Fr Patrick Rogers, from www.together.ie, shares with The Wedding Planner, some useful information for couples planning a Catholic wedding abroad.

-Legal and Formal Requirements

The civil requirements for marriage abroad are not those of Irish law, but those of the country where the marriage takes place.

The legal validity of your marriage is governed by the laws of the country where you marry. For civil purposes later, a marriage certificate issued in a foreign jurisdiction will normally be accepted in Ireland providing you also provide an official translation from a recognised Translation Agency. Having gotten married abroad, if you later need a copy of your marriage certificate, you can get one by contacting that country’s Embassy.

While in Ireland a marriage in church is also valid in civil law, a nuptial ceremony in a church abroad may not constitute a legal marriage. If the ceremony has no legal effect in the country where it takes place, neither will it be seen as a legal marriage in Ireland.

-Priest to officiate at your wedding abroad

Your marriage may be conducted by a foreign priest attached to the wedding-church (in Spain, France, Italy or wherever) or by a priest from Ireland whom you invite to come out as your celebrant, with the consent of the local parish-priest. If an Irish celebrant is travelling out to officiate at your wedding, as a guideline we suggest an honorarium of about Euro 500.00 for him, which will more than cover all his travel and accommodation costs. This is more gracious than asking him to submit a list of expenses later. If employing a local wedding planner, she/he may be able to put you in touch with a local English-speaking priest in the vicinity where you plan to hold your wedding.

Some couples might opt for a quiet civil ceremony here at home, with a more festive church wedding later. For a church wedding in a foreign country, your marriage-documents must be sent from your home diocese to the bishop of the foreign diocese. Most foreign dioceses will require the documents to be sent at least two months before the wedding date. As soon as you have settled upon a church and date, find out what are the documentary requirements of the foreign parish priest, and set about fulfilling them!

-Bilingual wedding booklet

If the mother-tongues of bride and groom are different, a bilingual wedding booklet may be desirable. If you should need a bilingual priest to help celebrate your wedding, you can enquire from www.together.ie or phone 01-492 4626; we may be able to help you to find one.

The Mount Argus ‘Together’ experience is a one-day pre-marriage course held in Terenure (Dublin 6), to help couples prepare for a Catholic wedding.

*For more information, you can contact:

Fr Patrick Rogers

Mount Argus, Dublin 6W, Ireland

01 492 4626

www.together.ie