Please contact the Parish Secretary to book a date after reading the following document which explains the procedure to arranging your wedding ceremony.
ACCORD Dublin, Catholic Marriage Care Service is available to couples preparing for a Sacramental Marriage. Information etc. can be found on their website www.accorddublin.ie.
Below you will find all the information you need about celebrating your wedding in the Church.
Congratulations to you on your choice to get married. It is one of the most important decisions of your whole life.
The Sacrament of Marriage is a lasting commitment of a man and a woman to a lifelong partnership. It is established for the good of each other and enriches your lives in a very special way but it also enriches your family, friends and the community in which you will live. You become witnesses for Marriage to all with whom you make contact. The Church rejoices in your decision to get married and offers its continued support to you as you journey together. The Church (the people of God) sees your marriage as a sign of God’s love among us. As ministers of the Sacrament of Marriage to each other you choose to live your married lives within the community of the Church.
The Church teaches that since God created man out of love, and calls on him to love, it is proper that the union of man and woman should be a Sacrament. The love of man and woman mirrors the love of God and their children are part of God’s creation.
Marriage is different to most of the Sacraments which are conferred by a priest, or bishop. The man and woman confer the Sacrament of Marriage upon each other when they express their consent to marry before God and the Church.
Please help us to help you celebrate your wedding with dignity and respect by observing the following:
Contact the parish office in the parish and arrange the date with the office. You will be given a wedding pack and on return of the booking form, declaration of Freedom to Marry forms and a deposit, your date will then be confirmed. In Ireland there is a Church and a State requirement to give each a minimum of three months’ notice.
We would advise couples to get back in touch with us six months before the wedding in order to complete the Pre-Nuptial Forms, these are normally completed in the parish where you reside.
Marriage Preparation Course
It is recommended that you prepare for marriage by booking a Marriage Preparation Course. A Marriage Preparation course gives you time together as a couple to celebrate your love for each other and prepare for the journey that will be your married life together. These courses deal with Communication, Commitment, Church, Conflict, Children and other matters pertaining to marriage. Telephone: – Accord on 01 4784400.
Priest
Due to a reduction in the number of priests and the ever-growing demands on them, please ensure that a priest is available to officiate at your wedding. Please be aware that it is not possible to guarantee any particular priest for weddings which are booked several months in advance.
Every priest conducting a wedding must be on the State list of wedding solemnisers. You are welcome to invite visiting priests to officiate at your marriage; however, it is vital that they are on the list of approved solemnisers. If they are not on this list, they can seek temporary registration through the local bishop or religious superior. This must be done well in advance of the ceremony and is vital for the marriage to be recognized by the state.
Commitment
Marriage is a sacrament instituted by Christ. The commitment made at marriage is looked upon seriously by the Church. It is important that couples entering marriage recognise this. Those who are not practicing their faith regularly should consider their reasons for being married in the Church in order to ensure that they are celebrating the sacrament for the proper motives.
Church Offering
This is normal whether you have a visiting priest or not. This includes the use of the Church, all paperwork, priest’s contribution and a gratuity for the sacristan. (see Booking Form).
The fees can, of course be waived for anyone experiencing financial difficulty.
Music
Only music appropriate to a Christian Celebration of Marriage may be used during the celebration of the sacrament. A list of music must be presented to one of the priests of the Parish or the resident organist for approval. A large selection of music is available in Veritas Ltd., Abbey Street, Dublin 1. All secular music should be reserved for the signing of the register and the reception.
Church Organ
Only the Church organist is permitted to play the organ in the Church. Upon making a booking the organist will inform you of her fee. Musicians not using the organ are of course permitted.
Church Organist:Contact office
Church Decoration
Free standing flowers arrangements in the aisle are not permitted or any type of decoration that would be unsuitable for Church use. If unsure please check with the Parish Office before organising decorations. Flowers on the altar and pews are the norm and are acceptable.
Photography
Please make sure that the photographer checks in with the Priest performing your ceremony, before the ceremony begins.
Confetti
Please do not allow your guests to throw confetti/rice in or around the Church/grounds.
Punctuality
Please be punctual and arrive for you wedding at the time arranged with the Church. The priest has other duties to perform on the same day, and the Church may also be in use for other ceremonies/occasions.
Booklets
A booklet can be a nice souvenir of the day. The priest can conduct a ceremony without a booklet, so do not feel obliged to produce one. A full copy of the readings and ceremony can be found in ‘A Wedding of your own’ by Pádraig Mc Carthy published by Veritas Books, Abbey St. Dublin 1 who carry a full range relating to marriage or Wicklow Bookshop.
It is very important to plan the ceremony with your priest before printing any booklets or programmes. He needs to approve any decisions about the liturgy.
Every couple marrying in the Catholic Church are required to give a minimum of three months’ notice to their priest and complete a Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form. The form is completed at a meeting with the local priest, and the onus is on the couple to ensure the paperwork is completed within three months of the date of the wedding.
There are three forms that you need to get before going to meet your priest.
These forms indicate that you are a full member of the Church, and that there is no record of you having been married previously in a Church. In the event of a previous marriage, a new marriage will only be permitted if the previous marriage has ended through death or annulment.
Some people’s personal circumstances are more complicated than the norm and require further permissions. It is always best to meet with the priest and discuss the situation.
In the case of Inter Church or Inter Faith Marriages, please speak directly to your priest about the situation
This is not an exhaustive summary of civil requirements.
For further information or clarification see www.groireland.ie
Website sponsored by Flannery's Funeral Home
Bachelor's Walk, Wicklow. www.flanneryfunerals.ie Telephone: 0404 61777 / 086 2508010 (24 hours)
