There are many things to do to plan a wedding but remember that the ceremony is central to the day.
To desire to be married in church you must be willing not only to ask for God’s blessing upon your union together but also to show that you seek to live your lives according to his word.
The Church of Ireland makes certain requirements in order to be married in a Church of Ireland church building.
At least one party (bride or groom) needs to be a member of the Church of Ireland or a denomination with which the Church of Ireland is in communion. Check with one of the clergy who can confirm what this entails.
The person claiming to be Church of Ireland should also have been baptised. Additionally, there are particular processes to be followed if one or both parties have been divorced.
There are other requirements regarding marriage law, including aspects of nationality and citizenship, which are explained when you seek to apply for a ‘marriage schedule.’ This is a very important part of the process. No wedding can take place without it. The relevant forms should be filed with the registrar’s office in good time- ideally months before the ceremony and identity documents including things like birth certificates are required to make the application.
We also encourage couples to attend preparation sessions- both to organise the wedding service but also to think through all the implications of the decision to get married. This can be a great opportunity to explore things that you might not have thought of, benefit from the experience and avoid the mistakes of others, and meet people who are in similar circumstances planning for their own ‘big day.’
The best thing to do is to get in touch with the Vicar or Associate Vicar through the contacts page of this site and talk through plans to see if we can help.
Try not to firm up dates and plans with reception venues etc. until you have had a chat with one of our clergy.