Stay up-to-date with all that's new at My-Island-Jamaica, Click Here to subscribe for my updates and don't miss a thing!

Have a QUESTION?

Is this Jamaican wedding legal?

by Puzzled?
(New York)

QUESTION:
My boyfriend is a Jamaican born American citizen. He was dating a Jamaican citizen that had a greencard in the U.S.A. He tells me that when they went to Jamaica on vacation for 5 days in 1990, his girlfriend informed him that they were getting married when he woke up the next morning. She had planned this marriage without his knowledge.

He went to a local bar and got quite drunk. The girlfriend's brother came to get him and take him to the church where the wedding took place. He was drunk and there was never a marriage license. She probably stole his birth certificate and copied it from his home.

There were only four people at the wedding, him, her and two witnesses. The reception was at one of her family members homes. He was so drunk that he did not even attend. He woke up late that night to find that he was married to her. He had never been married before.

He was in love with the woman at the time, so he agreed to give the marriage a try. It lasted for 4 years. They have been separated since 1994.

Was this marriage legal? We have been talking about marriage and he doesn't know whether he has to divorce her or whether he was really never legally married to her.

ANSWER: by Wellesley May 16, 2011

Hi 'Puzzled',

I have a personal opinion on this, but I'll keep it to myself.

It sounds like you need to contact the RGD though. That's the registrar General's Department - the local organization that manages records and information for all births, death, marriages etc.

They might be the best to provide you your answers or further direction.

As customary, I will also post this question in our our blog and on facebook fan page and solicit feedback/comments from our fans.

Related: Weddings in Jamaica.
stay in touch.

Regards,
Wellesley

Jamaican Travel Guide
Best Wedding Destinations
Jamaican Wedding Vow Renewal
Nude in Jamaica
Our Jamaica Blog
And even more...Search Here

Back to My-Island-Jamaica.com Homepage

See More Questions - Answered Here!

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to JamaicaQuestions.

Sharing IS Caring! Its now YOUR turn to...

If you found this page useful, please consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter, My Island Jamaica Digest here. It tells you each week about the new information that I have added, including new developments and great stories from lovers of Jamaica!

Back To The Top Of This Page

New! Talk To Me
Was the information helpful? Something needs changing? I welcome your feedback here.

Recommended For You ...

P.S. Didn't find exactly what you were looking for? Still need help?

Click Here to try our dependable and effective Site Search tool. It works!

Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of over 500 questions and answers! Chances are someone already asked (and got an answer to) your question.

About The Author

A patriotic Jamaican who adore its culture, Wellesley has been using this medium to share what he calls 'the uniqueness of Jamaica with the world' since April 2007.

To date, he serves over 9,300 unique readers / viewers per day.

His efforts have earned this site featured positions in local publications, including the Jamaica Gleaner's Hospitality Jamaica, Carlong Publishers, as well as recognition from numerous prestigious international agencies and universities. Read more about him here.

He invites you to subscribe to this site to stay updated on all the latest and check out his unique Jamaican products on his Etsy store.

If you are on social media, here are the links to follow his latest posts

You are also invited to join his exclusive JAMHearts community where like-minded Jamaican enthusiasts discuss all things Jamaican.