Before any couple can get hitched in Costa Rica, it is best to consider the Costa Rica marriage customs so as to ensure a stress-free, truly pleasurable celebration. Getting married in Costa Rica is the ultimate dream of most couples who want a beautiful destination wedding. Who would not fall in love with the immaculate beaches, the tropical climate, the unspoiled forests and waterfalls? The attraction of getting married on a honeymoon destination is almost too good to let pass.
It is best to hire the services of a wedding coordinator when planning to get married in Costa Rica. This way, the entire details of the impending marriage are being taken care of even before the couples and the guests arrive on the venue. One of the Costa Rica marriage customs is to inform the wedding coordinator at least a month earlier on the particulars of both the bride-to-be and groom-to-be. The particulars may include name, age, birth date, profession, and passport and contact numbers. Your wedding coordinator will inform you of all the Costa Rica marriage customs that you should observe.
It is also important for the couple to have their passports, especially on the wedding day. This eliminates whatever setbacks there may be on the wedding day itself. When applying for a marriage license in Costa Rica, there are several documents needed, and this should be accomplished at least a month before the wedding scheduled date. Normally, a Costa Rican I.D card and a certificate of single status are needed. There is no residency requirement but for those who are not Costa Rican citizens, a passport valid for at least six months is required, plus an authenticated copy of birth certificate and police clearance along with the certificate of single status.
In the event however if the bride-to-be has been previously married, a 300-day waiting period is mandatory. The bride-to-be has to wait for 300 days after the death of her previous husband, or after the divorce decree has been released. There are also areas in Costa Rica which require pregnancy tests, especially if the bride-to-be has been formerly married. If the woman’s pregnancy test result is negative, then the waiting period is waived.
To do away with parental consent, both the bride and groom have to be at least eighteen years of age. It is one of the Costa Rica marriage customs to make parental consent obligatory if either of the couple is below the compulsory age requirement. There are no proxy marriages allowed in Costa Rica, and same sex marriages are not available as well.
At least two witnesses are needed during the marriage ceremony to make the union valid. Family members and relative up to the third degree cannot be counted as witnesses, however. It is advisable to bring friends along to serve as witnesses during the wedding ceremony. A certificate of marriage will be made available to the couple in Costa Rica after at least three months, to make the certificate official and valid in the couple’s home country. Nonetheless, if the couple would want to expedite the processing, such option is available for an additional fee.