Church Wedding Ceremony in Croatia

Religious Weddings in Croatia

For those who want to have a catholic wedding ceremony in a church in Croatia, you are in luck. There are so many majestic churches and cathedrals to choose from as your venue. The majority of Croatians identify as Roman Catholic, making this an important part of their lives. It is also possible to have an Orthodox or Muslim wedding ceremony in Croatia, but there are fewer of those churches or mosques. These religions are not as common, and options are generally limited to the larger cities.

Since religious weddings are not considered official or legally binding in Croatia, foreign couples are encouraged to register their marriage legally in their home country (before or after their wedding in Croatia). Alternatively, depending on preference and budget, couples can also have a civil marriage alongside their religious church wedding ceremony in Croatia.

Important things to remember FOr your Catholic Ceremony in CROATIA:

1. When choosing to have your Catholic wedding ceremony in Croatia, remember that all venues require the wedding to take place inside (there is a single exception to this rule, a venue located in Split).

2. You and your partner will have a lot of freedom when it comes to deciding what your wedding ceremony will look like. However, there are still a few components that are mandatory, which include worship and religious dignity and respect.

3. If you choose to incorporate a holy mass into your wedding, the whole ceremony should take approximately an hour. If you choose to celebrate without a holy mass, it will only take approximately 30 minutes.

4. You must have at least two witnesses present at the ceremony.

5. You must arrive in Croatia at least three days prior to your actual wedding, in order to visit local offices and finish up all of the necessary paperwork.

Documentation & Procedures for Catholic WeDDing in Croatia

There are some steps you should take in order for your religious wedding ceremony in Croatia to go off without a hitch:

1. Visit your local parish, and inform them of your wedding plans

2. Undertake a course for engaged couples, run by your bishop

3. Your bishop must create and send the “Nihil Obstat” document to the bishop in Croatia that will perform your religious wedding ceremony

4. Collect all of the necessary wedding documents you will need, within five to six months of your planned wedding date

5. Marry the love of your life in Croatia!

“Nihil Obstat”

Your local priest is an integral part of your wedding, even though you plan on getting married overseas. You and your partner should have a meeting with your priest, who will explain the steps for moving forward. Some parishes require engaged couples to complete a premarital course. This is no longer mandatory in all churches, so you may not need to complete this step. Your priest will give you and your partner a “Nihil Obstat” - a document also known as “Litterae Testimonials” (testimonial tellers). This is a basic document that represents a “no objection certificate,” which is used for destination weddings or marriages celebrated away from the parish. Your bishop must send this to the bishop in Croatia, who will oversee your wedding.