Our Where in the World Wedding Wednesday Part II continues with the great Annie from Aislinn Events. Her interview with OSB from earlier is here. Annie has been gracious enough to share up-to-date details with us about what it takes to get married in Ireland since unfortunately there is so much out-dated info out there on the web. So take it away Annie!
What better place to bring your family and friends for your wedding than a country that is full of fabulous scenery, historic and quaint venues, heritage, culture, beaches, great music, friendly people and simply full of fun things to do. – and I haven’t even mentioned the pubs!
That is what you will get in Ireland and it is easier to get married here than you may think. You can legally marry in a church, an approved venue or in the Registrar’s office.
I am always concerned when I see a website that tells couples “how to get married in Ireland” as more often than not the information is well out of date so here is the truth.
Firstly there are no residency requirements for marriages in Ireland.
So for couples living abroad who want to marry in Ireland, with prior agreement from the Registrar, your paperwork and notification may be done by post but you also must meet with the Registrar in person at some point a minimum of 5 days before your marriage. But you can also do that at the time you may like to come over on a scouting trip.
Now read on for the requirements which hopefully I have put in plain language.
The below are needed by all couples who want to have a legal valid marriage in Ireland. Civil or religious.
You must:
- have the capacity to marry each other meaning be at least 18 years old, and not currently married. Freely consent to the marriage and observe the marriage notification process as required by Irish law as outlined below and by contacting the HSE immediately in the county you want to marry in.
All couples will be asked to produce:
- Passport as ID
- Birth Certificate
- If either party is divorced, original final decrees in respect of all previous divorces
- If widowed, death certificate of the previous spouse and the civil marriage certificate for their first marriage
- Fee of €150
Additional documentation may be required in some cases and the Registrar’s office will advise if needed.
You will be asked:
- the intended date of marriage,
- whether they require a civil or religious ceremony,
- the names and dates of birth of their witnesses, and
- details of the proposed solemniser (your officiating priest, religious leader or other legally recognized Celebrant) and venue.
You will also both have to complete a declaration of no impediment stating that they are not aware of any lawful impediment to the proposed marriage. They will give you that.
Everyone: I cannot emphasize enough that if you want to get married in Ireland, whether you live here or not, to start your paperwork as soon as possible. I don’t care if you don’t know your priest’s name or your venue yet, just get started.
Once the Registrar has approved all required details as above, he or she will issue you with a Marriage Registration Form (MRF) based on the information provided. All couples wishing to marry in Ireland (whether they require a religious or a civil ceremony) must first be issued with a Marriage Registration Form to be legal. The MRF should be given to the registrar or religious solemniser performing the marriage prior to the legal ceremony.
Bring all documents and information requested by the Registrar to their in person meeting even though the documents may have been seen through postal notification and the MRF can be issued to them immediately.
The Registrars are extremely busy and while I have always found them very helpful and hugely patient and efficient. Be prepared with as much as you can as soon as you can.
Now that is a plain word short version outline of what is needed just so you know off hand. But I’ll say it again, consult the HSE {Health Service Executive} and General Registrar’s Office for full information, links and phone numbers that you will need. Do it as soon as you know you want to get married in Ireland and it will be all down {a lush grassy green} hill from there.
If you want to get married on the beach or a clifftop or somewhere else outside, you can do that providing you have done a legal ceremony first. But as a start, the above information should really get you going!
OOh yea, and contact me to help you plan it!
-Annie
Remember brides, you can always find Annie’s contact info in our Destination Wedding Vendor Guide! Thank you SO much Annie for providing us with such great information today! So ladies we have our Wedding Coordinator locked in and now we’re all set to go get married in Ireland!!
Ready or not the new “Where in the World Wedding Wednesday“ features begin today!
If you just said to yourself “What in the World?” here’s the deal. Every Wednesday I plan on featuring special wedding industry professionals from around the world to share their experience with us and help us to be better prepared brides!
I’m really looking forward to these spotlight vendors providing more info about planning a wedding in their particular part of the world, helping us identify key questions we should be asking potential wedding vendors in their wedding niche, and just for fun, learn about some amazing hot spot destination wedding locations in other faraway lands!
So for our very first Where in the World Wedding Wednesday feature we have Ireland’s own Ms. Annie Byrne, expert Wedding Coordinator and owner of Aislinn Events! BTW, I personally flew all the way to Ireland for this interview. Ha ha! Not- I WISH! Annie was so gracious enough to provide a little more about her wedding planning experience and expert advice for those of us planning now. This is Part 1 of Annie’s guest post. Check back this afternoon for Annie’s Part II feature “How to Get Married in Ireland”!
Please tell us a little about you and your company:
Aislinn Events is a bespoke wedding planning and coordinating service based on the stunning Dingle Peninsula in the Southwest of Ireland. We specialize in helping couples living abroad to get married in Ireland easily and without hassle so they can enjoy their planning experience and their stay in Ireland.
What location or clientele do you primarily serve? Where are you willing to travel?
Aislinn Events regularly works in and around Dingle, Killarney and the southwest because it has stunning scenery and a very popular location for weddings but will always serve couples in any location that suits them in the anywhere in the country.
How long have you been in business?
I founded Aislinn Events in 2009 after working as Wedding and Event Coordinators in high end hotels for many many years. I love the creativity possible in weddings and using alternate venues so in 2009 it was time to go out on my own and help couples have the wedding they wanted without the restrictions set upon me by the venues.
What are your favorite types of weddings to plan?
As mentioned above, I love intimate weddings and couples who will look outside of the normal hotel venues. Exclusive use manor houses, castles and even pub weddings are my favourites.
What do you love most about your job?
The best part of my job is meeting the couple or getting the phone call the morning after the wedding when couples tell me what a great day they had! I also love meeting and connecting with my couples families. Wedding days as so full of love and joy it’s infectious!
What advice would you give couples considering a destination wedding?
Do your research! Know your marriage laws and make sure you have time to relax and enjoy the location of your destination wedding. Both of which may necessitate hiring a Wedding Planner or having someone at your location to help.
What are some things a couple should consider or some key questions they should ask when choosing a wedding coordinator?
Although most of my booking are made without actually meeting the couple because they are abroad, you MUST make phone calls and speak to the vendors in person. As many times and possible.
What do you think makes your company unique compared to others in the same field?
Being American certainly helps! I know what American brides are expecting and what they are used to. I realize the differences in etiquette, trends and generally how things are done. It makes it much easier to bridge the cultural gap. Also I pride myself in a very personal service. Constant contact and efficient replies to emails and calls are a must when a couple are 3,000 miles away and can feel out of the loop.
And of course we must know, what do you love most about Ireland?
What do I love most about Ireland??? That is a difficult one. There is really so much. I love the scenery, the relaxed attitude to life, the people, the pubs and the craic. And I love living in Dingle because it is the epitome of all of those things!
Contact Annie for more info on planning your big day in Ireland! Don’t forget to check back this afternoon for Annie’s Part II feature “How to Get Married in Ireland”!
Aislinn Events
Annie Byrne, Wedding Coorinator
Website: https://www.aislinnevents.com
Blog: https://aislinnevents.com/blog
Twitter: @aislinnannie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aislinneventsweddingsireland
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +353 87 6761900 or Skype (Aislinn Events)
Location: Dingle, Killarney, and Southwest Ireland
Have a particular wedding coordinator, vendor, hot spot destination wedding location you want to know more about? Contact me at [email protected] and let me know who, what, or where and I’ll do my best to get them featured here on The Oceanside Bride!
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