Wedding Planner Rems-Murr Kreis | Six months before our civil ceremony, we were finally able to officially register for our wedding. Although our wedding will take place in Dresden, the registration had to be done at the registry office in our place of residence.
Documents Required
The following documents are important when registering for your wedding:
- Passport or ID card
- An extended certificate of residence (if your main address differs from your current residence), issued by the local registration office — not older than four weeks at the time of submission nicht im Wohnort ist (bei Abgabe der Unterlagen nicht älter als 4 Wochen).
- A certified copy from the birth register, issued by the registry office of your place of birth (a simple birth certificate is not sufficient!) nicht ausreichend!
- Official proof of any name change
- For couples with children born before marriage: birth certificates of the children, acknowledgment of paternity, and custody declaration (if applicable)
- Divorced individuals: the marriage certificate and the final divorce decree of the last marriage
- If a civil partnership was legally dissolved: the partnership certificate and the court decision
- Widowed individuals: the marriage or partnership certificate and the death certificate
Please note: these documents must not be older than six months at the time of registration!
Choosing Your New Last Name
Wedding planner Rems-Murr-Kreis | During the registration process, you’ll also be asked to decide on your family name. German Law provides several options, but also certain restrictions. Here’s an example using two names to illustrate your choices:
Bride: Caroline Beyer Groom: Alfred Müller
- Both partners keep their own names – Caroline Beyer and Alfred Müller.
- Caroline takes Alfred’s surname – they become Caroline Müller and Alfred Müller.
- Alfred takes Caroline’s surname – they become Caroline Beyer and Alfred Beyer.
- The couple chooses “Müller” as their family name, and Caroline takes a double surname – Caroline Müller-Beyer or Caroline Beyer-Müller.
- The couple chooses “Beyer” as their family name, and Alfred takes a double surname – Alfred Beyer-Müller or Alfred Müller-Beyer.
What This Meant for Us
Wedding Planner Rems-Murr Kreis | For me, it was clear from the beginning that I would take my fiancé’s last name. However, when we registered for the church ceremony, he mentioned that he wouldn’t mind taking my name instead — and that’s when the dilemma began!We discussed it with our families, thanked them for their input, and decided that we’d make our own choice — one they’d only find out at the registry office.
Since neither of us wanted to give in, and we both offered to take the other’s name, we decided on a double surname. But when we registered, the registrar told us that both partners cannot legally have a double surname in Germany.That created a problem — having different names wasn’t an option for us, because for us, marriage means unity. Even though I had already decided inwardly to take my fiancé’s name, I let him wait a little longer for my final answer 😉So, during the registration, we left the “family name” question open — it can even be decided on the wedding day or changed afterwards if needed.
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to me anytime!
With love, Christin 💖
Eternal Love (https://stuttgarter-hochzeitsplaner.de/kontakt/)
