Marrying my fiancee in Bulgaria

Congrats, you two!

I am an American and married my Bulgarian husband in Bulgaria two years ago. It is a rather easy process. Once you get your form from the US embassy you will have to get it translated and, possibly legalized (I do not remember if I had to do that for residence or for the marriage... I think it was for the marriage).

Once you have that, you and he will go to a 'Obreden Dom' to request a date. You will have to fill out your paperwork regarding which name you want etc. This has to be done in person, and usually you will need 3-7 days between filling that form and when they have an available spot for your wedding- but in a small town, they could have a spot available the same day. During that time, both of you will have to get medical forms stamped by a GP, psychiatric hospital, a center for lung disease, and a blood test. (Each place costs about 20lv- the form costs under a lev and you should ask for them in a large book store before you go to your medical exams).

Once you completed your medical exams, you bring them back to the official. You will also need rings, ritual champagne glasses, and a bottle of champagne. (Seriously, no champagne = no marriage ) You will need two Bulgarian witnesses, and they will need to bring a photocopy of their ID with them.

That's about it. The ceremony takes about 15-20 minutes. Once you get a copy of your marriage certificate, you must take it to the local courthouse and register it.

Thank you so much!!  Since I live in Italy right now, do you reckon I can get the certificate of no impediment translated quickly somewhere in Bulgaria, or should I try to find someone here? We will probably be going to Sofia. His brother is a doctor, so hopefully he can help us with all those medical forms   And thanks for the tip about the champagne, haha.  I appreciate it.

You can easily get it translated once you get to Bulgaria. Alternatively, you can make an appointment at the US embassy in Sofia before you arrive, and then just get the statement here. The embassy offers translation services- the statement takes about 20 minutes (including the security check at the gate) to fill out and sign, and you get your copy immediately.