Here is a list of some basic areas that our team can assist you with:
- assist with budgeting development and management
- develop a wedding timeline
- custom vendor recommendations based on your budget
- assistance with vendor reservations
- review contracts with vendors
- vision and personality
- design assistance
- provide access to our décor/rentals
- manage the catering and waiting staff
- ceremony set up
- send out reminders to you when items are due
- manages event during contracted venue time
- create custom checklists
- works with vendors to ensure their contracts are executed
- manage your full wedding day
These are the basic documents you will need to provide, see details below. We will send you a detailed list for your paperwork according to your personal situation.
We need the originals of the below mentioned documents sent by registered post or courier no less than 6 weeks prior to the wedding date. Earlier is better. We request you send us the documents in digital format prior to sending them by post to confirm if everything is correct.
- Birth certificate
You can get this from the registry office where the birth was registered or in many cases through online request forms. You will need to get a recent copy of your birth certificate, issued not more than 6 months before the date of applying for your wedding. It needs to be the long version with the parents’ name, either an international version (only for the countries listed here), or a national version which needs to have an authentication from a governmental body of country where it got issued, to prove that it is a valid document of this country. In many countries this would be an Apostille, see member countries of apostille here. - Marriage capacity certificate (also called: no Impediment certificate/certificate de coutume, Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage)
Issued not more than 3-6 months (depending on validity of document) before the date of applying for your wedding. In most countries you will need to contact your local registry office and give notice of your intent to marry in order to get the certificate of No Impediment. The office will also tell you how long it takes and what you need to do in order to get the certificate. Some countries issue an international version of the marriage capacity certificate others may need an apostille or other international certification.
Please note a Marriage capacity certificate also can be a No Impediment Certificate.It can NOT be a single status declaration; this is not accepted by the Registry office here.
- Power of attorney
with notary stamp and signature and apostille (or other authentication if not member country of The Hague convention for the apostille) – also issued not more than 6 months before the date of applying for your wedding. We send you the power of attorney and you need to sign in front of a notary public.
- Death certificate (if either bride or groom are widowed)
either an international version (only for the countries listed here) or a national version which needs to have an authentication from a governmental body of country where it got issued, to proof that it is a valid document of this country. In many countries this would be an Apostille, see member countries of apostille here.
- Divorce Papers / Marriage certificate of previous marriage which states divorce (if divorced)
(if bride or groom are divorced. If there was more than one previous marriage, we only need the last divorce paper). We need the decree absolute and it needs to get an Apostille or other authentication from a governmental body of country where it got issued. - Apostilles/ international authentication for documents
The documents that are not in the international form require Authentication from a governmental body. Countries that are members to The Hague convention for the Apostile can use this method of authentication, it is the easiest method. If your country is not a member you need to get the authentication for documents that your country offers, plus the document may have to be certified by the Portuguese consulate in your country.
- Photocopy of your Passports or ID card
This is in general just a simple photocopy with no certification, so you even send us this as a scan or photo you take yourself.
- Name change documents (if applicable)
If bride or groom or parents of either have changed their names at any point in live we may have to show proof. In regards to mothers’ maiden names this is usually stated in the power of attorney. The rule is all names need to be in accordance on all documents otherwise proof need to be shown.
- Residency document (if applicable)
If you are a foreigner living abroad you may be requested to show a proof of residency. We will advise re this issue personally.
We work with a recommended minimal time frame of 6 weeks. Meaning we would need to receive your paperwork at least 6 weeks prior to the wedding, to allow time to translate the documents and to ensure the registry office will be able to receive the wedding application with no time issue. When necessary, we are able to find faster options, if it is a small wedding and not on a weekend and/or during the high season. The earliest date to organize the wedding process is approximately 11 months prior to the wedding, because of the validity of the documents.
The registrar can ask for further papers if they have any doubts about the legality of your wedding request.
Once the wedding request is approved we can book the registrar for the requested time and date. In many cases we can make a pre-booking to secure your date and time. This depends on the registry office. In general, the time and date will be as requested. If, as possible in rare cases, the registry office should not have availability for the requested time and date there are two options:
- Time and/or date get changed
- We find you a registrar from a different registry office that is willing to travel to your wedding district. Extra travel costs for the registrar apply (average 50 € – 100 €)
The ceremony can take place at the registry office or at a location of your choice. This does not have to be a location that is licensed for weddings. Hotels, restaurants, quintas or holiday apartments are some of the options available. Beach weddings are also possible, but a license from the maritime police is required. More info under Beach weddings.
A civil ceremony is between 10 – 20 minutes long depending on the registrar.
In general, your wedding attendant, who is also your translator will be at the location approx. 30 minutes before the wedding. The registrar usually arrives at the appointed hour of ceremony +/- 5 or 10 minutes and leaves straight after the ceremony. If for some reason you are late, we cannot guarantee that the registrar will wait, however, so far they always have 😉 The registrar will read out the data of the application for the wedding and read the final decision that has been made, followed by the legal explanation of marriage and the important question which is: Is it of your free will to marry … After that you may exchange personal vows and rings. In general, the civil ceremony is very simple and unmemorable, therefore we generally suggest to add a celebration ceremony, in which you have a celebrant leading through the ceremony, as well as translating the parts of the registrar. Please ask your wedding planner for further info if you are interested or read here: http://www.weddingportugal.com/ceremony/celebration-ceremonies
Property Regime:
The property regime defines the legal rights of possession during the marriage. For example, in Portugal any marriage without a prenuptial contract will be subject to the regime of shared goods, meaning everything acquired during the time of marriage belongs to both. Heritage or personal gifts stay private possession. If neither bride nor groom has a PT nationality or a residency in Portugal the PT law does not apply to the property regime. What defines the property regime applied is the first common residency after the marriage. This is a general information and for more detail on this matter we advise to you consult a lawyer who specializes in international law. This may be of particular importance if you are planning to marry with a pre-nuptial contract.
Outdoor weddings:
The registrar may ask for a shade or rain shelter in order to agree to your chosen wedding location. In the case of bad weather and no alternative location available, the civil wedding will take place in the registry office. Last minute changes of time and date to accommodate your wish for an outdoor wedding can be attempted without guarantee, depending on the availability of the registrar.
Witnesses:
It is not necessary to have witnesses, but in case of doubt the registrar has the power to insist on witnesses. By law the witnesses would need to speak Portuguese, however many times we had witnesses that did not speak Portuguese. We suggest to only have “official” witnesses if the registrar insists. You can have “unofficial” witnesses if you choose to also have the celebration ceremony.
Name changing options:
The name changing options have to be in accordance with your personal law, law of your nationality. If you are Portuguese, you may change your name during the wedding with the options of adding one or two surnames to your own surname. If you are not Portuguese, you should request the name change when you register your wedding in your country of nationality.
See info for British nationals here: http://www.ukdps.co.uk/AWomansRightsUponMarriage.html
Translator:
If you do not speak Portuguese you are obliged to have a translator, we include this service in our planning package.
International Wedding certificate:
After the marriage we will send you an international Wedding certificate. You may need a national document with an apostille that then has to be translated in your country. Please ask at your registry office and let us know if you require a national version with apostille or an international version wedding certificate. Countries that accept the international version: US, UK, Germany, France, Austria, Canada, Poland, Norway, Sweden, …. Countries that don’t accept the international version: Czech Republic, Russia ….
Signatures:
There will be no signing during the wedding. The wedding is a verbal contract in front of the official authorized person which will then be digitized. If you would also like to book a celebration ceremony, we can supply a symbolic wedding certificate to be signed at the end. This certificate has no legal validity. Please see photos here: http://www.weddingportugal.com/wedding-certificate/
All above information is given to the best of our knowledge, we are not liable for errors or changes in the current legal regulations.
The venue coordinator and wedding planner have severely different roles for your wedding in Portugal. The venue coordinator ensures that the venue itself is working and that anything that has to do with the venue is fixed.
Whereas, the wedding planner not only communicates with the venue coordinator to ensure that all is working, they also ensure that your wedding in Portugal is running smoothly. From the venue, to the catering, celebrant and legalities, protocol, hair and makeup, flower and decor design, music, schedule control, video and photography team, invitations and guest list management, your wedding planner in Portugal ensures that nothing is forgotten.
Your wedding planner will ensure that all the different suppliers come together on the day, to make all aspects of your destination wedding in Portugal the best experience.
We accommodate all types of different weddings in Portugal.
We cater for all types of religions and all types of non-religious ceremonies, including symbolic wedding ceremonies in Portugal.
We have valuable contacts with extremely professional videographers, photographers, DJs, hair and makeup stylists. Any extras you might need and want included we can arrange them for you. Please be so kind as to read our Services website page about each and every service that we offer, for your destination wedding in Portugal.
Yes, a member of our team will be there to ensure that everything is assembled and ready for your wedding. Therefore, during the day, you need not stress about anything, and can calmly enjoy every moment of your day, with the certainty that someone is taking care of every single detail.
To secure a time, date, and venue, Wedding Portugal requires a 50% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit at the time of booking. If you are unable to provide a deposit at the time of booking, we can hold the reservation for 72 hours before it is removed from our system.
All packages are subject to a confirmation Fee of 50 % of total value – The confirmation Fee is non-refundable. The final planning Fee is due latest 5 days prior to the wedding day by bank transfer or if paid in cash it is due on the wedding day. Payments can be done via bank transfer, in cash, with credit cards using the PayPal system (an additional Fee applies for all PayPal payments) and with wisetransfer – the cheapest way to pay not in Euro (we will send you the link)
Prices published here are subject to alteration without prior warning.
As is the practice in the wedding industry, deposits are not transferable or refundable. When a cancellation occurs with less than 30 days’ notification, the full payment becomes non-transferable and non-refundable.
The wedding coordinator is responsible for preparing your wedding arrangements prior to your arrival and ensuring you know what to expect when you arrive. They should supply you with accurate confirmations of your wedding arrangements; schedule your day time, flowers, photography, other services in your wedding package. In addition, they prepare a processional form, so they and the remaining coordination team know how you want everyone to proceed up the aisle. The wedding coordinator can also help introduce you to other services such as restaurant and banquet sales teams.
This all depends on how much work will be needed, with regards to all the paperwork. Some processes are easy and quick whilst others more complicated and time consuming. Each process would have to be analised. For a more accurate answer, discuss this with your Wedding Planner.
When working with a planner, rely on their experience to help guide you through the process. They will help you outline the decisions that need to be made, and in what order.