Legally, can we get married outdoors?
When it comes to getting married outside, a marriage ceremony can happen pretty much wherever you’d like it to. And that’s obviously great news considering how spoilt for choice we are here in South Africa for exquisite outdoor wedding venues. From rolling wine estates to urban rooftops to untouched beaches, the outdoors can easily become a wonderful feature of your big day.
However, the part of your ceremony that has to happen inside is the solemnization of your marriage. For anyone who doesn’t speak Old English, solemnization means to perform an “official marriage ceremony”. This refers to the legal part of the ceremony, namely the signing of the marriage register or marriage certificate. This part of the proceedings must be conducted in one of the following four places:
a church
another building used for religious services
in a public office (i.e. a Government office)
a private dwelling house
The doors must be open and the signing must happen in the presence of the two people getting married (obviously) and a minimum of two competent witnesses. And by competent, we mean over the age of 16, mentally sound and preferably not already sloshed on champagne.
WHERE DOES THIS RULE COME FROM?
This rule, amongst others, comes from the Marriage Act of 1961. This is the act of South African Parliament that governs marriages in South Africa. And, surprise surprise, it’s the perfect resource to turn to for answers about the legal ins and outs of getting married…
Just so that you know it’s official, we’ll literally show you the clause about getting married outside…
HERE IT IS…STRAIGHT OUT OF THE MARRIAGE ACT ITSELF
Any of this confounding you?