New regulations allowing young couples to marry outside the registry office came into force on March 1 this year. So far, several couples have decided to get married in the gardens of a palace near Legnica. More ceremonies are also planned at restaurants in Legnica, although naturally not in the banquet hall. Getting married outside the registry office costs PLN 1,000, not including the cost of renting the venue where the ceremony takes place. Hosts provide the newlyweds, guests and, naturally, the person officiating the ceremony with a suitably prepared venue—something resembling a gazebo, complete even with red carpets and lanterns.
There were couples who planned to marry in the courtyard of the Knights’ Academy, right next to the Civil Registry Office. However, when they learned that they would also have to pay PLN 1,000, they abandoned the idea.
– The place where we conduct a wedding ceremony outside the Civil Registry Office must be safe and dignified, says Elżbieta Łukaszewicz, head of the Legnica Civil Registry Office. – There is nothing to prevent the ceremony from taking place in nature, but the hosts must ensure the safety of all participants. I cannot imagine a wedding taking place in a restaurant among meals, tables covered with plates and bottles.
For a wedding to take place outside the registry office, it must be reported sufficiently in advance. And the venue? That depends on inspiration and creativity. – But the wedding hall can also be very imaginative, the head of the office adds. – Young couples and their guests are increasingly coming up with great ideas. Recently, during one ceremony, the couple’s guests arrived dressed imaginatively and colorfully.
After a marriage is concluded, children may be born. It is now possible to give a child a foreign-sounding name, and parents are already making use of this right. The most popular names for girls are: Victoria, Amaya, Noemi, Mila, Sasza, Jaśmin and Vanessa. For boys: Alexander, Oliver, Leon, Brayan, Tomesso and Nicolas.
UM Legnica/ii