Civil Wedding venues

Pinyo

Hi!
I am getting married next June:eek:, and I am looking for a venue in Dublin!
We were intending to get the cermony in Drimnagh Castle, but unfortunately they don't hold a license.
We already have the dinner booked in Clontarf, so it is only for the ceremony that we are looking for.
Also have been checking city hall, but not sure...

anyone can recommend any nice place??
thanks a mil!!

namurt

If you're looking for something a bit different Dublin Zoo is a brilliant venue. Got married there last month and it was fantastic.

tatli_lokma

we got married in Ardgillan Castle in Balbriggan.

As for Driminagh not having a 'licence' they have it a bit mixed up. Nowhere has a 'licence' - each wedding has to be approved on a case by case basis. However, once the first approval has been done, it is very straight forward for others. They are 'pre-approved'. Ardgillan didn't have any approval when I approached them, and they thought they would not be eligible, however I asked them if I did the paperwork and organised it all would they agree, and they said yes. so perhaps approach them again, and see?
all the guidelines for a civil ceremony venue can be found on the HSE website - once a venue conforms to that, then it should be straight forward enough.

Good luck!

Greenacre

City Hall, beautiful inside and the staff are very helpful

Borderfox

Second for City Hall, gorgeous inside.

snlynch

Thats stunning - if only we lived in Dublin!

Borderfox wrote: »

Second for City Hall, gorgeous inside.

Borderfox

Here it is with people (very important, they bring presents )

dub0605

namurt wrote: »

If you're looking for something a bit different Dublin Zoo is a brilliant venue. Got married there last month and it was fantastic.

That is a fantastic idea, never knew you could get married there. Ive just emailed them off for more information.

Can you tell me more about it, what did you get and prices please. PM me if you would rather.

Thanks

namurt

Hi Dub,

Just pm'd you the basic info there. The room it's held in was really beautiful. We actually booked it before seeing the room so were delighted when we went to see the place.

The only extra we went for was the photo op. We chose to have it with the penguins, got to feed them and everything, absolutely brilliant.

Thought I'd be self-conscious about the general public wondering what was going on but everyone was really lovely, congratulating us and everything. I was enjoying it so much that I didn't care that we had an audience. (That was just when we went for a walk around for photos after the ceremony. The place where the ceremony is held is completely closed off to the public for the duration.)

Also, it was great getting into the zoo for free a few of times (just to check on things )

tatli_lokma

namurt wrote: »

That was just when we went for a walk around for photos after the ceremony. The place where the ceremony is held is completely closed off to the public for the duration

I thought one of the requirements for a venue to be approved was that it be open to the public, so that the public are literally legally allowed walk in, as they could in a church or the registry office. AFAIK a wedding cannot be held 'in private'

namurt

The registrar was happy that it ticked all the boxes and other weddings have been held there too. And in fairness who's going to walk into a room where they know there's a wedding going on. Would you walk into a building/room that had a sign up saying wedding in progress???

tatli_lokma

namurt wrote: »

Would you walk into a building/room that had a sign up saying wedding in progress???

thats a different thing altogether, whether I would go in or not is up to me, but legally I am entitled to do so, and many other people do just that. I've seen many a gawper head into a church or registry office. None at my own civil ceremony TG, but there was at my mates, and hers was in a hotel, in a room at the back of the hotel, out of the way and a few aul ones passing by noticed there was a wedding going on and purposely made a bee line to the ceremony room. They stood out like a sore thumb as the room was quite small and they were obviously not guests! sure one of them had her shopping trolley with her and had to be asked by the hotel staff to leave it in reception if she wanted to look at the wedding!

From the HSE website:

Only venues that allow unrestricted public access without charge will be considered for approval, subject to normal security and health and safety considerations.

so your room couldn't have been completely 'closed off to the public'. Perhaps as you say a sign was up and people chose not to come in, but technically there was nothing stopping them.

Pinyo

Hi!
thanks for the info!!

concerning the licence, apparently they cannot get the licence because there is no disabled access... in a medieval castle... when no public building in Dublin have disabled access... I don't get it.... anyway...

about the zoo, it sounds quite funny, but I never thought they would have a nice room for this things... I will check with them!

the city hall is gorgeous, however, it costs 600Eur, with 25 chairs included (horrible blue folding plastic). if you need more, pay extra. If you want nicer chairs, you have to rent them yourself, and it runs like over 300Eur for 30min ceremony... (30 guests!) that's over the top.

I would really love a kind of castle or historic building...
I am from Barcelona myself, and if I have to get married in a hotel, I would prefer going home... weather ensured and cheaper...

Did anybody heard about the unitarian church???

namurt

There's no need to be so pedantic Cinikchick. I just meant that it was in a private room so people shouldn't worry that everyone who goes to the zoo that day will be standing there looking at them.

tatli_lokma

namurt wrote: »

There's no need to be so pedantic Cinikchick.

there's no need to be so touchy namurt! :rolleyes:

I just wanted to point out that in fact in order to be approved as a civil wedding venue, your room MUST be fully open to the public. You did not say that it was away from the throng of zoo visitors but that:

namurt wrote:

The place where the ceremony is held is completely closed off to the public for the duration

I was just pointing out that this is not actually true. Its important for people to know when choosing a civil venue - if it is not fully accessible to the public then it will not be approved.

Pinyo wrote:

I would really love a kind of castle or historic building...

where in dublin are you based Pinyo?
Ardgillan Castle in North County Dublin has disabled access.
http://www.fingalcoco.ie/CommunityRecreationandAmenitiesDepartment/Parks/ParksHeritageProperties/ArdgillanCastle/

http://ardgillanskerries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29

(don't let the second link fool you - its not in Skerries but balbriggan (much as some people would love otherwise! lol))

Borderfox

The Unitarian Church on St Stephens Green is another great Civil venue

DM addict

Surely the Unitarian Church would count as a religious venue? I mean, they're liberal compared to most churches, but they're still a religion..... right?

Borderfox

Technically yes but they facilitate any person who wants to have a ceremony thats different from the usual church/registry office.

Pinyo

thanks Cinikchick, I sent a mail to Ardgillian castle requesting info. I was there for a gig years ago and I loved it.

we are based in Clondalkin, but the important is not going too far from Clontarf castle, we have our reception there. Besides, my family is coming from Barcelona and is going to be difficult to move people around...

Pinyo

Borderfox wrote: »

Technically yes but they facilitate any person who wants to have a ceremony thats different from the usual church/registry office.

Hi Borderfox, do you mean I can have a civil ceremony in the unitarian church?? just the registerer, no religious at all??

still looking for a place... everywhere have a con...

ConnectDJs

My understanding of the Unitarian Church is that you can do pretty much what you want. You can take their service or you can add/remove what ever you want to it.

I got married there last year. It's an incredible venue and the people who are involved are warm, open-minded and great to deal with.

Defo the best option if you are looking for something more than a reg office without the religious bit!

Pinyo

Hi Guys,
the unitarian church is a church, and won't hold civil ceremonies. we were checking, and even though they are very flexible and they are not part of the catolic church as such, they do not hold civil ceremonies.
even we were asked that if we want to marry there we should attend a couple of their services as a matter of respect to their church - don't misunderstand me, I think this is completely reasonable from them!
it is just not what I am looking for...
I am starting to desperated...

Ginny

Its not technically a civil ceremony, but you design the ceremony yourself in regards to the reading/music etc and there seems to be no restrictions on these elements, and you have to sign the register as you would in any wedding ceremony.
We're getting married there and tbh attending a few ceremonies over the next year is not a huge deal, they are a million times nicer and more relevant then any catholic masses I've been at.
Plus the church is funded solely by its congregation, and with only having one mass a week, they need all the attendance they can get, which again I don't see a problem with if you're having you wedding there.
A ceremony layout can be found here: http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_68/629000/629171/7/print/629171.pdf

Pinyo

Thanks Ginny, very interesting leaflet! and best of luck, your wed is really near!
it is a very good venue if that's what you want. However, I want civil ceremony, non religious at all (whatever is the religion), because of my believes. It is not only a matter of contents, it is also a matter of believes.

With the comments above I had the feeling that some people is confused about the unitarian church. Definitely it is not a civil ceremony, it's religious.

I am checking the Tailor's Hall this week... see if any luck!!!
if anybody have been in a wedding there... any comment welcome!

tatli_lokma

what about this:
http://www.numbersix.ie/site/944/default.aspx

or the Pillar Room in the Rotunda hospital in Dublin.

both would be quite beautiful, and no religion at all!

Pinyo

hey Cincikchick! thanks!
that looks fantastic! I love the library!
I will give them a call as well! (if they tell me that they cannot hold civil ceremonies because of the disabled access I'll give up!!!:eek:)
that is perfectly the kind of venue I am looking for

tatli_lokma

I think you might be alright - they mention civil ceremonies on the website!
good luck and let us know how you get on!

Pinyo

Hi Little Ted!! I owe you a pint!!!

as soon as we got it... that was it, that was the kind of place I was looking for!!
we booked the day straight away!
and the girl that is in charge of the wedding, Gemma, is lovely and helpful!

Thank you so much for the recommendation!!

tatli_lokma

YAYYYYYYY! it is a totally beautiful venue, it will look specacular. I have no doubt you will have a wonderful day!

Lucee

Hi All,

Im also planning a civil ceremony wedding in May, we have our venue in Dun Laoghaire and Im just wondering if any one has any suggestions for somewhere to go after for dinner and a few drinks, im looking for somewhere that we can have dinner and take our time preferably a private room of some sort in Dun Laoghaire. There will be about 40 of us and we would be looking for soem type of early bird menu ans we will be paying!

Thanks