Weddings at St. Mary’s

Book The Church

It is advisable to book the Church as early as possible – a minimum of 3 months notice is required. The latest time for a Marriage Ceremony is 3.30 p.m. Please contact the Parish Office on the ‘Contact Us’ page or use the booking form. In the Archdiocese of Dublin Marriages can take place on any day except Sundays and major feast days.

Wedding Booking Enquiry Form

A contribution of €300 is the norm in our parish but should this pose any difficulty please feel free to discuss this with the priest. This €300 is inclusive of €50 to the Sacristan who will be engaged by the Parish on your behalf to prepare the Church, be present during the Ceremony and tidy up afterwards. The remainder of your donation is recorded and divided in a threefold manner: parish upkeep; Diocesan Common Fund; clergy salaries.

Civil Registration of Marriage

The couple must make an appointment to meet with the Civil Registration of Marriages and give notice of their intention to marry. The meeting must take place at least three months before the wedding in order to comply with the Civil Requirement. They will need to know that the Church is available prior to this meeting. They also need to know the name of the priest who will solemnize the marriage. Please do not nominate a priest without having confirmed his availability

The couple will be required to bring the following documents to the Registrar’s Office:

• Photo identity (preferably a passport or driving licence)
• Names and dates of birth of witnesses
• Name of the church where they wish to be married
• Date of marriage
• name of the priest who will officiate at the marriage; this presumes that the celebrant is a registered solemniser and that he has agreed to officiate at the marriage
• If either party has been previously married, they must provide the Civil Registrar with an original divorce decree or a death certificate if widowed.

If all requirements are fulfilled you will receive a Marriage Registration Form (MRF). Without this Form, the couple cannot get married nor may the Priest proceed with the Marriage Ceremony.

For more information contact www.welfare.ie or

Registrar of Marriages,
Room 1, Joyce House,
8-11 Lombard Street East,
Dublin 2.

Phone: 01-6711863

Book your Pre-Marriage course

Courses are run throughout the year but are generally limited to ten couples so early booking is advisable. ‘Accord’ (The Catholic Dublin Diocesan Agency for Marriage) run courses in a number of centres throughout a number of centres in the diocese. In the Dublin area, phone 01- 4784400, online at www.accord.ie (email: marriagepreparation@dublin.accord.ie) to book a course in the nearest centre to you. Inter-Church courses are also available where the catholic party is marrying a person from another faith tradition.

Together.ie also offer courses and these can be accessed on their website.
Please do not book a course with any other body without checking with your priest.

If you are marrying a Christian from another denomination we suggest you attend a Pre-Marriage Course organised by EMBRACE (Interchurch Marriage Preparation Group) 39 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (+353 1) 4784400.

Gather the Required Documentation

Your paperwork for the Church can only commence within the six month period to the date of your wedding. However, you ought to go ahead with an appointment with the State Register as it can be difficult to get an appointment. You should also book your pre-marriage course as these can be in heavy demand.

You will need:

A Baptism Certificate – Long Form including Parents Names (not a state birth cert and not an old baptism cert). It is evidence of your baptism and that you were not previously married. This is why it must be dated within six months of the wedding. You can get this from the Church where you were baptised.

A Confirmation Certificate available from the Church where you were confirmed.

A Letter of Freedom: If you lived in numerous places, it may be necessary to get a sworn affidavit stating you were not previously married. A letter of freedom can be got from the priest in the areas in question.

Alternatively, there is a form that may be signed by a parent or brother or sister, stating that you are free to marry. In many cases, this form will suffice. This form can be obtained from the priest.

Getting Married to a Non-Catholic Partner

Where marriage to a non-catholic is proposed it is the responsibility of the Catholic partner to obtain a Dispensation to marry a non-Catholic. This is done by formally writing to the Archbishop of Dublin (Archbishop House, Drumcondra Road, Dublin 3). The following information should be included:

• Name and Ages of the Couple;
• Date and Place of baptism of the Catholic partner;
• How long the couple have known each other;
• Stating whether the non-Catholic partner has been baptised and if so where, when and in what Christian Tradition;
• Place, Date of intended marriage and Name of Officiating Priest.

It is advisable when both partners are Christian to undertake one of the pre-marriage courses that is organised by the Ecumenical Body for inter-church marriages. Accord will assist in this matter. It is worth noting that the couple have the right to choose the Church of either tradition provided it is the Minister of that Church who solemnises the wedding.

Ordering a Papal Blessing

If you would like to have a ‘Papal Blessing’, you can order them through Veritas in Middle Abbey Street.. It takes a few months to get it and before ordering you will need to have a letter from your priest stating that you are to be married on a particular date and that you are practicing Catholics.

Living Abroad But Getting Married in Ireland

It is the responsibility of the couple who are living abroad but intending to get married in St Mary’s Parish to process ALL their paperwork with the Parish in which they currently reside. The Parish of Residence will then forward the documentation to the Chancellery of the Diocese in which they are resident who in turn will forward the documentation to the Chancellery of the Archdiocese of Dublin. It is the latter Chancellery who forward the documentation to St Mary’s Parish. Therefore it is essential that no later than six months before the wedding, that contact must be established with the Parish of Residence. The pre-marriage course must be completed and evidence supplied that such a course was attended.

Getting Married Abroad?

For information on getting married in Rome see the website for the Irish College in Rome www.irishcollege.org.

Marriages which take place outside the State are normally registered in the country in which they occur and are NOT registered in Ireland. Persons marrying abroad should ensure that all the legal requirements of the country in question are met, and should enquire as to the procedure for obtaining a marriage certificate from that country – the relevant Embassy and/or religious authorities may be able to advise.

In particular, the Italian Embassy, (63 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4, tel: +353 (0) 1 660 17 44) can provide useful information on marriage in Rome. If a marriage certificate is in a foreign language, it should normally be accepted for official purposes in this State if accompanied by an official translation, or a translation from a recognised translation agency. If one or both of the parties to a marriage contracted abroad is or are ordinarily resident in the State, both of them must be over 18 for the marriage to be valid in Irish law.

Certificates of Freedom to marry (also known as ‘Civil Letters of Freedom’, “Certificates de Coutume” or “Certificates of Nulla Osta”) which state that a person is not married, may be needed for marriage in some foreign countries, and are not issued by the General Register Office. Irish citizens living in Ireland wishing to obtain such a Certificate should apply to the Consular Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, 72/76 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Tel.: +353 (0) 1 4082568. Irish Citizens living abroad should contact their nearest Irish Embassy.

The General Register Office has no function in advising on, or in the registration of, marriages which take place outside the State. There is no facility for registering such marriages in the State, and the civil marriage certificate would normally be accepted as the legal proof of the marriage. In cases where a serious doubt exists as to whether the marriage is recognised in Irish law, legal advice may be sought and an application made to the Circuit Family Court for a ruling under Section 29 of the Family Law Act, 1995 as to whether the marriage is recognisable under Irish law.

Useful Addresses & Telephone Numbers:

Registrar-General of Marriages, General Register Office, Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon, LoCall 1890-252 076 or 0906-632900;

Department of Foreign Affairs, Consular Section, 80 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Tel. +353 (0) 1 4082568 (Civil Letter of Freedom for marriage abroad);

General Register Office (N.I), Oxford House, 49-55 Chichester Street Belfast BT1 4HL, Tel. +44 (0) 4890 252 000;

The Embassy of Italy, 63 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4; Tel: +353 (0) 1 660 17 44;

The Embassy of the United Kingdom, 31 Merrion Rd, Dublin 4; Tel. +353 (0) 1 2053700

The addresses of the other embassies appear in the telephone directory under Diplomatic & Consular Missions, Embassies.

Accord

For marriages in difficulty, Accord offers support from trained Counsellors for couples experiencing marriage difficulties.