FAQ

I am a registered Solemniser so I can legally marry you in Ireland in a venue open to the public, one that has a postcode and can receive mail.

To get married in Ireland you need to get a marriage registration form. You get this from a HSE civil registration service. It is sometimes called a marriage licence. It is needed for all civil, religious or secular marriages.

You bring the marriage registration form to your marriage ceremony. As your Solemniser, I will sign the form and also two witnesses (over the age of 18) must also sign the form. You use it to register the marriage.

Marriage registration form

To get a marriage registration form you need to give your local civil registration service 3 months' notice that you intend to get married.

To do this you need to book a marriage notification appointment. The appointment needs to be at least 3 months before you intend to get married.

Book your appointment as far in advance as possible.  Waiting times may vary depending on which area in the country. 

You can book a marriage notification appointment online for a civil, religious or secular marriage in some areas of the country.

If you cannot book online, phone your local civil registration service to book an appointment.

Both of you must attend the Marriage Notification Appointment.  You will meet the registrar and you will both sign a declaration.  This states that you do not know of any legal reasons why marriage cannot happen.

If everything is in order, the registrar will give you a marriage registration form.  This is valid for 6 months from the date you intend to get married.

Click here to find out more.

You will need to attend an interview with the registrar if you are an EU national marrying a non-EU national or if one of you is a foreign national.   

If a couple are only marrying for an immigration advantage, the registrar cannot issue a marriage licence.

Yes indeed!  I can solemnise your marriage any day of the week.

I can legally solemnise your marriage anywhere in the whole island of Ireland, as long as the venue is open to the public and can receive post.  Travel fees may apply.

I can deliver a beautiful symbolic Wedding Ceremony for you on a beach, however for a legally binding marriage we would then need to proceed to a venue that is open to the public and receives post.  This can be a restaurant, a hotel, a community centre etc.  You must check in advance with the HSE if they approve your venue.

To get your wedding venue approved, contact the civil registration service in the district the venue is located in. You do not have to live in the same area as the venue. The registrar may have to inspect the venue.

The venue must be:

• A building that is open to the public, or
• A courtyard, garden, yard, field or piece of ground that is open to the public and is near to (and usually shared with) a building that is open to the public

Read the guidelines for marriage venues, issued by the General Register Office. These rules are set out in the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014.