Plan Ahead: Essentials for your wedding . . . .
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Book the Church
Book the ChurchBooking the Church is normally done with a priest, in the parish where you wish to marry. If this is not the bride's parish, she should have a note from her parish priest, approving her marriage taking place elsewhere. In most parishes this booking can be done through the parish secretary or the sacristan. The couple should make this contact personally, at least three months before the intended wedding date. Book the Priest At least three months before the wedding you should arrange with a priest to celebrate your sacramental marriage and sign your Marriage Registration Form, as official Solemniser. While the priest you select need not necessarily be from the parish of either the bride or the groom, he must be accepted by the administrator of the church where the wedding is to take place. Readers & Singers Select your readers, musicians and singers well in advance of the wedding date. Choose as readers people of your own age-group, who would take the trouble to prepare the biblical readings and deliver them properly. Once you have chosen your preferred readings, send them to your readers in a clear, easily legible text. Baptismal CertificateThis is to be sought from the church of your baptism. Very often it is the parish secretary who will issue this cert for you. You may need to collect it in person; phone in advance, so that the cert can be prepared, from the parish records. The Baptismal Certificate to show your priest during your Prenuptial Enquiry should be of recent date (i.e. during the previous six months), so that it can also serve as documentary evidence of your freedom to marry, in the eyes of the church. After the wedding, notification of your marriage will be sent to the church of your baptism where it will be recorded alongside the the record of your baptism. Note: if there's doubt whether a copy of your Baptismal Certificate can be found (e.g. uncertainty about where your Baptism is recorded) you should notify your wedding church about this as early as possible, in case a provisional Baptism needs to be organised for you.
Confirmation CertificateGet this cert from the church where you received your Confirmation. Very often it is the parish secretary who will issue this cert for you. You may be required to collect it in person. Phone in advance, so that the cert can be prepared, from the parish records. Pre-nuptial Enquiry Form As part of the church's pastoral care for engaged couples, you need to do a Prenuptial Enquiry with one of your local priests. After the interview, he completes a Pre-nuptial Enquiry Form for you, which is an essential part of your wedding documents.
Letter of Freedom (or Affidavit)Documentary proof of your single status is required. The level of documentary proof required can vary from place to place. In extreme cases, you might need letters of freedom from every parish where you've lived for more than six months, since you turned eighteen. In the archdiocese of Dublin, this requirement may be fulfilled by means of a simple form of declaration, signed by a close relative and witnessed by a priest or deacon of the parish where you live. Another kind of documentary proof that is widely accepted is an Affidavit or sworn statement. Certificate from a Pre-Marriage Course A certificate like this is required in most dioceses as part of your Pre-nuptial Enquiry - always needed in order to have a sacramental marriage. You can check with the priest providing your wedding documents whether your intended pre-marriage course actually fulfils the required marriage preparation. Dispensation for a Mixed Marriage (if required)If a Catholic is marrying either a non-Christian or a baptised person of another Christian hurch, a Mixed Marriage Dispensation is needed, from the bishop of the Catholic party. This should be applied for early, through the parish where the Catholic party resides. Your priest will help you with this. Papal Blessing (optional) Many Catholic couples like to have an ornamental Papal Blessing Scroll to display in their new home. If you want one to be read out at your wedding, you should apply for it at least three months in advance of the wedding, along with a letter of recommendation from your parish priest. Wedding Mass Booklet (optional) While this is not required, for the convenience of their guests many couples opt to produce a personalised Wedding Mass Booklet, with their details, their wedding vows and the biblical texts they have chosen as the context for the vows. Your Wedding Music (optional)Alongside your readings from the Bible, the music you select for your wedding plays an important part in setting the context for your marriage vows. You should choose the songs and hymns in conjunction with your chosen singer(s), and incorporate the song titles within your wedding booklet. Ushers & Altar Servers (optional)It is usual to appoint at least two Ushers for the wedding ceremony, to help show your guests to their places, distribute the wedding booklets and generally make themselves useful to the groom in having everything ready for the bride's arrival at the church.
Flowers; Carpet etc. (optional)These kinds of ornamentation are entirely at the couple's discretion, with the consent of whoever is in charge of the wedding church. You should tell the sacristan what arrangements you've made, to ensure that your florist and carpet-layer will have access to the church at the appropriate time, for delivery and removal of these ornaments.Civil Registration (i.e. registering your marriage civilly)A couple intending to marry in Ireland must give notification in person to a registrar, at least 3 months before their marriage date. Notification can be given to the Registrar's office in any county. If there is no impediment to your marriage, they will issue you with a Marriage Registration Form (MRF) which gives you the civil permission to marry. How do we get a marriage certificate afterwards?
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