I suppose it’s fair to say that it is easy to get carried away with all the
excitement of planning a wedding In Ireland choosing bridesmaid dresses, selecting a Wedding Band or a Wedding Videographer, deciding on a table plan for your guests, but there is a lot of paper work for you to get sorted. This more practical stuff may seem like an absolute headache and can be very confusing, but these documents and steps are essential, as they are legal requirements. Don’t forget, marriage is a legal contract so without them there will be no Wedding Ceremony.
If you are considering having a Catholic Wedding Ceremony In Ireland, it must be performed within a Church and three months notice must be given. So your first job is to contact the church you wish to get married in to see if your preferred wedding date is still available.
You can opt to get married in your own local parish or another parish, if you have your heart set on a Sunday wedding, check with the church in question, because some for instance will not permit weddings In Tipperary on a Sunday, the same applies to Holy days such as Good Friday. If you are getting married outside your parish, you might have to ask your own priest to perform the ceremony. What about payment for the ceremony? while there is no set rule about a fee, it is best to talk to the church in question about the kind of payment that is required. You will also need your baptismal cert which may be obtained from the parish where you were baptized. You will need a separate confirmation certificate if it’s not included on your baptismal cert. This can also be obtained from the church where you were confirmed and it must be issued within six months of your wedding.
Letter of Freedom : The general is that you should have a letter from each of the parishes you have lived in for more than six months since you were 18 years of age. The purpose of a letter of freedom is to show that you are free to marry, so if you are having difficulty finding your local parish, speak to the priest that is marrying you, as he will be able to advise you on alternative options. For example, in some cases it may be acceptable for each party to ask a parent or somebody who has known them all their lives to write a letter stating their relationship to them, and that to the best of their knowledge, he/she has never been married.
Each person getting married in a Catholic Church must have a ‘Pr-Nuptial completed by the priest from
their local parish this will state that you’re free to marry and that you understand the sacrament of marriage. However, if you are finding it difficult to get in touch with your local parish, again speak to the priest who is marrying you as he will be able to advise you on how to go about it if your partner is not Catholic, you will need to get a Dispensation from the Bishop. Contact you local priest to discuss this further.
Pr-Marriage Course If you are getting married in a Catholic Church, you may be required to complete a per-marriage course , to obtain a certificate of completion check with your priest regarding specific requirements. Anyone getting married in Ireland, in a Church or elsewhere, must give a minimum of three months notification to the state of their intention to marry. Once you provide all the relevant documents and answer a series of questions which prove that you are free to marry, the Registrar will issue you with a Marriage Registration Form it is like a marriage license and gives authorisation for a couple to get married in Ireland. This must be signed by you both on the day of your wedding as well as your two witnesses and the priest, and then returned to the registrar you attended, no later than one month after the wedding. If the marriage doesn’t take place within six months, a new MRF will be required if you still intend to marry.
