Legal Aspects

Below are some guidelines for marrying in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland
New regulations have been in force since 1st January 2004. The legal position is set out in full in the Church of Ireland Regulations and Guidelines.

A marriage taking place in the Church of Ireland must be taken by a state-authorised officiant ie. by a minister whose name is on the Church of Ireland list of approved officiants.

One of the parties must be a member of the Church of Ireland or of a church in full communion with it. They no longer need to be resident but the minister is only authorised to conduct the marriage in a Church of Ireland church, and, if it is to be in some other parish, only with the consent of its rector.

The former system of banns and licences has been replaced by marriage by Schedule which puts more responsibility on the couple.

To be married legally in Northern Ireland you must do the following:

1) Obtain Notice of Marriage forms from the local District Registrar as soon as possible.

2) Take them to the Officiant (usually the local rector) who is going to solemnize the marriage. He or she must sign one of the forms indicating that they are willing to perform the ceremony at an agreed place and time.

3) Take the completed Notice of Marriage forms back to the Registrar along with any other necessary documents eg. birth certificate, passport etc. It’s recommended you do this at least 6 weeks before the wedding. The notice of marriage fee is payable to the Registrar.

4) The Registrar should have the Marriage Schedule ready for collection 14 days before the wedding date. You should bring it to the Officiant as soon as possible.

NB: If no Marriage Schedule is presented to the Officiant on the day of the wedding, no marriage can take place.

5) After the wedding, obtain the completed Marriage Schedule from the Officiant and return the Marriage Schedule to the Registrar within 3 days.

6) On receipt of the Marriage Schedule the Registrar will register the marriage. If a certified copy is requested at the time of registration, a Marriage Certificate will be produced for a fee.

For further information visit The General Register Office of Northern Ireland.

Republic of Ireland

The marriage provisions of the Civil Registration Act 2004 became law in the Republic of Ireland on 5th November 2007. This legislation brought about major changes in the procedures for solemnising and registering marriages in the Republic.

The Church of Ireland has also adopted its own Marriage Regulations in order to implement this legislation and to comply with Church Law. The local clergy have been trained to provide you with all the information you require and it's important you keep in touch with your rector/solemniser throughout the preparations.

Some guidelines:

1) It's vital if you're planning a wedding to make contact with the officiating rector/solemniser at least 3 months before the proposed date of the marriage. Please do not make hotel arrangements or notify the registrar before checking the availability of the church and officiant.

2) The State continues to require 3 months' notice of all marriages, which notice must be made in person to the County Marriage Registrar. An appointment system operates and in most cases one visit will suffice, provided you bring the necessary documentation:

• Photo ID (preferably a passport or driving licence)
• If one party is widowed, the death certificate of your previous spouse
• Name and address of the solemniser
• Names and dates of birth of your witnesses
• Your PPS numbers (where either has one)
• Additional documentation may be needed in the case of a divorce or annulment granted outside the State

3) When all the preliminaries have been completed the registrar will issue you with a Marriage Registration Form, which you will present to the solemniser in advance of the ceremony. Without this document a marriage cannot take place.

For more details please visit The General Register Office for The Republic of Ireland.

Top