Wedding ceremonies in Sweden

Civil, church or another faith: what is required, and how to make it yours.

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Sweden makes it easy to have the ceremony you want. You can marry almost anywhere, in a church or outdoors, and the officiant can adapt the ceremony to you.
Here is what to know.

Three ways to marry in Sweden

• Civil ceremony (borgerlig vigsel). No religious elements. It can take place almost anywhere: a venue, a garden, the beach, your own home. It needs an authorised officiant (vigselförrättare) and two witnesses. It can last from five minutes to half an hour, and you shape it together with the officiant.

• Church wedding (Svenska kyrkan). The traditional option, and often chosen for the setting, not only for faith. Usually at least one of you needs to be a member of the church, although exceptions can be possible. A priest can also marry you outdoors or at another location.

• Other faith communities. Many have their own wedding ceremonies. Ask the community directly about their rules.

The legal effect is the same for all three. The officiant reports the marriage to Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency, and you are married.

Make the ceremony yours

• Choose your music for the entrance and the exit

• Write your own vows, or say them together

• Ask friends or family to read a poem, sing or say a few words

• Add a small symbolic moment: lighting a candle together, a ring warming, planting a tree

• Include a tradition from your family or culture

• Decide who walks in with you, or walk in together

Talk through the wording with your officiant well before the day, and agree on timings with your photographer and musicians.

Before the ceremony: the legal check

Every couple needs a hindersprövning, a check that there is no legal obstacle to your marriage. You apply to Skatteverket, and the certificate is valid for four months. Start at least eight weeks before the wedding. If one of you is not a Swedish citizen, extra documents from your home country are usually needed, so begin even earlier.

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