You’ve found your soulmate, the lady of your reveries; the man of your dreams. Now you have the ring, the budget, and you’ve decided that Haiti will be the place to tie the knot. You can’t think of another place more romantic and neither can I…The sun-kissed beaches, the fruit-filled forests are the perfect settings for the wonderful days ahead in your life. Haiti’s physical beauty is the perfect background to begin this wonderful life together.
But where to start? How does one get married in Haiti?
Angie M. Joseph who is an Event Designer and Planner and whose firm Konfetti Decor, has planned dozens of weddings has all the answers that might come to your mind. Joseph’s firm is based in Turgeau, a suburb of Port-au-Prince and gives you a rundown of what it takes to have a Haiti Destination Wedding.
Kreyolicious: What documents does one need to get married in Haiti?
Each church, religion operates differently; however, I can say that for the Catholic Church a couple getting married in Haiti must have certain documents ready such as ID, certificate of baptism, first communion, and a letter from their parish allowing them to get married in another church. The priests are also very strict about meeting with the couple and have them participate in group meetings with other soon-to-be-married couples to discuss marriage, spirituality and living together. The couple will also need to confess to their sins before the wedding.
[Photo Credit: Bazino Photography for Konfetti Decor]
Kreyolicious: What about for people not associated with the Catholic faith, the non-denominational couples?
Non-Catholics sometimes [have it] easier than Catholics as they can celebrate by the beach or in a beautiful garden. In terms of requirements, all religions have pretty strict rules and will ask to meet the couple, and will make sure they are members of the church and follow some pre- marital classes and exchange groups.
Above: Angie M. Joseph, the Wedding and Event Planner-in-Chief and CEO of Konfetti Decor.
Kreyolicious: And non-Haitian citizens, what are the governmental requirements for them to marry in Haiti?
Haiti is a destination for anyone who want to travel and get married here. It is easier if one of them is Haitian in order to get the marital registration act from DGI. Also keep in mind they can always get married in civil court and have their destination wedding wherever they please.
Kreyolicious: What are the profiles of the couples who you plan weddings for?
Usually KonfettiDecor plans weddings for young couples between the ages of 24 to 27 years old in which both parties live abroad yet getting married is extremely important to them. It is much harder planning a wedding long distance but with the right communication tools things work out successfully.
Kreyolicious: What percent have a destination wedding in Haiti?
Percentage-wise I can say that we cover more weddings with the couple living abroad then in Haiti. Haiti is definitely a destination for many Haitians getting married with either another Haitian or any other nationality. We’ve done many European countries such as Belgium, Italy and Paris, Argentina, Guadeloupe, and the USA of course.
Konfetti Decor: What does Konfetti Decor offer to potential brides?
Konfetti Decor is a one-stop shop for the brides. We not only offer decoration and lighting services, but also we provide linens, and chairs. And also because we are planners, we are in contact with all the vendors and even if we are not hired as such we are always more than happy to share information with the brides and put them in contact with the best photographers, bakeries, caterers, et cetera. When a bride or groom comes to us all problems are solved. Also important to note that we also did many weddings where the bride would not be in Haiti and the groom to be would be the one in charge coordinating everything, while trying very hard to go into details to make his future wife happy. And weddings are not their [the grooms’] forte. We have had many cases like this and we are always there patient and understanding to help them make the right choices.
[All photos are from Konfetti Decor and are of actual weddings that took place in Haiti for which Konfetti Decor served as the planning company.]
Konfetti Decor and its staff can be reached at (509) 3783/3803 or (509) 34703333.
