Marriage in Jamaica - What You Need to Know

Marriage in Jamaica
What you need to know.

Did you know that almost 50% of all marriage in Jamaica today are done by tourists/visitors -categorized as 'hotel marriages'?

Marriage in Jamaica - Jamaican Wedding Rings

Yep! Jamaica is fast becoming a hotbed for international travelers to exchange their wedding vows- one of the most, (if not the most) special moment in their life.

Jamaican Wedding Couple

According to the Registrar's General Department (RGD) website,

'Over the past few decades, with the rapid growth of the tourism industry, hotel marriages have become a significant contributor to the total number of marriages occurring in the island.'

So what is accounting for the increase in this trend? One reason may be the relative ease in getting appropriate documentation.

This is quite contrary to other areas of business and commerce where there tend to be a lot of bureaucratic red tape. Visitors can be married in just 24 hours after arrival on the island-WOW! Yes, providing prior application has been made for a marriage license-!

Of course the warm tropical climate, the food, the beautiful plants and flowers, and the warmth and sincerity of the people does make it difficult for our visitors to choose otherwise.

So while many still prefer the traditional setting, more and more visitors are trending towards the 'beach wedding' setting. Whatever your taste though, most hotels provide the complete package- including the acquisition a marriage officer.

There are also many non-denominational marriage officers who provide witnesses as well.

The following is what you need to know or provide:

Proof of citizenship-certified copy of Birth Certificate, which includes father’s name.
Parental consent (written) if under 18 years of age.
Proof of divorce (if applicable) original Certificate of Divorce.
Certified Copy of Death Certificate for widow or widower.
French Canadians need a notarized translated English copy of all documents and a photocopy of the original French documents.
Blood Tests are not required by law.
Italian Nationals celebrating their marriage in Jamaica must notify their Embassy to be legalized and translated.

The address for your application is:

Ministry of National Security and Justice
NCB Towers,
2 Oxford Road,
Kingston
Jamaica, WI
Tel: (876) 906-4908 up to 22.
Then what happen when you get here?

Most of our established hotels and villas here offers superb wedding services. But while some have almost an entire group or department dedicated to it - and others partner with outside planners, others contract the entire job to the experts- which may get a little pricey for you.

Michelle, however, a friend of mine from Ocho Rios, operates an established wedding planning business here [The Wedding Planner Plus] that can come in quite helpful and economical to you.

She and her husband have been in the business since the 1990's and will be more than happy to assist you with your marriage in Jamaica.

Her business takes care of all your local requirements to ensure you have a magical wedding! These include:

Preparation of Documentation
Acquisition of Minister's Licence
Minister to conduct wedding ceremony.
Bridal Bouquet & Boutonniere
Wedding Coordinator
Decorated Wedding Venue
Wedding Cake
Champagne
Musical Accompaniment
Wedding Accessories
etc.

You can contact her directly by filling out this short form below. She will be elated to get back in touch with you.

This Form cannot be submitted until the missing fields (labelled below in red) have been filled in
Contact Michelle
Please note that all fields followed by an asterisk must be filled in.
First Name*
Last Name
E-mail Address*
Country*
Wedding Date (If known)
Staying in [eg. Ocho Rios, Negril]
Message*
Please enter the word that you see below.

By the way, here's a recommendation for cheap beach wedding ideas. They have loads of tips and resources to get you started.

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