One of the first questions asked by our international couples is “Should we have a legal ceremony in ireland? We hear it’s a nightmare to get all the paperwork sorted!”. And, I suppose, compared to some other countries, like the US, there are more bureaucratic hoops to jump through. So we talk our clients through the process and some opt for taking care of the legal bit in their home country, to focus on a feeling-filled symbolic ceremony on their Irish wedding day. Others want to supercharge the meaning of the celebration, by having it be the day they are legally joined and, honestly, if you have a good To Do list and enough time to see it through, there’s nothing overly stressful to be tackled.

We recently had an American couple receive their Green Folder (which we are taking extra special care of here at L&G HQ, to avoid the risk of them flying it home and then back here for the wedding), who had been quite daunted by the process… and they were thrilled at how simple it all was, in the end (thanks, in no small part, to our special contact at the Civil Registrations Office, who’s email we keep under lock & key, for our clients).

Read on for a succinct Love & Gatherings guide to getting legally married in Ireland (especially for international couples)…

To get married in Ireland you need to have a marriage registration form. You get this from a HSE civil registration service. It’s sometimes called a marriage licence or Green Folder. It’s needed for all civil, religious or secular marriages. You bring the marriage registration form to your marriage ceremony and the person legally marrying you will 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 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; so that if your marriage notification appointment is on March 1st, the earliest wedding date you could have is June 1st. You must provide your wedding date at this appointment.

Book a notification appointment

We recommend booking your appointment as far in advance as possible, as waiting times can vary. You can make your appointment online http://www.crsappointments.ie/CeremonyPlanner.Ireland/ or call 003531 863 8200. If you’re working with a planner, have them advise on available time slots in your scheduled trip to Ireland for menu tastings and beauty trials, so that you can take care of all of these necessary meeting in one trip.

Attending your appointment

Both of you must attend the marriage notification appointment, in person. You will meet the registrar and you will both sign a declaration. This states that you do not know of any legal reason why the marriage cannot happen. If everything is in order, the registrar will give you a marriage registration form. There are a few documents that you will need to bring along - see our handy checklist below…

Notification appointment fees

The non-refundable notification fee is €200. It is usually paid at the appointment (card payments accepted).

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE OF YOUR WEDDING DATE CAN YOU HAVE YOUR MARRIAGE NOTIFICATION APPOINTMENT?

According to our research and experience there is no maximum time limit, once you can provide the wedding date at the appointment.

If you need to postpone your marriage ceremony

If the new date is no more than 6 months after the original wedding date, your form can be amended. If you need advice, contact the civil registration office that did your paperwork. If you are not getting married within 6 months, contact the civil registration office and give them your new date. Do this at least 3 months before your new marriage date. You will need to meet with the registrar again to get a new marriage registration form. There is no charge for this.

Who can marry you?

For a marriage to be legal, an Irish registered solemniser must perform the ceremony. If you are having your ceremony at your wedding venue, you can book an independent celebrant, though they must be on the register of solemnisers (be sure to check; some celebrants can only carry out symbolic ceremonies). For a ceremony at the Civil Registrations Office, the registrar will solemnise the marriage, so you will not need to hire an independent celebrant. Sometimes we have client’s ask whether they could have a friend or family member register as a legal solemniser - this is not something we advise as the process is lengthy and complex.

Civil ceremonies

You will need to have two witnesses, aged 18 or older. The registrar who conducted the ceremony will register the marriage. You may need to pay an additional fee to have a civil ceremony in a venue that is not a registrar's office.

Religious and secular ceremonies

You must book a notification appointment for a church, religious or secular ceremony. Contact the religious or secular authority to arrange the ceremony.

your foolproof legal irish marriage CHECKLIST

Give Notice: At least 3 months before the wedding, you must give notice to a civil registrar in person, declaring you don't know of any legal reason why the marriage cannot happen.
Be sure to bring with you:

A valid passport for each individual.
A full birth certificate for each individual (apostilled) if issued outside Ireland. An apostille verifies the authenticity of the document.
Proof of address (e.g., utility bill, bank statement).
Documentation proving your marital status:

If previously married, a divorce decree or annulment document is needed.
If widowed, a death certificate of your previous spouse might be required.

Your wedding date, name of venue and name of independent solemniser
Letter of Freedom to Marry (a Certificate of non-impediment is the US version)

Registering the Marriage

Following the wedding service, you must bring the signed marriage registration (Green Folder) form to any civil registration service. You must do this within one month of the date of marriage. Some civil registration services have a walk-in service. You need to phone and book an appointment for others.

WORK WITH US

We’ve shared our roadmap for success in planning your legal Irish marriage, but this is only the first nuance you will encounter when getting married in Ireland. To work with a team of experts who will be your personal guides through this wonderful process… SAY HELLO