Proclamation

The first step that you must take before you decide on whether to have a religious wedding or a civil ceremony is to have a wedding announcement placed in a daily newspaper in the region where you live. It is not necessary to know the exact date of the wedding, but the publication must not be earlier than three months and at least 15 days before the wedding, otherwise the announcement is invalid.

The announcement will have the couples’ names and surnames, the names of their parents, the mother’s maiden names, place of birth and residence and the area where the wedding will take place. The above data are supplied and written on a form that you will be given and will be published in the columns. The wedding announcement is then presented at the church or the municipality which will give you the marriage license.

The reason why the wedding has to be announced in a newspaper in your area of residence is that in this way people will know that you are going to get married and not have to hide anything objectionable. At the same time the opportunity is created for anyone who wants to raise an objection to the marriage for various reasons.