FAQ's for Cyprus

We have put together some of the most frequently asked questions, which we

hope will help you in your plans to marry in Cyprus. If you do not find the

answer to any questions you may have, please contact us and we will be more

than happy to help you!

Will our wedding be legally recognized in the UK?

Yes, your marriage will be recognized by British Law.

Catholic weddings must be preceded by a Civil Ceremony in resort to make it legal in the

UK, although the Catholic wedding will be recognized by the Catholic Church. The Civil

Service and the Catholic Service will be arranged by Olympic Weddings.

How early must we book our wedding?

We recommend that you book your wedding as soon as possible in order to avoid

disappointment and meet the criteria of the documentation required. In Cyprus there is

no minimum notice, as long as holiday dates and wedding dates are available (with the

exception of Catholic ceremonies where at least six months notice would be advisable due

to the Catholic paperwork required).

What paperwork do we need to arrange?

There are a number of documents that you will need to take with you in order to get

married in Cyprus, please see our section on Legal Requirements, but do not hesitate to

with us we will send you information on what paperwork you will need and we also send

you a reminder letter re your paperwork, approximately 3 months before you travel.

Can I get married in Cyprus if I have been divorced?

Yes, as long as you can provide legal proof i.e. original Decree Absolute. The only

exception to this is Catholic weddings, as the Catholic Church will not marry divorcees.

Will the date and time of my wedding be confirmed before we depart from the

UK?

Yes we are one of very few wedding companies who will do this. Once your wedding is

booked we will confirm the venue, date and time you will marry. It is extremely rare for

these details to be changed.

Do you arrange Blessings / Renewal of Vows?

Yes, we do. Anglican Renewal of Vows / Blessings are becoming increasingly popular,

Do we need witnesses and can Coordinator act as witness?

Yes, you will need 2 witnesses over 18 years of age; you may have family members as

witnesses. If you are travelling alone and require us to arrange witnesses we can of

course do this for you. Please let us know prior to your departure, so we can arrange this

for you.

Can you organize the wedding reception for us?

We will be delighted to assist you with organizing your wedding reception according to

your requirements and budget. Receptions can take place in many places from a local

beach front restaurant, a traditional taverna or even on a luxury yacht! There are a few

hotels that require you to have your reception in the hotel if you choose to marry in their

grounds. We will advise you of this at the time of booking.

How do we choose a photographer for our wedding?

We can help you with this very important decision! We have worked with our fantastic

photographers for years and are more than happy with their work, as are our many, many

wedding couples, who tell us over and over again how stunning their photos were and

how at ease the photographers made them feel. We understand that photography is

probably the most important aspect of your day, as you will have your photos for years to

come. This is why we have chosen a great team of photographers for you. Contact us for

more details and packages available in resort.

Go to Extra Touches for more details.

How do I go about arranging hair, make up and nails for my wedding?

We have sourced highly recommended hairdressers and beauticians who we have worked

with for many years. Once you have decided your requirements for your wedding day our

Wedding Coordinators will make all the necessary appointments for you. This can wait

until you get to resort, but you can also book your appointments before you travel if you

prefer.

Can you also help us with our wedding flowers?

We can of course help you with the flowers for your wedding day, we have some standard

flowers that can be booked but if you have specific ideas of what you would like, or would

like more ideas on what is available, please contact us. In Cyprus for most of the summer

season, flowers are imported to all florists from Holland, so we need a little notice on

specific requirements, or if you are happy to wait until you arrive to see what the florists

have available, that is fine. Our florists are extremely creative and as we have worked with

them for many years, we know you will be delighted with your wedding bouquets.

Go to Extra Touches for more details.

What will our cake be like?

A standard cake in Cyprus will be sponge decorated with white icing. However, any flavour

or style of cakes can be arranged, including the increasingly popular cup cakes, if we are

given a little notice we can arrange whatever you like!

Go to Extra Touches for more details.

Will a separate room be provided for the bride or groom to change into their

wedding outfits on the day, so they do not see each other?

Subject to availability the hotel may make a separate room available for the bride or

groom to change into their wedding outfit. There may be an additional charge for this

facility and it cannot be guaranteed, especially during peak season.

What signature does the bride sign in on the marriage certificate?

When signing the marriage certificate the bride should sign in her maiden name.

Is it possible for you to arrange just our wedding and we organise our own

holiday?

If you arrange both your holiday and wedding with us you will pay a lower administration

fee, however we are happy to arrange just your wedding to one of our many wedding

venues.

What name must be used for the booking of the bride-to-be?

As the name on the booking must be the same as the passport, the bride-to-be should use

her maiden name for both journeys.

How should we pack our wedding outfits and do we get extra luggage

allowance?

We suggest that you pack your dresses and suits in a strong waterproof box or suitcase

which can be placed in the aircraft hold. It is at the airline’s discretion whether they allow

you an extra luggage allowance for your wedding attire. We can give you the airline

contact details so that you can make your enquiries to the airline directly.

Do I have to stay in the same resort hotel that I wish to get married in?

For Cyprus there is flexibility with where you can stay. For example you can choose to

stay in any standard of accommodation and marry in a church or town hall. In some

cases you can stay in one hotel and marry in another one as a non resident (please ask us

for a list within the resort of your choice, there may be a higher venue fee for ‘non

residents’ to marry in a hotel). There are also occasions where you can stay in one resort

and marry in another, for example, couples staying in Protaras and Ayia Napa may chose

to marry in the beautiful Terra Sancta Catholic church in Larnaca.

Do our guests have to stay in the same hotel as us?

In most cases it is possible for your guests to stay wherever they choose. There are only

one or two cases where a hotel stipulates that some of the guests should be resident. We

will advise you of this at the time of booking. Some hotels offer group discounts, so if you

and many of your guests are staying in the same hotel, we can advise you of any

discounts / offers that may be available.

Can we organise pressing / steaming and storing of our outfits on arrival?

Most hotels offer this service or can recommend one; this will be at a charge and payable

locally. At some hotels it may be possible to store your wedding outfits, if this service is

available; arrangements can be discussed on arrival.

Can we get an extra copy of our marriage certificate?

A Certified Copy of your marriage certificate can be arranged for an additional cost of

approx €15 and will need to be ordered before the ceremony. We strongly recommend

this, particularly for brides planning to change their surname, as they will need to send off

their marriage license to make the name changes and photocopies are never accepted.

You can order as many certified copies as you need.

What if we lose our wedding certificate?

If you lose your wedding certificate a certified copy can be ordered and sent to your home

address. Please contact the Olympic Holidays Wedding Department and they will advise

you of the course of action. However, we strongly advise our couples to arrange for at

least one extra certified copy in resort as once your original marriage certificate with all

signatures is lost, you will only have a copy in its place.

What happens when we arrive in Cyprus?

The first thing that happens is a meeting with your personal Olympic Wedding Coordinator,

the date and time of which you will find in your Welcome Letter, which will be handed to

you on arrival at the airport or will be at the reception desk of your hotel.

During your first meeting, your Wedding Coordinator will discuss all aspects of your

Wedding with you and answer any questions you may have. She will then be with you

throughout your wedding plans, the big day itself and will be on hand right up until the

time you leave Cyprus.

If we book for next year, will you still be able to give us the correct prices?

Most wedding venues will have their prices ready for the following year, this also applies

for menus and our suppliers (florists, photographers etc). We will always endeavour to

give you the most up to date prices, but cannot guarantee that certain prices will not

change between booking and arriving in resort, of course, if we are advised of any

changes we will let you know. Hotel Wedding Venue fees are quoted for couples who are

resident at the hotel, some hotels will accept non-residents for an extra fee. All prices

quoted on this website are approximate and correct at the time of publication.

If you have any questions that are not listed above, please do not

hesitate to contact us!

Legal requirements for weddings in Cyprus

We recommend that this section should be read carefully and printed off, as the

following contains important information on Cyprus weddings rules and regulations

which the bride and groom must follow before a license of marriage can be issued.

According to Cypriot law, before a wedding in Cyprus can proceed you must meet the

following legal requirements:

All documentation MUST BE ORIGINAL (photocopies are not accepted).

Be resident in Cyprus for a minimum of three working days before your wedding

day (excluding weekends, public holidays and the day of arrival).

10 Year passport with at least 6 months validity remaining before departure
date.
Each have your own Freedom to Marry Certificate (affidavit / single status
declaration) stating that there is no impediment to marry each other.
The certificate must include your name, address, nationality, passport number,
occupation, marital status (single, divorced or widow/er), the date that
you intend to marry in Cyprus; and be signed and stamped by a registered
solicitor on the document.
This document must not be more than 6 months old.
Birth certificates.
Adoption certificate, if applicable.
Original copy of the decree absolute if divorced. If Catholic, the original copy
of the marriage annulment.
Original copy of the death certificate if widowed.
Proof of name change by Deed Poll (if applicable), stamped and signed by a
solicitor.
If either partner are under the legal age of consent (18 years) a written
consent is required from a solicitor on behalf of the parent(s).
Copies of two witnesses passport (where name and passport number is shown).
(Cyprus Wedding Belles would be happy to provide two witnesses if necessary).
Baptism or Christening certificate of either one or both of the parties
(applicable for church ceremonies only).
For Church ceremonies the name and the address of the couple’s home Church
Minister/Priest is required.

All religious weddings and blessings except those performed by an Anglican Priest

must be preceded by a civil ceremony.

Should you have any questions about Cyprus weddings which are not answered above,

please contact our Wedding Co-ordinator.

Maria Pierides