If you dream of having your wedding under clear blue Mediterranean skies, then read on. In this post I am going to talk briefly about why so many people choose to have their weddings in Cyprus, a little about the island, some of the legal aspects of marriage in Cyprus and finally how people choose wedding photographers in Cyprus.
ABOUT CYPRUS
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. Situated in the Eastern Mediterranean with a population of just over 1 million, and approximately 4.5 hours flying time from the UK with two airports in the South, one at Larnaca in the East and the other in Paphos in the West, Cyprus is reputedly the birth place of the Goddess Aphrodite, hence the nickname “The Island of Love.” There are two main locations claimed to connected with Aphrodite, Aphrodite’s Birth Place near Latchi and Aphrodite’s Rocks (where she reputedly walked out of the sea, on the coast near Aphrodite Hills Golf Resort just outside Paphos. Your wedding in Cyprus, what a romantic idea! It has sunshine for over 300 days a year, and a stunning coastline so you are never too far from the coast for dramatic sunset photographs.
With a rich and varied history, Cyprus wedding venues abound and there are some highly attractive ancient monuments that would make stunning backgrounds for Cyprus wedding photography.
THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF GETTING MARRIED IN CYPRUS
Arranging a wedding in Cyprus is quite straight forward but you must do your homework and ensure you fully understand all the legal requirements. You can have a religious ceremony in one of the many quaint Churches or a Civil ceremony in a hotel or registry office. Some of the Church interiors are beautifully decorated with highly colourful icons. Organising everything yourself is perfectly feasible and has been done successfully by hundreds of happy couples. Alternatively, there are a plethora of Wedding planners/organisers waiting to help you. Near the end of this article I will give you a link to the Cyprus High Commission’s website where they list all the steps necessary and all the forms required.
In short, for weddings in Cyprus you are required to be resident for a minimum of 15 days but you can purchase a special licence that will enable you to arrive just 3 full days before your Cyprus wedding. Same sex weddings in Cyprus are not yet legal but this situation is under review at time of writing.
Documentation required:-
- Full Birth Certificates
- Full passport with 6 months remaining.
- Sworn affidavits from a UK solicitor.
- Baptism certificate if you are getting married in a Church.
- Notice of marriage to be sent prior to your wedding.
- If a widower, you must supply a death certificate and previous wedding certificate.
- If a divorcee, a Decree absolute.
- If you have been adopted you must supply the adoption certificate.
- A letter of consent from your parent or guardian if you are under 18 years old.
- If you changed your name by deed poll you need stamped proof from your solicitor.
Please do not use the above as an a definitive list of requirements, this is merely written as a guide to get you thinking, you should do full research yourself. See the link near the bottom.
THE SOCIETY OF WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPERS
Entrusting your wedding to a complete stranger to photograph is a big gamble for such an important celebration in which you are investing a large amount of money. Stacking the odds in your favour by using a qualified professional must make a lot of sense. The society runs professional seminars for it’s members and awards a series of professional qualifications for members (like myself) whose work is recognised as having achieved certain clearly defined standards of excellence. I am a qualified ASSOCIATE member.
In addition, I am a full member of the International Professional Photographers Network, (IPPN) an invite only network for professional photographers.
Here are those links I promised you:-
Cypriot High Commission in London. Click HERE
Visit Cyprus website click HERE