Glossary of Terms

Wedding Celebrant/Officiant

A person who is able to perform wedding or vow renewal ceremonies and other life ceremonies. They can be accredited through the British Humanist Association, Universal Life Church or equivalent body.

Humanist Ceremony

This type of ceremony focuses on your relationship and how it is seen by you and your partner and through the eyes of your family and friends. It celebrates your union by incorporating meaningful vows, readings and wedding rituals, none of which are religious in nature or have religious content.

Spiritual Wedding Ceremony/ Blessing

A wedding minister performs a spiritual wedding. It takes the form of an actual wedding ceremony (vows, readings and recitals etc) but it is not legally binding. I recommend that couples have a civil ceremony before or after their spiritual wedding, in their country of origin, Gibraltar, or Spain if you can, in order to satisfy the legal requirements of marriage.

Civil Ceremony

A civil ceremony allows the couple to be legally wed. It can be a very simple ceremony performed at a local registry office or town hall (if in the UK, Gibraltar or Spain) with the bride and groom and two witnesses present.

Spanish Civil Ceremony

This is a legal wedding ceremony performed in Spain. It can be possible for British citizens to have this type of ceremony however there are many requirements to be met. All important documents need to be translated in to Spanish and sworn and usually one of the couples has had to be legally resident in Spain for at least two years. It can be a lengthy and complicated process and so this is why I recommend having a civil wedding in your country of origin or where possible in Gibraltar.