Church wedding in Ukraine

[Knoll 1]

My wife (Ukrainian) and I (American) were planning a wedding ceremony in Ukraine, in a church. We already married legally in the US after her arrival on a K-1 visa. She has her green card and employment card. I was just curious to hear from others who did something similar? Did you need to sign anything in Ukraine before the ceremony? like registering with the local government? I would expect our legal US marriage trumps anything else and it wouldn't matter what else we sign outside the US? Just curious to hear from others.

Thank you

Noll

[X Factor 1,112]

You are correct - your marriage in the US is the one that counts. The one in Ukraine is just a second ceremony. No need to do any legal paperwork.

[Orando 57]

I think the poster Gary knows about church weddings in the Ukraine. From what he wrote, the orthodox church requires the civil marriage certificate first. Maybe you should check with the church to make sure they are cool with the US marriage certificate and if they care one way or another.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Topic has been moved from Off Topic to the Russia, Ukraine and Belarus Regional forum as a more useful location to obtain this regional specific information.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I think the poster Gary knows about church weddings in the Ukraine. From what he wrote, the orthodox church requires the civil marriage certificate first. Maybe you should check with the church to make sure they are cool with the US marriage certificate and if they care one way or another.

Check with the church. The wedding in Ukraine will not be "official" that has already been done in the USA and you really cannot have two marriages but if you did not tell them...who knows?

The situation in Ukraine is that a church wedding is not "legal" as per the government, only civil marriages are. This means getting married at the "palace of weddings" basically like a courthouse wedding, and THEN going to the church. Most (but maybe not all) Orthodox churches want you to have the "official" wedding first. Once the Priest blesses your marriage he expects it is a REAL marriage and does not need a follow up. I would think the Preist would accept your US marriage as legal and permit a wedding in their church. They are used to performing "unofficial" weddings, though THEY do not consider it unofficial, it is official in the eyes of the church!

There are other churches besides Orthodox in Ukraine also, I do not want to assume she is orhtodox but probably is.

FWIW the Orthodox wedding ceremony is very beautiful and quite a perfomance. We stood up (so to speak) for one of Alla's lifelong friends that got married the summer after she came here, Quite an experience.

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

The only thing important - you will have to find priest that will want to do ceremony. Doesn't really matter (at least not for all of them) if you're already married or not. Orthodox priests don't really like to deal with catholics.

[eekee 182]

The only thing important - you will have to find priest that will want to do ceremony. Doesn't really matter (at least not for all of them) if you're already married or not. Orthodox priests don't really like to deal with catholics.

My parents had an Orthodox wedding and my dad is Catholic.

[Oksana & Max 94]

The only thing important - you will have to find priest that will want to do ceremony. Doesn't really matter (at least not for all of them) if you're already married or not. Orthodox priests don't really like to deal with catholics.

This is not really a true statement. Orthodox priests do recognize catholics, when it comes to the wedding, however they will not allow Holy Communion for the catholics.

My wife (Ukrainian) and I (American) were planning a wedding ceremony in Ukraine, in a church. We already married legally in the US after her arrival on a K-1 visa. She has her green card and employment card. I was just curious to hear from others who did something similar? Did you need to sign anything in Ukraine before the ceremony? like registering with the local government? I would expect our legal US marriage trumps anything else and it wouldn't matter what else we sign outside the US? Just curious to hear from others.

Thank you

Noll

I am actually planning to do the same. And currently have my soon to be mother-in-law checking on that. Let me know if you find something, and I will keep in touch if I will get any information.

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

This is not really a true statement. Orthodox priests do recognize catholics, when it comes to the wedding, however they will not allow Holy Communion for the catholics.

It is! In every city and every church is different! From personal experience!!!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

In Belarus Catholics and Orthodox can marry in either church when one is marrying another.

[Knoll 1]

Thank you everyone for the advice and information.

[LvivLovers 39]

I highly recommend the church wedding! My wife and I got married over in Ukraine so I was fortunate enough to have the civil ceremony followed right after by the church ceremony. Be prepared though...if it's anything like ours, it's pretty long...so long that my wife nearly fainted and had to go sit down at one point. Two of her friends had to hold these huge heavy crowns over our heads the whole ceremony as well....no idea how they made it. We had a big reception afterwards as well filled with many more rituals...there were so many I think we forgot to do a couple of the big ones we had planned. We had a couple videographers and photographers...maybe sometime when I get a chance I'll post them for those interested.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I highly recommend the church wedding! My wife and I got married over in Ukraine so I was fortunate enough to have the civil ceremony followed right after by the church ceremony. Be prepared though...if it's anything like ours, it's pretty long...so long that my wife nearly fainted and had to go sit down at one point. Two of her friends had to hold these huge heavy crowns over our heads the whole ceremony as well....no idea how they made it. We had a big reception afterwards as well filled with many more rituals...there were so many I think we forgot to do a couple of the big ones we had planned. We had a couple videographers and photographers...maybe sometime when I get a chance I'll post them for those interested.

That is the part Alla and I did. Holding the crowns! I thought it was pretty cool at first, but then was wishing he would talk faster! It is quite an elaborate ceremony and fascinating. I am not religious at all but I enjoyed it. I am not sure if my religious affiliation (protestant) ever had anything to do with it, I suspect it was not discussed. The Priest as I recall was very adamant that the civil ceremony be done first, I am not sure if all churches require that or not.

I think a Priest will accept as US wedding as sufficient, but it will be up to them I think

[eekee 182]

Only civil weddings are legal in Ukraine, that is why. If your marriage is legal by US standards, it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe see if they need an apostilled certificate, etc.

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

"Be prepared though...if it's anything like ours, it's pretty long...so long that my wife nearly fainted and had to go sit down at one point. Two of her friends had to hold these huge heavy crowns over our heads the whole ceremony as well...."

It is long. But you always can ask the priest to make it shorter