Legal vs symbolic weddings abroad

The short version

A legal wedding is registered by the local government and you receive an official marriage certificate. A symbolic wedding is a ceremony with no legal effect: lovely photos, no marriage. Many couples do the legal part at home (a courthouse or registry) and the symbolic ceremony abroad.

The legal act is usually done by a civil official: the Registro Civil in Mexico, a district office (Amphur) in Thailand, a town-hall official in Italy or Greece, a court or registrar on many Caribbean islands. A religious or resort ceremony alone is often not enough unless that officiant is licensed and the marriage is registered.

Symbolic only for visiting couples

• Maldives

The Maldives does not let foreign visitors legally marry. Resorts must hold a registration to run symbolic ceremonies, and rules introduced in 2010 carry a fine of Rf 1 million for resorts that break them.

Restricted: usually not possible for visitors

• France
• Spain
• Scotland / UK
• Bali (Indonesia)

• France: one partner must have lived continuously for a month in the town (or have a parent living in France). Otherwise two foreigners can only marry in some overseas territories such as French Polynesia, New Caledonia, St Barth or St Martin.
• Spain: civil marriage applications go to the registry where at least one partner lives.
• UK / Scotland: possible, but non-British, non-Irish visitors need a Marriage Visitor visa (GBP 135) before arriving. You cannot give notice or marry on a Standard Visitor visa.
• Indonesia (Bali): marriage requires a religious ceremony and both partners must share a recognised religion; non-Muslim marriages are then registered with the civil registry.

Legal, but the ceremony you see isn't always the legal part

• Mexico: only marriages by the Civil Registry are legal; church ceremonies alone are not.
• Thailand: a legal marriage is registration at a district office (Amphur).
• Greece: the marriage must be registered within 40 days or it is not legal.
• Aruba follows Dutch law: only the civil registrar's marriage counts; a religious ceremony can follow.