Organising a Wedding In Ireland from Abroad

Dats_rite

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone on here has organised a wedding from abroad. I'm in Australia and we're travelling home for the wedding next year at some stage.

The one thing I'm confused about is the wedding course and how we can do it? Anyone got any advice on what they did?

Also any tips or experiences from your planning would be great.

Cheers

Moonbeam

You only need to do the wedding course if you are getting married in a church, the priest will suggest one when you talk to him.
3 months notice has to be given of your intention to marry here too and I think it has to be given in person but not sure again talk to your priest if you are having a church wedding or ring the relevant registry office otherwise.

tatli_lokma

Moonbeam wrote: »

3 months notice has to be given of your intention to marry here too and I think it has to be given in person but not sure again talk to your priest if you are having a church wedding or ring the relevant registry office otherwise.

no you can also apply by post - you just need to make an appointment to see the registrar and sign the relevant forms when you do arrive. This is just for registry office - will probably be different for the church.

ABajaninCork

I organised my wedding from the UK.

We researched what we wanted, then I flew into Ireland for a week, and booked it all up.

As we wanted to marry in church, the marriage prep course was done in the UK, and the paperwork was done for both of us by my English priest then sent over to the church in Ireland.

For the notice to marry. As I wasn't resident in Ireland at the time, the process was started by post. We then had to make an appointment to see the registrar and complete the process. Very straightforward and they tell you the documents to need to bring along. When booking the wedding, do make sure that the priest/registrar is registered with the HSE and is therefore legally able to marry you.

It wasn't difficult to arrange everything, but you do need to be organised.

Good luck! Let me know if I can help further...

watna

An important thing to note, apart from getting the different form for registering if you live overseas and doing the preliminary part by post you have to see the registrar at least 5 working days before your wedding (the Dublin registrar place were really helpful when I spoke to them, give them a call!) - so make sure you book your flights around that.

We're getting married on a Saturday and we're aiming to get back to Ireland on the Wednesday or Thursday that is ten-ish days before the wedding, to make sure we can meet the registrar on time. Our minister also wants the form thing a few days before the wedding for his own comfort so that restricts us a bit too.

As for a wedding course, it depends what religion you are and your celebrant, I'd imagine. Our minister said there was no need for us to do a course or even pre-marriage counselling with him. He wasn't fussed. It's probably possible for you to do one in Australia if you discuss with the priest. I'd imagine there's no big difference in them. He might be happy with that.

Living abroad and getting married in Ireland is a bit of a pain though, isn't it? Especially on this side of the world where you can't pop home to do things. I was lucky in that I was home 2 or 3 months ago and got loads done. You can do most things online now too, I can't imagine what it must have been like before t'internet.

ABajaninCork

watna wrote: »

We're getting married on a Saturday and we're aiming to get back to Ireland on the Wednesday or Thursday that is ten-ish days before the wedding, to make sure we can meet the registrar on time. Our minister also wants the form thing a few days before the wedding for his own comfort so that restricts us a bit too.

I found this interesting. When we were giving notice, I had to start the process by post as my now husband lived in Ireland, but I didn't. But we still had to give notice in person three months before as the law dictates. I had to fly in from the UK to meet the registrar in person, produce the documents and pay the fee.

Is it no longer the case that you have to give notice in person then? I would double-check that if I were you...

watna

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I found this interesting. When we were giving notice, I had to start the process by post as my now husband lived in Ireland, but I didn't. But we still had to give notice in person three months before as the law dictates. I had to fly in from the UK to meet the registrar in person, produce the documents and pay the fee.

Is it no longer the case that you have to give notice in person then? I would double-check that if I were you...

As I said in my post, I've spoken to the registrar in Dublin, on more than one occasion. They said you don't have to give notice in person. They've sent me out a form thingy for giving notice from overseas and I've to make an appointment for us to meet with the registrar 5 working days before the wedding. I wanted to give notice in person when I was home 2 months ago but it was too far before the wedding. I have it in an email from them as well.

They can f off if they think it's possible to pop back from New Zealand to give notice in person!

Maybe it's because one of you lived in Ireland but but one of you lived overseas? They did ask me if we both lived outside Ireland.

watna

In case anyone is interested, here is the rules of posting your notification of intent to marry, from the form I was sent. It might be helpful for someone

POSTAL NOTIFICATION OF INTENTION TO MARRY

Important Information

1. This form may only be used with prior agreement of a Registrar in cases
where one or both of the parties to the proposed marriage are living outside
the State, or one or both of the parties is unable by reason of illness to attend
a Registrar’s office. In all other cases an appointment must be made with a
Registrar to give the notification in person.

2. This form is to be completed by, and only in respect of, the party or parties
who cannot attend the office of the Registrar in person. All relevant sections
must be completed in as much detail as possible.

3. Final divorce decrees / death certificates (where relevant) must be received in
respect of all previous marriages

4. Civil ceremonies may only be held in a Registration Office, or in another
building that has been approved in advance by a Registrar

5. The person solemnising the marriage (performing the ceremony), whether
it be religious or civil, must be registered on the Register of Solemnisers in
advance of the ceremony

6. A marriage cannot take place less than 3 months after this form has been
received by the Registrar unless an exemption order has been obtained in
advance from the Circuit Family Court or the High Court, under Section 47 of
the Civil Registration Act, 2004

7. This notification must be returned to the Office which authorised the
completion of same

8. No date of marriage (religious or civil) will be agreed until all paperwork is
deemed to be in order by the Registrar. This process may take additional
time in cases where a foreign divorce is involved. Such cases will require the
divorce to be examined to determine whether it is recognisable under Irish
law and thus establish whether the relevant party is free to marry.

annersinoz

Hi Dats rite,

I am in the exact same position, i am living in Australia and am getting married in Ireland but not until May 2013 so our plan is to go home next year around 9 months before the wedding.

With regards to the pre-marraige course one of my relations is getting married in a Catholic church and they both live in America. Their local priest said that they can do the pre-marraige course in America and it will be accepted in Ireland. I have googled online to see what sort of courses there are in Australia but none have come up (i have my parents ringing the local priest soon to see what he needs so i will keep you updated).

Do you guys plan on going home before the wedding??

Cupcake.

Hi Ladies

I'm also orgnaising my wedding from abroad (Australia).

I rang the registrar before we left and we were told the book wasn't open for 2012 so we couldn't register but not to worry because we could just notify abroad and arrive into them 5 days before...I'm gonna check again though ...just in case!

I haven't thought about the pre marraige course...it's over a year away so I still have lots of time..!

I've booked the church, reception, cake, photographer, band and DJ so far!...Then I put everything on hold while moving to oz....will start the planning again soon!

I hope to get back to happy planning soon...and thinking about things like:

• Invites - have them delievered to Ireland (without seeing them) for my wonderful BM's to send out? or getting them done over here...?
• Decor/flowers - how to pick it from abroad!
• Dress - picking it over here and transporting it back

Nice to find other people in the same boat!!

watna

I know - it's nice that there's other people being as awkward as me and organising a wedding abroad!

I'm making my own invites - I'm going to post/hand deliver the NZ ones and then I'm sending the others, already in envelopes and addressed back to my mum in one box and she'll put stamps on and send them.

I was lucky in that I went home for a visit two months ago so I visited the florist, cake shop and loads of other places while I was there. Nothing is ordered though, I'll be doing that online. Everywhere I spoke to seemed really amenable to ordering online and doing everything by email. They all just wanted pics of things I liked. The suit shop for the boys were great too (it was recommended in a thread in this forum). They get loads of people from Aus/NZ who get suits for weddings in ïreland and have been great about ordering online.

My dress is also coming back with my on the plane, it's not leaving my sight. I've lots of decorative things and acessories so that'll all have to come in the suitcase as well, if there's enough of it I might send them by air freight a few weeks before the wedding.

People think I'm mad because I've most things done and my wedding isn't until July next year but everything takes so much longer to organise from here and who knows what will go wrong so I'm happy to be super organised!

Cupcake.

Thanks Watna!! Great tips - I'd imagine I'll be doing alot online too! Hehe - I met a girl over here who brought her wedding dress back as carry on luggage ...the steward tried to squash it into an overhead locker:eek: and apparently she had to be held back by hubby2be!

You're dead right on getting organised early - less stress = happy bride

kittex

annersinoz wrote: »

Hi Dats rite,

I am in the exact same position, i am living in Australia and am getting married in Ireland but not until May 2013 so our plan is to go home next year around 9 months before the wedding.

With regards to the pre-marraige course one of my relations is getting married in a Catholic church and they both live in America. Their local priest said that they can do the pre-marraige course in America and it will be accepted in Ireland. I have googled online to see what sort of courses there are in Australia but none have come up (i have my parents ringing the local priest soon to see what he needs so i will keep you updated).

Do you guys plan on going home before the wedding??

The catholic pre-marriage courses are run by the Centacare group. I think the link below is for the SA one, but there are branches in every major town in every state. Contact your local diocesan office as the Centacare office is usually within that.

http://www.centacare.org.au/OurServices/FamiliesYouthChildren/PreMarriageEducation.aspx

I'm in WA and getting married in July 2012. I was originally planning a Dublin wedding but have decided on Glasgow in the end, as I lived there for my twenties and my fiance is from there.
We're doing a civil service - I don't know why, I always imagined I'd get married in my local church. But when it came to it I just wanted the civil venue. Dunno what's gone on, lol.

annersinoz

Hi Ladies,

So how is everyones wedding planning going from overseas?
We have gone full steam ahead and have now booked our wedding, church, band. Althought still looking for Photographer, cars, flowers etc etc, there is so much to think about. I also got my dress and shoes really quickly!

Dats rite, we have booked ourselves into the Pre-Marraige course here in sydney. Not sure if thats where you are located but you can email them on mre@catholiccare.org. They do one course a month and its $270.00. I spoke with the registrar who said they can do all the documentation here and send it back to my priest in ireland but it all takes up to 5 months (due to the fact it has to go to the bishop here, then the bishop in ireland).

Has anyone any tips on wedding invites? Did ye buy them here? We are thinking of sending them all in bult to one of our parents and getting them to post them locally!
Also a great tip, if you buy anything 30 days before you leave for Ireland and you carry it with you you can claim the VAT back. Our jeweller is going to redo our invoice before we go so we can get the VAT back on my engagement rings, our wedding rings. etc. 10% so every penny counts. Look forward to hearing how everyone is going!

Cupcake.

Annersinoz - Thanks for the info! Also on VAT - remember to argue with your hotel if you booked before the VAT rate drop!

I have done nothing of note in the last couple of months!! On the invites - once I like the sample i'm going to get the Irish bound ones delivered to my fabulous sister who has much nicer handwriting than me to address/stamp & send and the ozzie bound one delivered to me to take care of!

I'm starting my oz based dress shopping in the new year (excited eeekkk)!

Not sure what to do about hair & make-up trials.....