Here at Traveling Weddings Ireland holds a special place in our hearts!  We go there every chance we get, we even create chances in order to get to our beloved Ireland.  We have years of experience traveling the popular areas of Ireland as well as the roads less traveled. 

Civil Marriages in Ireland
Although many people would like to get married at a cliff top or in an historic castle in Ireland, this just is not legally possible. For now, if you want a wedding ceremony is such a location, it will have to be a symbolic one only.

Until recently legal civil marriage in Ireland could only take place in a registry office, however a change in the law in 2007 now means it is possible to marry in another location, provided:

• The location is indoors
• The wedding takes place in an area to which the public have access
• The location has been issued with a license by the authorities.

Note:

It is possible to legally marry in a hotel or other indoor location, it does not include private homes or outdoor locations. Many hotels and some historic buildings have applied for and received licenses, however it is also possible for a couple intending to marry to apply for a licence for a location which does not already have one. The couple are responsible for all the expenses of the official celebrant who officiates at an off-site wedding.

The Registry
Registry offices operate from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday so you can not have a wedding at the registry office on the weekend and you no one from the office can officiate a weekend wedding elsewhere in the country.  They are working on changing this...we will keep you posted.

You need to book any wedding in Ireland well in advance!

If you get married at the Registry Office you MUST be on time or you can miss your slot!

The All Important Paperwork
It has to be done correctly and it has to be done on schedule...no room for slacking here.

Notice of Intent

If you want to marry in Ireland you must give at least 3 months notice to the registrar of your intent to marry. This notification is made to the Registrar of Marriages in the district where are getting married butit does not have to be made in person, however it does have to be made on time.

You need to provide this info:

• name and address of bride and groom
• name of the place where you plan to marry
• birth dates of bride and groom

Residency Requirements
This is a very big deal so pay close attention!

• You must reside in the area in which you wish to marry for at least 7 consecutive days
• Following the 7 days residency there is a 21 day waiting period during which you cannot marry
• Your marriage can take place at any time between 21 days and one calendar year after the last day of the period of residency.
• The bride and groom BOTH  need to comply with the residency requirement. Before you begin the 7 day residency period you must present yourself in person to the local registrar.

Because there is quite a long period in which the marriage can take place after the residency requirement has been met, some couples go to Ireland on Vacation some months before they marry. For example you can visit Ireland in May this year and marry in April next year. 

Documentation

• Current passports
• Birth certificates
• A Free Status Certificate - ie Certificate of no-impediment
• In the case of a divorced person a copy of your Decree Absolute
• In the case of widowed person the Certificate of your first marriage and the Death Certificate of the deceased spouse

Church Weddings

Legal marriages of non-resident couples can take place in the churches of most major religions without the need for a separate civil wedding, in fact most legal marriages in Ireland take place in churches rather than at registry offices.

The normal requirements of the religion for couples getting married will apply, except, importantly, there is no residency requirement. As a result, the majority of overseas couples who chose to have a wedding in Ireland get married in a church.

NOTE: Although the residency requirement is waived in the case of a church marriage, you will have to notify the Registrar of Marriages, in the area in which you will be married, at least three months before the date of the marriage. A simple notification form is available for this purpose.

Marriages in all of the following faiths are recognised by the state:

Roman Catholic
Church of Ireland
Presbyterian
Jewish
Society of Friends
Roman Catholic Weddings

Catholic Wedding

If both parties are Catholic and are marrying for the first time or have been widowed, getting married in a Catholic Church is relatively straightforward.

Finding a Catholic Church
Roman Catholicism is the main religion in Ireland and there are churches everywhere, many in very beautiful locations. NOTE: not all will agree to allow non-parishioners to marry in thier church ask way ahead of time!

Quite commonly couples will be allowed, or even asked, to arrange a priest to celebrate their wedding separately from booking the church, so check this carefully also.

Organising a Roman Catholic Wedding Abroad
As pointed out elsewhere, not all countries will register marriages which take place in a Roman Catholic Church. If such marriages are recognised you will also need to comply with all civil requirements for the country.

However complicated the paperwork for a Catholic wedding overseas may seem, it does have the advantage of being the same, regardless of the country in which the wedding is held.

Documentation for Roman Catholic Weddings
The church paperwork takes some time to complete, so realistically you need to start at least 6 months prior to the wedding.

All church paperwork is completed in the Bride's parish, though some documents, such as a baptismal and confirmation certificates, will be needed from the Groom's parish also.

Most priests are quite familiar with the procedures involved in arranging an overseas wedding and will be very helpful in ensuring you complete all the documentation in full.

Documents needed:

• Pre-nuptial enquiry form for each party to the marriage (can be obtained from your local parish)
• Baptismal certificates for each party, issued from the parish of your baptism and dated within the past six months.
• Confirmation certificate issued from the parish of your confirmation and dated within the last six months.
• Permission from the bride’s Parish Priest that she may be married outside her own parish (Letter of Freedom).
• These documents are forwarded by the bride’s parish priest to the local Bishop who will then prepare a covering letter and forward them directly to the church where you will be getting married.

In certain cases additional documentation is required:

• Additional Letters of freedom from other parishes where either party has lived for a significant period.
• A dispensation if either party to the marriage is not baptised in the Roman Catholic Church.
• If either party had a previously annulled marriage a Decree of Nullity.
• If either party was previously married, a death certificate.

Your local priest will be able to advise on which if any of these are required.

Pre-marriage Courses
While a pre-marriage course is not a requirement in all countries, it will invariably be recommended that you attend one and many parish priests do make it a requirement before issuing documents.

Church of Ireland (Anglican) Weddings
At least one party to the marriage must be Anglican or Episcopalian. If you meet this requirement you need to contact the vicar in the parish in which you plan to marry, who will advise you on other local requirements.

Finding an Anglican Church
The vast majority of Church of Ireland churches in Ireland are beautiful and historic buildings in themselves.

The Church of Ireland Marriage Council website has a lot of useful information, including a useful downloadable fact sheet for those planning an inter-church marriage.

Presbyterian Weddings
Marriage in a Presbyterian church is at the discretion of the local minister. You will have to meet with and satisfy the minister of your sincerity and of your freedom to marry.

Jewish Weddings
Both parties to the marriage must be Jewish and permission to marry is at the discretion of the Chief Rabbi.

You will be required to meet in person with the Rabbi at the Synagogue at which you wish to marry before permission is granted and to bring with you letters of introduction from your own Rabbi.

Society of Friends (Quaker) Weddings
Both parties must be members of the Society of Friends, be free to marry and of age. You will be required to meet in person with the elders in the area in which you wish to marry.