Marriage

The whole Christian community, through its parishes, personnel and agencies, wishes to join with you and your families in celebrating this very special moment in your lives. We also undertake to assist you in every way we can as you journey to your wedding day and during your married life.

This guide is intended to assist you with planning your journey towards the wedding day. The different issues are addressed in the context of norms in the Diocese of Meath. (These may vary in other dioceses).

Several of the issues will vary if you choose to celebrate your marriage abroad.

Booking the Wedding

Who?

The choice of priest who officiates at your ceremony is completely yours so long as he is a priest in verifiable good standing. It does not have to be the priest of the church where the wedding takes place. If he is not a priest of the church where the ceremony takes place, he will be authorised by the parish priest of that church to officiate at the ceremony. Before giving this authorisation, the local parish priest or priest-in-charge is required to satisfy himself of the priest’s credentials. The visiting priest will be asked to present an acceptable form of photo-ID and a current celebret (a standard statement from the priest’s bishop or superior verifying that he is in good standing). If you wish, you may invite other priests to concelebrate.

If you are planning a wedding abroad, it is your responsibility to ensure that a duly authorised Catholic priest is available to officiate.

Where?

You are free to choose any Catholic church which is part of a parish or from a small number of Catholic chapels which have special permission to host weddings. Permission of the local bishop must be sought to hold a marriage ceremony for an inter-church marriage in a non-Catholic church.

In our Parish we keep diaries for bookings. Please contact us as soon as possible. The normal procedure for booking a wedding is to make contact with the parish, we will check to see if your proposed date is available at the church. (Have an alternative date in mind in case you need it).

If the date is available, we will enter your name(s), contact details, the name of the officiating priest or deacon and, ideally, a time. We will then send you a Booking Form. The date is not reserved until we have received the signed Booking Form. We will contact you by e-mail to confirm that the date is reserved for your wedding, (assuming that no obstacle arises in the meantime which may prevent the ceremony going ahead).

At the time of sending the Booking Confirmation, we will advise next steps for you.

When?

Weddings are not celebrated on Sundays and Holy Days. A few other days (Christmas Day, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday) are logically excluded, but you can choose from the other 300+ days of the year!

Marriage To Do List

1. 01Book the church.
2. 02Meet the Priest after Mass and formally request if he is available to Officiate.
3. 03Make an appointment with the local registrar to give the formal three-months (can be given anytime up to three months before the date).
4. 04Arrange ACCORD Pre-marriage Preparation course.
5. 05Plan reception (if desired).
6. 06Order Papal blessing (if desired)
7. 07Arrange to have pre-marriage papers completed for both parties in your current parish(es) by priest(s). We will advise you of the procedures when you contact us. Don’t worry!
8. 08Plan the format of the ceremony with the officiating priest.
9. 09Arrange for music/hymns.
10. 10Contact those responsible for church decoration. (if desired)
11. 11Plan and proof-read booklet. (if desired)
12. 12Provide all the readers with copy of texts with which to practise.
13. 13Purchase candle(s) for ceremony.
14. 14Arrange rehearsal in the church with priest and readers.
15. 15Designate someone the responsibility for bringing rings, coin(s)/gifts, candles, booklets, etc to the church on the day.
16. 16Coordinate drivers to ensure timely arrival at church. (Plan for the bride to arrive 10 minutes before the time; photos will take 15 minutes).
17. 17Assign people to welcome guests at church and usher them to their places. (Distribute booklets.)
18. 18Deliver candle, rings, and coins/gifts to the altar before the ceremony begins.
19. 19Deliver offerings/fees for priest and church services to the sacristy after the ceremony. (Usually done by the best man.)
20. 20Ensure that the Marriage Registration Form is delivered to civil authorities within one month of the date of marriage.