PROCEDURES FOR WEDDINGS

 

Step 1 - Schedule in the parish registry or in the Our Lady of Remedies Sanctuary, if that’s the case.

Verify the conditions for the ceremony: decorations, songs, runner, screens, photographer…

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Step 2 – Talk with the parish priest of the bride (priority) or the groom to prepare the wedding and handle the religious attestation (see B)

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Step 3 – Head to the registry office or consulate to handle the certificate of no impediment to marriage or the marriage certificate (see A).

 

Documents to deliver to the parish office of the See up to 15 days before the wedding:

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• Certificate of civil registry or Portuguese consulate (or civil marriage certificate if the couple is civilly married);

• Religious attestation from the bishop of Lamego;

• Fotocopy of ID or citizen card from both godfathers or godmothers and their full addresses as stated in the civil registry;

• State whether the groom and/or bride adopt surname or not; if yes, state how their respective names will be;

• Full name of the wedding’s officiant.

 

A. How to obtain the civil certificate or the marriage certificate?

By heading to a Registry Office or Consulate if the couple is emigrant

Usually, emigrants get married civilly in their resident country. They should then head to the Consulate to register their marriage and include the information of their marriage in the Portuguese documents. It’s this certificate, issued by the Consulate or Registry Office, that they have to deliver to the Parish Office of the See.

These documents have a 6-month validity.

 

B. How to obtain the religious attestation?

The couple talk to the parish priest of the bride (priority) or the groom to organize the religious process. If the process is handled in another diocese the attestation is issued by the bishop of that diocese. The couple can bring this attestation that the parish can take to the bishop of Lamego for him to give the respective authorization. It has a rate for the Diocesan Chancery: 20€ if the wedding is in the See, 60€ if it’s in another church.

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If the couple is emigrant, there’s 3 possibilities to organize the process:

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• With the parish priest of the civil parish where they reside in Portugal;

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• With a portuguese chapelan priest in their residing country;

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• With the parish priest of their residing civil parish from their residing country.