Natalia Oyarzún

If you have decided to get married in a civil ceremony, one of the first points to define is who will be your marriage witnesses Those special people who will accompany you before and during the ceremony. And, whether they are family or friends, they are sure to feel honored to be chosen to take on this important task. Find out all about civil marriage witnesses below.

What does it mean to witness a civil marriage?

To get married in a civil ceremony, there are two instances in which they will require witnesses But by the time you request an appointment, ideally six months in advance, you should already know who you will be, as you will be asked for this information.

The first instance to which they must go with their witnesses is the Manifestation. In this procedure, which takes place at the Civil Registry Office, the contracting parties will communicate to the civil officer, in writing, orally or by sign language, their intention to marry.

The witnesses for the Manifestation of a civil marriage must be at least two, who will declare that the future spouses have no impediments or prohibitions to marry. Once the witnesses' information is given, within 90 days - or even on the same day - they can celebrate the marriage.

And to the Celebration If the marriage can be performed at the Civil Registry office, at the home of one of the parties or at another location within the jurisdictional territory, the bride and groom will again have to present witnesses.

How many are the witnesses d civil marriage? At least two, preferably those who participated in the preliminary proceedings. In this instance, the witnesses must sign, along with the civil officer and the bride and groom, the marriage certificate once they are declared married.

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Who can be witnesses at a civil wedding?

Witnesses to both the Manifestation and the Celebration of Marriage must be of legal age, regardless of gender or nationality, and may or may not be relatives, so they may choose between family or friends. Generally they are people who have also been witnesses to your love story.

However, according to the witness requirements for civil marriages In addition, those who are interdicted by reason of insanity, those who are deprived of reason, those convicted of a crime punishable by affliction, or persons who have been disqualified by an enforceable sentence may not be witnesses. Likewise, those who do not understand the Spanish language, nor those who cannot make themselves clearly understood, may not be witnesses.

What does it take to be a witness?

In order to practice as a civil marriage witness, all you need to do is to Have a valid identity card in good condition. Or, in the case of foreigners with a tourist visa, they must show their identity document from their country of origin or passport, in addition, of course, to commit themselves to appear personally at the appointment, on the date indicated by the bride and groom.

Remember that the Manifestation will always be at the Civil Registry, while the Celebration of Marriage may or may not be at these offices.

What is the role of witnesses at a wedding?

As already indicated, the marriage witnesses for the Manifestation are the ones who testify that the parties are able to marry and have no legal impediments or prohibitions, i.e. that both will marry of their own free will and that they are able to say "yes", in the sense that they have full mental capacity and that they have no restrictions since their marriage.This means, among other things, that the bride and groom do not have undissolved marital ties, nor are they related to each other by blood or marriage.

For the celebration of the marriage, the witnesses will be present during the reading of the articles of the Civil Code and other sections of the ceremony, and then proceed to sign the nuptial act. The function of the witnesses is therefore to testify that the act of marriage has been carried out in accordance with the law.

But what is the difference between godparents and witnesses? The former play a role of spiritual accompaniment, while the latter play a more practical role in the civil wedding.

Rodrigo Batarce

Gifts for witnesses

Since they play a fundamental role and, undoubtedly, they will be very close people, such as their parents or best friends, a good idea is to surprise them with a particular gift.

As a thank you, you can give them some personalised tapes, a mini replica of the bride's bouquet or the groom's boutonniere, or some glasses with the wedding date engraved on them. However, if you prefer to honor them in front of all the guests, honor them with a mention in the newlywed speech or dedicate a special dance to them.

In addition to giving them a gift, another suggestion for the reception is to mark your witnesses' places with a special sign, a floral arrangement or a ribbon of fabric. It will be a nice touch that they will appreciate.