Church Weddings in South Africa
Church weddings in a number of religions or denominations, provided they are carried out by a celebrant who is a designated Marriage Officer, have full legal recognition in South Africa and you will not need to have a separate civil wedding.
Availability of Churches
South Africa is a vast country and huge tracts of it are miles from any town and also from churches. If you are planning to get married in a Game Lodge it is highly likely that it may be hundreds of miles to a suitable church.
If a church wedding is an absolute must for you, for practical purposes you need to look at getting married in one of South Africa's larger towns or cities.
Documents Required
No matter what church you chose to marry in you will need to comply with all the civil requirements and to produce to the celebrant of your wedding all the required documents before the wedding can take place.
In practice you will need to contact the celebrant in advance anyway and they will discuss the civil documentary requirements with you.
See general information about the requirements of the Roman Catholic Church and other religions.
Anglican Weddings
The Anglican Church is widespread in South Africa, but not quite so ubiquitous on the internet!
Usually the hotel or lodge where you will be staying or holding a reception will be able to put you in contact with the nearest church (if there is one!), but you may wish to look at the websites of some churches in the major cities.
- Cape Town
- St Michael and All Angels, Observatory
- Christ Church, Kenilworth
- Johannesburg
- St Martin's-in-the-Veld, Rosebank
- St Michael, Bryanston
You will need to make contact with the clergy at the church were you wish to marry at least 3 months in advance.
Roman Catholic Weddings
There are more than 3 million Roman Catholics in South Africa and churches are widespread in the country.
The following diocesan websites are a good starting point for locating a church for your wedding.
- Diocese of Johannesburg
- Archdiocese of Cape Town
- Archdiocese of Durban
- Diocese of Keimoes-Upington
- Diocese of Mariannhill
In general churches will require at least six months notice of a wedding. A few parishes will require that you meet in person before they agree to celebrate your wedding.
Jewish Weddings
There is a small Jewish population in South Africa and a number of synagogues, mainly in large towns and cities.
This is the best place to make your initial enquiries:
Jewish South Africa
Tel: 011 645 2500
Fax: 011 645 2559
E-Mail: webmaster@jewish.org.za
http://www.jewish.org.za