and the civil registrar sign the wedding certificate, which will be kept by the town hall. A family record book is given to the bride and groom if they do not have children. Otherwise, it is updated with the wedding certificate. Add a symbolic and convivial dimension to your civil ceremony with warm speeches or gifts. You can also choose entrance and exit music and plan a floral arrangement to place on the officiant's desk.
THE EFFECTS OF CIVIL WEDDING
Civil wedding offers many advantages to the couple and their children. It has tax benefits. In other words, the spouses will pay lower taxes thanks to their joint tax return. Social security is more secure because each spouse can be the other's beneficiary for all forms of insurance (health, death, etc.). This social security coverage makes it easier to be covered for medical expenses. Civil wedding also offers advantages for those who have children or wish to adopt because their filiation is protected. In the event of a birth, the husband benefits from a presumption of paternity (parental authority), and if the couple cannot have children, they can adopt jointly. In addition, civil wedding allows for a structured breakup with the intervention of professionals who guarantee the respect of rights because the wedding cannot be freely dissolved.
SUPPORT FROM OUR WEDDING PLANNERS
Our team of wedding planners will assist you with the administrative procedures for your civil wedding. Thanks to our expertise and experience, we make the process easier for you to avoid oversights, delays, or errors. For a civil ceremony in Italy, we will contact the town hall of your choice and assist you with the procedures for obtaining the Nulla Osta. We can also provide you with an interpreter and witnesses if necessary. Additional services are personalized according to your wishes, including floral decorations, the presence of a photographer, and even the rental of a wedding car.
Would you like to seal your union with a civil wedding in Italy or Corsica? Noces Italiennes will guide you from start to finish to create the wedding of your dreams. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free, personalized quote!
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Civil wedding in Corsica
Civil wedding in Italy
