En vielse handler om kristen tro, håb og kærlighed, og parret siger ja til at elske og ære hinanden, og leve sammen som ægtepar. Sømandskirkens præst forretter vielser mellem alle voksne mennesker, dvs. vielser imellem par af samme køn og par af forskellige køn.
Sømandskirken kan danne en unik ramme om din vielse i New York. Med Brooklyn Heights Promenade og Manhattans skyline, som nærmeste naboer, er den det perfekte sted at forevige en uforglemmelig vielse i en uforglemmelig by.
Hvis I bor i Danmark, skal én af jer være medlem af Folkekirken, og hvis I er bosat i resten af verden, skal én af jer være kristent døbt for at blive gift i Sømandskirken.
Samtale med præsten
Sømandspræsten vil gerne have lov til at hilse på jer inden vielsen, og I bedes kontakte Sømandspræsten for at aftale en dato for brylluppet og en vielsessamtale.
Et kirkebryllup er både vielse og velsignelse af et par, og er juridisk gyldigt i hele verden. Derfor er der nogle formaliteter, som skal være på plads for at blive gift i Sømandskirken. Til vielsessamtalen skal I til samtalen medbringe:
-Marriage License (mere om den herunder)
-kopi af jeres dåbs/fødselsattester
-en ægteskabserklæring fra Borger.dk, hvis I er bosiddende i Danmark.
Et bryllup i Sømandskirken koster $850 og gives som donation til Sømandskirken. Gaver til Sømandskirken er fradragsberettigede i USA i henhold til gældende skatteregler.
Der kan betales online her.
I særlige tilfælde kan vielsen foregå uden for Sømandskirken. Såfremt dette er ønsket, skal der ligeledes betales transport for sømandspræsten og eventuelt sanger samt organist.
Marriage License
Da brylluppet finder sted i staten New York, kræves en Marriage License fra New York State. Den svarer til en dansk prøvelsesattest. En Marriage License kan man få på the Marriage License Bureau hos the City Clerk enten i Brooklyn eller på Manhattan.
I kan udfylde jeres Marriage License online, da det vil gøre processen hurtigere, når I er hos City Clerk. I skal begge møde op personligt for at hente jeres Marriage License. Man skal forevise gyldig legitimation med billede - f.eks. et pas.
Udfyld jeres Marriage License og læs mere her.
En Marriage License koster $35, og der betales med kreditkort (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) eller en såkaldt money order, som købes i en bank eller på et posthus.
En Marriage License skal være mere end 24 timer og mindre end 60 dage gammel for at være gyldig. En Marriage License fra New York State kan kun bruges i staten New York.
Nogle uger efter vielsen sender New York State en amerikansk vielsesattest til jer. Der er ingen automatisk tilbagemelding til de danske myndigheder, derfor skal I selv sørge for at få vielsen og evt. navneskifte registreret i folkeregistret i den kommune, hvor I bor. I skal medbringe jeres originale vielsesattest fra the City of New York.
Wedding
A marriage is about love, hope, and faith. The marrying couple agrees to love and honor each other and live together as a wedded couple. The priest at the Danish Seamen’s Church performs weddings for all adults of any gender, including same-sex couples.
The Seamen’s Church offers a unique experience for your wedding in New York. Neighboring the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with amazing views of the Manhattan Skyline, it is the perfect place for an unforgettable wedding ceremony in an unforgettable city.
If the couple lives in Denmark, one of you needs to be a member of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark to get married at the Seamen’s Church. If you live abroad, one of you must be baptized in the Christian faith.
Meeting with the pastor
The Seamen’s priest would like the chance to meet and greet the couple before the big day, and you’re asked to contact the priest to set up a date for your ceremony and your meeting with the priest. A church wedding is both a nuptial ceremony and the blessing of newlyweds, and it is legally binding worldwide. Therefore, there are some formalities in order to be married at the Danish Seamen’s Church.
You must bring the following to your pre-nuptial meeting with the priest:
- Marriage license (more on this to follow)
- Copies of your birth/baptism certificates
- A certificate of marital status, if you reside in Denmark
A wedding in the Seamen’s Church costs $850 in the form of a donation to the church. Donations to the church are tax deductible in the US, pending other applicable tax regulations. Payment can be made here.
In special cases, the marriage ceremony can take place outside the Seamen’s Church. In these cases the cost of transport for the priest, as well as church singers and pianist if applicable, must be covered.
Marriage License
Since the nuptials take place in the state of New York, a marriage license from New York State is required. This is the equivalent of a Danish prøvelsesattest. A marriage license can be obtained at the Marriage License Bureau at the City Clerk in either Manhattan or Brooklyn. You can fill out the marriage license online to speed up the process once you arrive at the City Clerk's office. You must both show up in person to get your Marriage License with a government-issued identification such as a passport.
Read more and fill out your marriage license here.
A marriage license costs $35, which can be paid with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) or with a money order which can be purchased at a bank or post office. A marriage license must be more than 24 hours and less than 60 days old to be valid. A marriage license from the state of New York can only be used in New York.
Some weeks after the wedding, New York State will send you an American marriage certificate. There is no automatic feedback to the Danish authorities, so you are responsible for registering the wedding and potential name change in the municipality where you live. You’ll need to bring your original marriage certificate from the City of New York to do so.