The final countdown is on for the biggest royal wedding in Europe this year and when the big day arrives, the bride and groom will marry not once, but twice.
Princess Maria Laura of Belgium and William Isvy wed on September 10th 2022, firstly in a civil ceremony then in a religious wedding, both in the heart of Brussels.
And while most of the attention will be on the Catholic ceremony that takes place at the Cathedral of St. Michel and St. Gudula in the afternoon, it’s actually the shorter civil marriage that is a crucial moment for the couple. For while many couples in Belgium choose to wed in a religious ceremony, the only legal marriages in the country are civil ones.
All marriages have to be civil with the couple exchanging vows before the mayor of the municipality, in this case Brussels. Another dignitary with ”civil registry responsibilities” can also oversee the marriage. And they have the main role in the ceremony as they read out a list of rights and duties expected of spouses. They then ask the couple, in turn, whether they wish to enter into a marriage contract with each other. Following that, a marriage certificate is produced which is entered in the civil registry. The couple leave the building legally married to one another.
However, Maria Laura and William, like many other couples in Belgium are also choosing to have a religious ceremony. And for members of the Catholic Church, it is this ceremony which will unite them as spouses. The royal wedding takes place a few hours after the civil event with over 500 guests in attendance, including the whole Belgian royal family.
Princess Maria Laura and William Isvy announced their engagement at the end of 2021. The bride is the niece of King Philippe of the Belgians and the eldest granddaughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola.
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