It’s hard to believe given our rules and regulations, but this couple, Khouloud and Nidal, did manage to wed by civil marriage in Lebanon after they got the necessary paperwork, which wasn’t an easy job for them by the way. You can check all about it in this article by Now Lebanon, or just read the below summary by Najib to know how did they accomplish that.
Step1: Strike out the mention of both Kholoud’s and Nidal’s sects from their respective IDs to prove before the law that they are not affiliated with a sect that forces them to marry before a religious court. They thus acquired the right to hold a civil marriage as per Article 60 L.R.
Step2: Obtain a form signed by the mayor proving that there are no objections to their marriage and put the marriage announcement up on a billboard 15 days before the wedding date to make sure that there were no objections to it. The announcement was supposed to be published in the Official Gazette or at least two newspapers, but in order to prevent any hindrances, Kholoud and Nidal just posted the announcement on the doors of their parents’ houses and on the door of their own house.
Step3: Obtain a legal document signed by a notary public after both parties chose the articles included in the marriage contract as well as a financial disclosure that guarantees the rights of each party to the marriage.
It’s worth noting that Khouloud and Nidal are still waiting for the Ministry of Interior to officially announce their marriage.
