Religious Marriage Ceremony in Colombia

tompower says on Jan 9, 2008, 05:22:

I got married in the catholic church to my wife. I didn't need to provide the typical documents a notary requires. I had to go to my catholic parish and have them send to the church in colombia's archdiocese my certificate of babtism, and a letter saying I was free to marry. However, the work wasn't easy because the priest in canada made me come twice to pray and otherwise waste my time. Then when we went my novia and I to the priest in the church in colombia he made us go back and forth to the arch diocese to get those letters from canada big hassle very frustrating, then her an I had to go to a weekend seminar for marriage two days 8 hours. Then we had to go to the church a few times and confess our sins. SO its probably more Hoopla than all the hassle of getting a notary to do the job. Oh and if your not catholic forget it you need to convert first no girl is worth that much trouble (weeks and weeks of praying and reading the bible)!! And as far as the best man being involved remember the whole show is in spanish and no matter what you try and do to put your touches on the day the ladies won't have a clue what your trying to do, better just let them do their thing and tell your guests that because of the cultural divide their gonna be sitting out today.
Remember, we're all in this together.
Tom Power

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acpm69 says on Jan 9, 2008, 08:58:

1. As Tom says, be sure you're Catholic.

2. If you both are, get your baptismal certificates, they must say "HE/SHE HAS NOT BEEN MARRIED BEFORE" this is called "marginal note" (notas marginales)

3. Find the Church you want to marry at in Colombia and make sure there's an English speaking priest (if you don't speak Spanish), that also will help so you won't have to translate the baptismal certificates. (I have a bunch of priests/nuns friends if you don't know anyone)

4. Go to your local US church and get the pre-marital preparation. Here in the US they'll call it a CONVALIDATION, not a wedding since you already have the Civil wedding done. Your local priest will send a note to the Church down in Colombia saying you have that you're ready to get married.

5. Find out where you want to make the reception, those places usually have wedding planners.

6. Your friends can be the Godparents, as long as they are Catholic too. In Colombia it is usually done by a couple friends of the Bride & Groom.

7. You'll find any kind of cheap plans to San Andres, it is awesome, if you're going out from the US Copa Airlines will be your contact, if you need it from Bucaramanga, I usually use a travel agency called OTUR they're pretty good but not the only ones. This is my travel agent contact info "JIMMI JAVIER SALCEDO BARRIENTOS" jimmi-salcedo at h**tmail

Good luck!

Colombianita

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ColombianoGringo says on Jan 9, 2008, 09:04:

Otherwise, you can simply find a priest that will take a "donation to the candle fund" to do a little show for your in-laws without hassling you. If you don't speak Spanish well, you will likely have to get your wife to talk to the guy if she is up for it.

My wife and I are in a similar situation in that we had a civil marriage in Colombia, but will be having a religious ceremony later this year. I was previously married "outside the church" so I would have to go through an annulment as well. I simply refuse to jump through the hoops imposed by a ridiculous organization that preaches garbage that I don't even believe. There is only so far I will go to please the in-laws.

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ColombianoGringo says on Jan 9, 2008, 09:07:

As far as San Andres, we got a reasonably priced package at the Sol Caribe Campo hotel through Aviatur (www.aviatur.com.co). Your wife will know who they are.

Here are some pics from SA including some taken at the hotel and from our rooms balcony.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colombianogringo/sets/72157600406722530/

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Gator says on Jan 9, 2008, 14:06:

"We will be legally married in the states, so is it necessary to do any paperwork in Colombia if the ceremony is simply for her family's benefit and not to consumate the legal portion of the union?"

You will be surprised to learn you can only be legally married one time. If you are married first in the USA that is the only marriage that will be recognized by the Colombian government. I think you will have a hard time getting a priest to preform a sham marriage since there is no such thing the the Catholic church. You may have more luck with a reaffirmation of the original vows. Since the wife is a dual citizen you have no visa worries. As to the family anything but the "real" marriage mass will be seen through immediately-at least Mrs. Gator's family would.

Good luck and keep us posted on what happens. Remember what Sir Walter Scott wrote, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!",

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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ColombianoGringo says on Jan 9, 2008, 14:13:

They can't technically marry you again, but they will go through the motions of a wedding mass and put on the whole show which is effectively what we want. I know several people that have done this in Colombia including a few people off this site. I think Mario and his soon to be ex were married at the notario first and then did the church wedding later.

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Gator says on Jan 9, 2008, 14:15:

Yes, but it will not be a wedding mas it will be a mass with a reaffirmation of vows.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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ColombianoGringo says on Jan 9, 2008, 14:18:

Well. To la suegra, el suegro and the rest of the family, it will be a wedding mass. I can't imagine it will take to much to bribe a priest into making it a good show.

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sosebeejm says on Jan 9, 2008, 15:57:

thanks to everyone for their help, i don't know how it came about that i'm catholic, but neither myself nor my fiancee are catholic, we are both religious though in protestant ways, and would like to have a nice religious ceremony for her family down there. so it won't be a mass, just a ceremony. but still thanks to everyone who has/can help out :-)

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CristalM says on Jan 9, 2008, 16:06:

My friend who is Canadian finally got all the paperwork to marry his Colombian fiancee. They did the civil service. The following weekend our colegio put together a beautiful wedding for them in the patio at school....put together in about 3 days, had over 250 guests, our school youth pastor presided and blessed the marriage. They did the whole exchange of vows as if it was the only ceremony that mattered (Spiritually it was the only one that mattered). I don't know Bucaramanga but I am sure there are tons of missionaries, evangelical or protestant churches where you'd find someone more than happy to do the service, that is just my humble opinion. If you can't, e-mail me, and I will ask around to the missionaries I work with.

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john_stark says on Jan 9, 2008, 19:27:

The poster is skating on very thin ice and you could easily find yourself wishing that you hadn't followed this path. I'm not saying it won't work but there's a good chance that it will fail miserably. The process times for the K1 (fiancee) and K3 (spouse) are exactly the same so you're not saving any time.

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ACampion says on Apr 30, 2008, 15:11:

Hi guys, my fiancee and I are planning to web in July. Neither of us are particularly religious including her family but she is catholic and we are wondering how to go about the wedding with all the pomp and ceremony of a telenovela but without me having to convert to something I have absolutely no belief in.

From what I have read the easiest way is to have a 'civil service' which is just signing papers I assume, then we can go ahead and pan whatever kind of wedding we like.

Can we get married.. exchange vows etc. in front of any priest? Does anyone have any contact details for a priest, or even better, just someone legally able to marry people.

I understand that all I need legally is my birth certificate, cedula/passport and a document that states I have never been married (in spanish and certified) for the civil stuff.

All help appreciated!! :-)

Thanks!

Andrew Campion - www.theapartmentmedellin.com

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