Legal Wedding Ceremony

Before we arrive

By the time your ceremony day arrives, everything important has already been handled. We will have met, discussed your ceremony, confirmed your documents, and written a script that reflects who you are. Nothing should surprise you on the day.

When we arrive

We arrive at least 30 minutes before the ceremony start time. We use this time to walk the space, check the acoustics, confirm the setup with any venue staff, and meet your witnesses. If there is a wedding party or a procession, we will run through the cues with them.

We also use this time to verify identity documents privately, before the ceremony begins. This is a legal requirement and it takes only a few minutes — but doing it beforehand means the ceremony itself is uninterrupted.

The ceremony

Every ceremony is different, but the structure generally follows this order:

1. Welcome. We welcome the guests, introduce the ceremony, and set the tone.
2. Readings (if included). If you have chosen readings, they happen here.
3. The address. We speak directly to you both — about your relationship, what you mean to each other, and what this moment represents.
4. Vows. You make your promises to each other.
5. The legal declaration of consent. South African law requires both parties to make a formal declaration of consent in the presence of the marriage officer and witnesses. This takes less than a minute and is woven naturally into the ceremony.
6. Rings (if included). The exchange of rings, if part of your ceremony.
7. The pronouncement. We declare you married.
8. Signing the register. Both parties and both witnesses sign the DHA-24 register in the presence of the marriage officer. This is the legal act that creates the marriage.
9. The close. We close the ceremony, guests are released, and the celebration begins.

The signing

The signing of the DHA-24 register is the moment your marriage becomes legally real. Both parties sign. Both witnesses sign. We sign. It takes about two minutes and is typically done at a table or signing station set up near the ceremony space.

The register remains with us after the ceremony. We submit it to the Department of Home Affairs. You do not need to do anything further for the legal registration to be complete.

How long does the ceremony take?

A typical ceremony — including the procession, the full script, and the signing — runs between 20 and 40 minutes. An elopement with a short script can be done in 15 minutes. A ceremony with multiple readings and a longer address can run to 45 or 50 minutes.

The ceremony is over in under an hour. It is the part of the day your guests will remember longest.