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The day of the wedding can be an interesting one for you as the groom. Weddings, really, are about the bride. Of course, you are important and everyone wants you there and they want you happy and looking good but essentially you want to do all of this to make your...

Weddings are a permanent feature of society, no matter religion or tradition weddings are a thing and through our lives we will attend a few. Because the history of weddings, well specifically the ceremony, is so tied with religion and because we've seen countless...

https://vimeo.com/329292905?fbclid=IwAR1N4fVX6_cLfeDGcL2MIfJBL3qnDSzCOSQUmuKeeOkvcB-crfR3J17vWhcDefinitely one of the highlight weddings for us this year was Queen & Thato who were married on the 22nd of February at Red Ivory Lodge in Hartebeesport. In our...

Your wedding ceremony can be as long or as short as you want it to be. Having said that, here are my thoughts and my advice on this. Weddings have a very long history in human society. If you go back a hundred years or so, life was difficult and generally there was...

When meeting your potential Marriage Officer (or Officiant) for the first time you will feel like there are a lot questions you should be asking. The ceremony is an important part of the day but it is actually least complicated so there are probably not as many...

"Marriage Officer" is not a very sexy title. Some instead use the word "Officiant". So in some cases they are the same thing but not always.  It is also a word that has less religious so for people who perform non-religious ceremonies this is a better word than...

Being legally married and your ceremony are actually two separate things. In the vast majority of cases they are done at the same time. You have a ceremony during which the Marriage Officer includes the legal things he or she is required to say and immediately...

First, before getting married you must see an attorney to get full and proper advice on your options and which will be best for you. Discussion around getting a contract can often be a little tense. The reason for this is that it is often looked at from the wrong...

While looking for a Marriage Officer you may have come across the term "non-denominational" and perhaps you're not sure what this actually means. Typically, which is to say historically, when you got married you went to the priest/rabbi/pastor of your church. You...

The short answer is "You can have exactly what you want!"There is a legal question that a Marriage Officer is required to ask you but he or she can work that into any ceremony that is performed. I guess it is worth knowing that the ceremony and the legal bit are...

All Marriage Officers are licensed to solemnise marriages anywhere in the country. Every Marriage Officer is attached to a specific Home Affairs office - the nearest one to their registered address. This is where they will submit the paperwork for every marriage...

A Marriage Officer is a person that has been designated by Home Affairs to formalise weddings and register them with Home Affairs. This is governed by Marriage Act of 1961. In order to become officially certified and recognised by Home Affairs a person is required...

The legal part of getting married in South Africa is very simple. At it's most basic this is what is required: You and your partner to be present Have your South African IDs Have two witnesses present Have a registered Marriage Officer present The Marriage Officer...

Up until approximately 2002 you could go to court and be married by a Magistrate. This is no longer the case. This role was moved to Home Affairs.  Every office has at least one designated Marriage Officer. This is most often a secondary role in that it is not his...

Marriage is, at its heart, the combining of the lives of two people into something new, something unique. From friends to families to cultures a wedding is always the start of something different. In modern times this has only become more interesting.  Let's face...

Gay, Lesbian, Same Sex or just LGBT weddings have been legal in South Africa since 2006. As of early 2019 there are approximately 180 registered Civil Union Marriage Officers.  According to Statistics South Africa same sex marriage registrations comprise just 1% of...

A part of the wedding planning process seems to be to give a role of everyone close. One of those role’s is the Master of Ceremony and generally this is given to the family member or friend that is most likely to be funny and doesn’t mind talking in front of a...