Ireland Weddings

Ireland – the Emerald Isle, set in the midst of the deep blue sea. Ireland, where St. Patrick not only drove the snakes from the land, but all the giants and Leprechauns, too! It was also St. Patrick who is credited with bringing Catholicism to Ireland.

The Irish love weddings – and they love wedding receptions even more! They love to drink, to sing, to dance, and to tell tall tales. There is never anything quiet or bashful about an Irish wedding or an Irish reception.

Marriage is taken very seriously in Ireland, and if you are planning an Irish wedding you should allow plenty of time and be prepared to abide by all Irish laws. To begin with, weddings in Ireland can be either religious or civil. Ireland, unlike some other European countries, recognized religious weddings as legal. However, different denominations in Ireland have different rules for marrying, and so it is strongly advised that you contact the church in which you wish to marry well ahead of time. In fact, it would be a good idea to start the process at least five or six months ahead of your wedding date.

The minimum age for a legal marriage in Ireland is 18 years. The person performing your marriage ceremony has the legal right to ask for proof of age and if proof of age is not supplied, a marriage license may be denied. Since 18 years of age is the age of majority in Ireland, no parental consent is required for a wedding to take place.

Wedding banns (announcement) must be posted at the city hall of the township in which the marriage is to take place for three months before the date of the wedding. The banns petition must be signed by both parties to the marriage. While it is possible to petition a court to reduce the three month waiting period, a waiver is not always granted.

In addition to the banns, there is a second form which must be submitted to the Registrar of Civil Marriages if your ceremony will be civil rather than religious. At least one of the parties to the marriage must have resided in the Registrar’s district for at least 15 days prior to the wedding, and in most cases the document must be filed 21 days prior to the ceremony.

Except under extraordinary circumstances, all civil weddings must take place in the Registrar of Wedding’s office.

Religious ceremonies in Ireland must be performed within building or other sites which are registered with the state for weddings. If you wish your ceremony to take place outside of a church or religious building, check with a local religious leader beforehand to make certain such a ceremony is permissible under Irish law.

Most of the forms for a civil marriage must be filled out and banns published for a legal marriage in a Roman Catholic Church. Keep in mind also that each Roman Catholic Church may have slightly different rules and regulations for wedding ceremonies, and so it is advisable that you contact the particular church in which you wish to be married in order to conform to all church marriage policies.

It is also legal to be married in a church other than a Roman Catholic Church. Marriages in the Church of Ireland generally require the publication of banns in accordance with a civil marriage, but, again, each individual church may have slightly different rules, and you would be well advised to contact the specific church in which you plan to marry well ahead of the actual date of your marriage.

While all of this may seem confusing on the surface, it actually is not. Simply contact the proper authorities several months in advance of your planned wedding date and follow the simple instructions.

Weddings in Ireland tend to be joyous occasions, filled with much music, singing, drink and a great deal of merry-making. Ireland is also a wonderful place to be married if your dream has always been to tie the knot inside an ancient castle. Ireland is filled with historic and grand castles and many of them are available for weddings.

It is also possible to create a theme wedding in order to fulfill your deepest fantasies. If you would like a Celtic wedding or a medieval wedding or even a Three Musketeer-style wedding, virtually anything that will make your day one that will be remembered always can be arranged.

Ireland is often called the Emerald Isle. The lush greens of the countryside and the wildness of its coast offer not only some of the most spectacular scenery for a marriage, but also some of the most romantic hideaways for your honeymoon that you are likely to find anywhere. Follow the rainbow in your heart to the pot of gold that is Ireland, and make all of your wedding dreams come true.