The Priests of the parish congratulate you on your decision to celebrate your wedding in St Mary’s Parish.
We hope your wedding day will be happy and relaxed. To assist you in
organising and planning your day, you will find the following
information helpful.
Booking the Church:
At least one party must be baptised in the Roman
Catholic Church. In line with Meath Diocesan Policy, Weddings are not
permitted on a Sunday or on Holy Days.
State Requirements:
You must give at least 3 months notice to the Civil Registrar of your intention to marry.
You have to make an appointment to meet the Civil Registrar. This can now be done online at
crsappointments.ie
For this meeting you will need the following:
- Photo Identification (Passport or Driving Licence).
- Names and Dates of Birth of Witnesses.
- Name of Church where you wish to marry.
- Date of Marriage.
- Name of Priest who will officiate at your wedding.
- If previously married you must provide the Registrar with an original divorce decree or death certificate if widowed.
- Make sure the priest who has agreed to marry you is on the “Lists of
Solemnisers”. If not ask your local priest to have him nominated as a
Temporary Solemniser for the wedding.
Having registered your wedding both parties and the church where your
wedding will be celebrated will receive an acknowledgement from the
registrar. You will also receive a green folder containing your Marriage
Registration Form (M.R.F), which you must bring to the church on your
wedding day.
On the day of the wedding you will complete your civil obligation when you sign the marriage licence.
Church Documents Required:
Because of the importance of the lifelong commitment that is
marriage, the church believes that it is important to give at least 3
months notice of your intention to marry.
You will need the following documents:
- A recent Baptismal Cert from each party from the church where you were baptised (issued in the last 6 months).
- A Confirmation Cert from your church where you were confirmed.
- A Letter of Freedom stating that you are free to marry.
- A Letter of Freedom should be attained from each parish in which you
lived for more than 6 months stating that you didn’t get married while
you lived there. Alternatively you may sign a written affidavit before a
solicitor of your freedom to marry (Copy of this form can be obtained
from the priests of the parish).
- A Record of Attendance at a pre marriage course. Courses should be
booked 6 – 12 months in advance. Courses run by Accord are the
recommended courses for couples getting married in the Meath Diocese.
Contact Accord Navan at 046 -9023146. Or accordnavan@eircom.net
- When you have all the above documents arrange to meet a priest of
the parish who will fill out a Pre Nuptial Enquiry Form with you. This
form asks a number of questions to make sure that you understand what
you are undertaking.
- When all documents are completed they will be sent to the church where the wedding is to take place.
Inter Faith Marriages:
If you marriage is an Inter Faith marriage (one of you is not a
catholic), a special permission/dispensation is required for marriage.
Your priest will apply for these.
Getting Married Abroad:
If you are getting married abroad, it is absolutely essential for
couples to meet with their local priest before making any arrangements.
The meeting should take place at least 6 months prior to the intended
date.
Preparing your Wedding Ceremony:
Ask the priest who is to officiate at your wedding to help you with the
task of creating your marriage ceremony. There are a variety of prayers
and readings. Choose the person(s) who are to read these. Make sure to
have a rehearsal before the ceremony.
Websites which may be helpful:
accord.ie
gettingmarried.ie
irishcollege.org
groireland.ie