FAQ's
Q: How do I book for a wedding?
A: You will need to contact me by e-mail or phone to see if I am
available on the date. After that you fill in the booking form and
pay your deposit and your day is booked
Q: We have limited funds - can we pay off your fees?
A: Yes, a plan can be made, please contact me
Q: Can you refuse to marry us?
A: I have the right to refuse any assignment should I feel that I do
not fit in with the duties that are requested of me, this however has
not happened yet.
Q: What happens if I arrive late to my wedding?
A: if I am kept waiting for longer than 30 minutes after having been
booked for a confirmed time, I will levy a charge of R 150.00 per half
hour. After I have waited for an hour, I will leave and no refund of
deposit or fees received will be made.
Q: Are you prepared to travel to officiate at a wedding?
A: Yes, but please understand that an extra charge will be made for
the time and traveling expenses @ a cost of R 2.50 per km. When I
have to travel far to attend to your wedding, and the wedding takes
place in the late afternoon, the cost of an overnight stay will be
added to your costs. The full cost of my service and traveling as
well as accommodation will be added to your final bill and have to paid
in full prior to the service / ceremony
Q: Are you a certified Marriage Officer?
Yes, I am appointed by the South African Department of Home Affairs
and have been a marriage officer for a number of years –Any client has
the right to request a copy of my appointment certificate at any time.
Q: Is there a difference between a marriage ceremony and a renewal of vows?
A: Yes there is a difference. A marriage ceremony is when the
officiant is empowered by the state to perform legally binding
marriages, this is something that normally takes place between people
who have never been married before.
Q: If I have already been married in court, can I get married again in
a full ceremony?
A: Yes of course you can, I will just perform the ceremony according
to your wishes as if a civil marriage had not taken place. The only
difference is that as you are already legally married there will be no
paperwork to sign.
Q: Can you do a non-religious service for us?
A: Of course I can, just contact me to discuss your needs
Q: what format will my marriage take?
A: It is your day, so bearing that in mind I ask that you must tell me
how you would like your special day to go.
Q: Do you have a list of vows that we can look at, or can we write our own?
A: I can show you a few examples of vows, however I urge a couple to
write their own vows.
Q: Can you do a wedding at short notice?
A: Yes I can, should you wish to do a quick service, I could fit you
in practically any time night or day – just one point to mention, I
will NOT marry any person who is under the influence of alcohol to a
point where his / her judgment is affected.
Q: Will you marry us in the middle of the night?
A: Yes I will, it is totally up to you.
Q: If we want only a civil or paperwork ceremony, would that be OK?
A: Yes, actually that kind of service only takes about 5 minutes
Q: Can we get married on a ship?
A: Yes you can, as long as at the time of the marriage the ship finds
itself in South African Territorial waters
Q: how do I ensure that my marriage is legally registered if I am a
foreign citizen.
A: In most countries you will find that an abridged South African
married certificate is all that is needed. In some cases however you
will find that the authorities of a certain country could ask for an
unabridged marriage certificate.
This certificate is expensive and time consuming to get, as once we
have the certificate we have to ensure your receipt thereof by making
use of a door to door courier service.
Q: In respect to my two witnesses, do they have to be South African citizens?
A: No, your witnesses can be anybody from any country in the world,
they only have to be 18 years old or older and have a valid passport
or ID document
Q: Does our marriage have to take place in a church?
A: No, that is just one of the places that you can get married in,
please give the marriage officer a call or drop him an e-mail to
discuss your proposed venue.
Q: After we are married, do I have to take my partner’s surname?
A: No you don’t. South African Marriage law states that a partner can take
the other partner's name, keep his name or create a new surname by
combining the two.
Q: Is an Anti nuptial Contract required before we get married?
A: No it isn’t that is a decision between you and your husband / partner
to be. If you do however choose to have an anti nuptial contracted, a
copy of this must be presented to the marriage officer before the
ceremony.
Q: If we want a contract drawn up, how do we go about this?
A: I can give you the name of an attorney that specializes in this
kind of contract, she charges under R 1000.00 .
Q: We have both been married and divorced before, is it a good idea
to involve one’s children in the ceremony.
A: Yes it most certainly is a good idea, you will most likely find
that the marriage will help a bond to grow between them all.
Q: How do you dress for our wedding?
A: if it is a formal church wedding, I will wear my full formal
vestments. On the other occasions I normally wear a business suit, in
the cases of beach weddings I will wear casual clothes.
Q: Do we have to meet in person before the wedding?
A: I like to meet with the couple before the service, however if this
cannot be arranged then we can do all of our chatting via e-mail and
phone.
Q: Are you prepared to do double or multiple couple weddings?
A: Yes I am.
Q: Are you prepared to wear a costume to match our theme when we get married?
A:Yes I am, the cost of the hire of the costume would be for your
account and it would have to be sent to me at least 3 days before the
ceremony.
Q: What areas are you prepared to travel to?
A: I am prepared to travel anywhere as long as my costs are met.
Q: What are the procedures that must be followed to allow a foreigner
get married in South Africa?
A: Apart from a few extra forms that need to be filled in and provider
by the foreign party, there is no difference between the marriage of
two South Africans and two foreigners. The exception is that all foreign
citizens need to present a certificate on non impedance which is basically
a document from his/her own country which states that they are not married.
Q: Does the wedding have to take place under a roof?
A: The law suggests so, but there are different interpretations of the
law and it is generally accepted that as long as the marriage register
is signed under a fixed roof, then all of the prerequisites will have
been met.
Q: If we would like you to attend to our big day, what are the procedures?
A: Let me know so that I can book your date in my diary, I will then
e-mail you a booking form which you will fill in and return with
copies of the documents that are required. We can then arrange a
pre-meeting and discuss the finer details of your wedding day.
Q: In order to get married, what documents must we get ready?
A: The following must be presented to the marriage officer at any
time before the wedding:
Your ID Books.
· 4 photos of each marriage partner
· Copies of Your ID books as well as copies of the ID documents
of both of your witnesses.
· If you have been married before: Divorce decree
· If you are a widow or widower: Death certificate
· If you intend to enter into an ante-nuptial contract this
must be concluded prior to the day of the wedding.
· If you are not South Africa, certified copies of your
passport picture page and visa page (the marriage officer is also a
Commissioner of Oaths and will be able to certify your copies. A
certificate of NO Impediment is also required by law, this is a
document from the foreign party to the marriage's Home office / City
Hall / Home Affairs which clearly states in English that the person
who wants to be married is not currently married or is divorced.
Q: What procedures are followed when our marriage is registered?
A: On the first working day after your marriage, I present your
completed documents to the Department of Home Affairs.
Q: Must we apply for a license to marry before the ceremony?
A: No, in South Africa a marriage licence is not required. The
marriage officer will issue you with your marriage certificate once he
has pronounced you to be legally married
Q: if we want to have a very small wedding, how many people have to be present?
A: The Bride, The Groom, two witnesses over the age of 18 years and
the marriage officiant.
Q: What documents do we get when the ceremony is done?
A: You get a copy of the marriage register and the original of your
marriage register.
Q: If the person that I plan to marry is not a South African Citizen,
may I still marry?
A: Of course you may. Foreigners must complete a few extra forms, but
then the rest of the marriage is just like any other
Q: You have reassured us, we want to get married, what do we do now?
A: Make contact with me so that I can send you a booking form and then
we can take it further from here and arrange a meeting between us.
Q: Please explain the difference between an abridged and an unabridged
marriage certificate?
A: An unabridged marriage is a full long version of the marriage
certificate. This certificate can only be issued by the Department of
Home Affairs Head Office, this certificate takes about 12 weeks to
obtain and has to be paid for on application. An abridged version of
the marriage certificate is the handwritten document given to the
couple after they have signed the marriage register. This certificate
you get immediately and there is no charge for it.
