The hardship of getting married

Now who would have thought that it could be so difficult to get married to a foreigner?

There is dizzying barrage of documents and requirements we need to submit in order to be even allowed to file for even more requirements. I feel I'm running around like a headless chicken when all I really want to do is get married to D.

Bureaucracy I do not heart you. At all.

Interestingly enough, it is the French administration who makes the process quite complicated. The Church needs a document from me entitled Legal Capacity to Marry in order to process my application for clearance to get married in a Filipino church to a Filipino citizen. Now the French Consulate won't simply issue this piece of paper, but requests 10 other supporting documents before they do.

My favorite "you-must-be-kidding-moment" was when they asked for a proof of citizenship and I showed them my passport, little did I know that in bureaucracy-world a passport didn't qualify as a proof of citizenship! Really? Why did you issue it to me in the first place then?

So now, I need to apply for the proof of citizenship, in order to apply for the legal capacity to marry all while applying for re-issuance of birth certificates as supporting documents, so that i can finally get clearance to get married. Still following? No? Me neither.

D. had it easier. The National Office of Statistics delivers all certificates after you fill out a simple form online. Done.

I keep telling myself that this is probably a test for engaged couples to determine whether they are actually ready to enter married life. If you can get through the labyrinth of paperwork without suffering a nervous breakdown: Welcome!