Registration of marriage abroad: good or bad?

Increasingly among compatriots, there is a tendency to hold all sorts of celebrations, including weddings, outside the homeland. One may have become bogged down by the standards imposed by the older generation, others on such a day do not want to see anyone next to each other except for each other. Therefore, many travel companies today, among other things, offer services related to the registration of marriage abroad. But where can you go for unforgettable wedding impressions? It always seems that the whole world is open to the desires of the young. But, unfortunately, the geography of countries in which Russian citizens are allowed to officially register a marriage is rather limited. These states have agreements of their governments with the government of the Russian Federation. It is they who allow to register Russian citizens a marriage abroad. From European countries, a similar procedure can be carried out in Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, Greece and Cyprus. Outside Europe, marriages are in the Caribbean region, such as the islands of Cuba, Jamaica and Mauritius, the Dominican Republic, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean.

To any wedding you need to prepare in advance, and to a wedding abroad and even more so. To register a marriage abroad successfully, all documents must be prepared in advance. Even if you turn to a company specializing in organizing weddings, it will still take at least a month to complete everything properly. After all, all necessary papers need to be translated into the language of the country where the wedding is planned, and some of them require legalization or certification in the consulate.

The list of documents, in fact, is not too big. To make a marriage abroad, you will need Russian and foreign passports, as well as birth certificates. Some additional documents are due to circumstances (for example, certificates of divorce from previous spouses). However, all documents must be not only translated and notarially certified, but also fixed with an apostille. With this stamp there may be some problems, since it is placed only on the originals of papers and, basically, at the place of their issuance.

But still, registration of marriage abroad and related bureaucratic delays can be more than paid off by the absence of tiresome pre-wedding hassles, because wedding tour operators and agencies usually offer a full range of services, including:

- order registration and wedding cortege;

- booking a hotel room;

- the bride's bouquet;

- A romantic dinner for two;

- services of a professional photographer and videographer;

- interpreter services at the time of registration;

- support and registration of necessary documents, as well as legalization of the certificate of marriage in the territory of the Russian Federation. Some firms can also include in the account the cost of a flight and a transfer to the hotel.

Of course, registering a marriage abroad is quite an expensive pleasure, but given some nuances (for example, many foreign hotels offer newlyweds special living conditions, making quite large discounts), such a wedding will not be much more expensive than a standard wedding at home and the following romantic journey. The only difference is that for a wedding abroad you do not have to invite a crowd of relatives. Perhaps, only witnesses (if desired), but still registering a marriage abroad and holding their own honeymoon in the same place is more romantic and mysterious than the noisy, although such a traditional Russian feast. After all, the main difference between a wedding abroad is that you have 100% no idea what exactly is waiting for you at the wedding. What will be the festive decoration, music, menu, etc.? And when choosing a symbolic ceremony, everything that happens will be literally an absolute surprise for you.