Many couples dream of an original wedding abroad, surrounded by ancient rich culture and beautiful nature of Georgia. Some of the couples prefer to complete all formal procedures in their own country, and go to Georgia just to organize symbolic ceremony and wedding dinner. But not all the newlyweds have heard that Georgia has one of the most simplified procedures of marriage registration. Registration at the Georgian State Registry Office will no longer seem such a complicated task.
Which registry office to choose? What is the difference between them and what is important to take into consideration while submitting the application? In our new article we answer all these questions. Сhoosing a registry office for your wedding now becomes a quick and easy step on the way to your big dream.
General info
There are three registry offices in Tbilisi which provide a civil marriage procedure to the foreign citizens. The main differences between them are their location, interior and price. Normally, the price for the business days is lower than the price for the weekend, so at this stage you will have an opportunity to optimize your wedding budget. Below we are going to talk about private ceremonies which you need to pay for, but firstly we would also like to mention a ceremony in the public hall of the Justice House. This will be free for you, but the entire process of submitting the application and waiting time might last from a couple of hours to the whole day. Thus, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee to our couples that they will have a quick and comfortable procedure here. The paid private ritual, otherwise, will take you just 20 minutes! After a short and pleasant ceremony in the elegant hall, you can continue your feast at the photo shoot in the narrow streets of Tbilisi or at the cozy dinner with a splendid night view of the old city.
The Justice House
Apart from the public hall, there is a closed private hall for wedding ceremonies in the Justice House. This hall has its own separate entrance, hidden from the public. You will enter this beautiful room to the solemn music and no one will violate the significance of this instant. The private hall has been fully renovated recently: now it is designed in a modern style with the use of white, beige and blue colours. Decorations of fresh flowers add softness and tenderness to the overall interior. By the way, just right near the House of Justice there is the Dedaena park (park of the mother tongue) and a popular tourist sight, The Dry Bridge with its colourful flea market. After having the ceremony, you can visit these lovely places, take some nice pictures and then move to the city centre.
Family is one of the main values in Georgian culture.
Konka Registry Office
The second registry office we’d like to tell you about is located not far away from the famous Gabriadze Theatre, right in the heart of the old city. The building of the Konka Registry Office was constructed in 1897, which makes it the oldest registry office in the entire country. Its rooms are regularly renovated, but the initial authenticity and unique ancient style of the place stay as charming as always. This registry office will be suitable for couples who want to celebrate the creation of their family being surrounded by the traditional Georgian style. Here, on the balcony of the building, you may also start your photo shot: its carved arches and patterned banisters will become a perfect background for your first wedding photos. The location of this registry office is also convenient: within just a ten minutes walk, you reach the mystical labyrinths of Tbilisi, covered with centuries-old cobblestone and filled with tiny Italian courtyards.
Within just a ten minutes walk, you reach the mystical labyrinths of Tbilisi, covered with centuries-old cobblestone and filled with tiny Italian courtyards.
Mtatsminda Registry Office
If you dream of a quiet ceremony in harmony with nature, we’d recommend you to take a look at the third registry office in Tbilisi: it is situated on mount Mtatsminda, in the park with the same name. Stepping inside this registry office, you find yourself in a spacious glass hall surrounded by amazing wood from all angles. Imagine how harmonious and peaceful your ceremony will in such a placid location: panoramic windows, classical interior, light colours in decor, dense forest, rich mountain air, filled with the smell of pine trees… A ceremony inspired by the beautiful tranquility of nature!
Mtatsminda registry office also offers wonderful locations for your wedding photo shoot. During your photo walk around the park, you could go to the viewing point, for example, and take amazing pictures in front of the ancient city frozen in tranquil summer bliss. We also need to note that ceremony at this registry office formally is an onsite registration, that is why its price is higher than the price for the ceremony in the Justice House or Konka registry office.
Georgia is about love
Apart from the registry offices of Tbilisi, we also work with other towns, such as Sighnaghi, Batumi, Kvareli, Kazbegi. We will be glad to find the most convenient registry office option in accordance with the wedding venue you will choose. As the official language of marriage procedures is Georgian, at your request, we could also arrange for the presence of an interpreter to any language you would prefer your ceremony to be held in. If you’d like to read about all the formal stages of civil marriage in Georgia, we recommend that you also check our article.
To conclude our review, we’d like to share with you one beautiful ancient wedding custom, which you become part of when you register your marriage in Georgia. All the newlyweds, having the civil ceremony here, receive a traditional present – a deluxe edition of Shota Rustaveli’s book called “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” and a bottle of champagne :). This classic Georgian poem is meant to symbolize the harmony in relationships between men and women. This is the book that was traditionally presented by a father to his daughter when she was getting married: the poem was supposed to become the first book in their new family library. As there is a reason why they say family is one of the main holy values in Georgian culture.
See you in the country of love!
