16 Months To Go

So after, 6 months travelling together and at the time of the proposal nearly 2 years of togetherness, we are engaged! I'm going to be Mrs Beard and The Beard and I are delighted and wedding planning for October 2018.

So, after nearly 2 months of engagement and with 16 months to go, here's what I have learnt so far: 

I like a Grecian style sheath, apparently, but as I haven't tried anything on yet, we'll see. Curiously enough, now I have genuine reason to gawp in the window of Rosa Clara et al I daren't go in, I feel like I'm not allowed. It would seem all brides are white, blonde and skinny, at least according to the majority of magazines and gown producers. How am I supposed to bolster my newly engaged giddiness when I don't see any models that look anything like me or how I would want to look? Thank the universe for family, friends and social media, Crème de la Bride, Nu Bride, et al, diversity and representation are what makes the world go around and this bride's smile a little wider.

I'm considered a "mature" bride. SAYWHAT???!!!!

Having been born in England I should have 2 birth certificates (short and long), The Beard is Scottish he only has a long one. 

Move over Louboutin, it's all about Manolo Blahnik now. As far as dress or shoes first goes, it's all a bit chicken and egg, isn't it? As for any fool that says to me "find your venue first, then your gown" obviously doesn't know me very well. If I find my outfit first, I'll match the venue to it, hence, the chicken crossed the road! 

The paperwork and processes aren't as complicated as originally thought, we made an appointment at the civil registry in Palma because no one seemed to know exactly what we needed and we were told repeatedly that we would have to get married at the registry office (before or after) and our wedding would be a celebration and we didn't want that.

Tip 1 - MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!!!  

https://www.citapreviaregistrocivil.es/?lang=es_es&idtramite=1288774960859&idpagina=1215197884559

You won't regret it, It’s chaos in there. We spoke to a lovely lady who told us that as we are both British (and therefore both from an EU country, for now….) are both resident here in Spain and have never been married; all we need is our birth certificates reissued within the last 6 months, legalised then translated and stamped by a notary, copies of NIE and passport, historical* empadronamiento issued in the last 6 months, plus the forms that she gave us. 

*In our case, it shows everywhere we have lived in Palma.

You can order new copies of your UK long birth certificate online for a fee and once you have it, again, you apply online to have them legalised, pay, send them off and they'll send them back to you with the apostille seal/stamp. 

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/      

http://www.scottishcertificates.org.uk/birth.html

https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised

Then fill in the first page of the form given to you at the registry office. On our form at the bottom it asks who we would like to marry us, registrar, council (ayuntamiento) or notary. We want to have an official wedding so we were informed we should tick “ayuntamiento”. Thus, for example, imagine we choose to get married in a finca in Sóller, once we have our venue, we should go to the mayor’s office in Sóller, tell them when and where and they will send someone to officiate. Huzzah! 

Once you have all of this together, make another appointment, go along with all the above and they will open a file for you. 

Next, approximately 10 months or so before your big day, make another appointment. Fill in the next forms, one each. This is your certificate of no impediment. Find two witnesses, take them and your forms to the appointment, sign to prove you are free to marry and are not being coerced or some such. 

The lady did say there were 3 steps but I’m assuming the third is the actual wedding! 

Next brush up on your Castellano as our form also asks which language we would like our boda in, Castellano or Catalá. Not sure if The Beard has quite grasped that part yet……