Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. So you’re positive about saying “I do” but don’t want to leave your account in the negative? A Home Affairs wedding may be the best option for you.
Weddings are well-known pocket blasters that can quickly leave you in an undesirable financial situation—especially if you aren’t particularly well off and didn’t plan well or long enough.
Luckily for those without deep pockets and a desire for something small and intimate, Home Affairs weddings are as cost-effective as can be.
Weddings at the Department of Home Affairs are free; however, you will be charged R75 for an unabridged or complete marriage certificate. This type of certificate includes detailed information and is essential if you plan to travel a lot, move to another country, or get a foreign passport.
If you are not South African, you’ll need this unabridged certificate to register your marriage in your home country. This type of marriage certificate is widely accepted in South Africa and abroad, making it a more useful document.
If you aren’t willing to fork up R75, you can also opt for the free abridged certificate, which only works to prove your marriage but comes with fewer benefits than the unabridged certificate.
Before the ‘I do’
You must visit your selected Home Affairs office and book a date to get married. On this day, you will need two copies of your identity documents. You should also be prepared to have your left-hand thumb prints taken. If one or both of you do not have an ID, you will be asked to complete the “Declaration for Marriage form” (Form DHA-31).
What you’ll need on the day
In addition to a nice little outfit and a bouquet, if that tickles your fancy, you will need your IDs, two witnesses, and their IDs or passports.
You may also need a Divorce order if you were previously married and a Death certificate if your former husband or wife died. Once all the documents are signed and declarations are made, your marriage particulars will be recorded in the National Population Register (NPR), and you will receive your handwritten abridged marriage certificate (Form DHA—27).
Most couples who go the Home Affairs route often end the day with a lovely family lunch or dinner and then head off to their honeymoon without the stress of wedding debt.
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