The Legalities of an Island Wedding

Q: My girlfriend and I would like to get married on a tropical island, preferably Bali or Mauritius. Can you tell us what legal requirements there are for foreign marriages in both countries? We are both Christian South Africans. - Shaun Jacobs A: There are a number of legal requirements involved in getting married in both Bali and Mauritius. As a result, many foreigners opt to officially register their marriages in their home countries and then have a blessing and wedding ceremony on a tropical island. I would recommend this for you. However, if you would prefer to get married on island, your best bet is to get one of the major hotel groups to help you or to hire a wedding organiser who will asssit you with the legal requirements. In Bali, the most important thing you need to do is get a "CNI" (Certificate of Non Impediment to Marriage), which is a letter from a South African government department stating that there is no objection to you getting married in Indonesia. You will also need birth certificates, valid passports and documents from your church. After the religious ceremony, every non-Islamic marriage must be recorded with a government office or it is not legal (as Jerry Hall discovered after her marriage to Mick Jagger on Bali). In Mauritius documents relating to the couple are usually required 12 weeks prior to arrival on the island. At least three days before the wedding, the couple must visit the Supreme Court and the Civil Status Office to complete various formalities. To contact organisers try www.baliweddingplanners.com or, in Mauritius, www.mywedding.mu.