Legal Question

legalbride

My partner and I plan to marry in just a legal, civil, registry-office type of thing. No ceremony. No frills. I'd love some advice from someone who's had a civil, registry-office union. What are the bare bones of it? Can we just show up (on the appointed day - I know we can't 'just show up'), show our licence, sign the register and leave? Or does there have to be vows, or rings, or declarations of love or anything?

I don't think this will matter but we are an opposite-sex couple and both are Irish citizens, so this isn't a marriage to get citizenship rights. Another thing I would like to know, if anyone knows, are we likely to be grilled mercilessly and have our motives questioned when we apply for the licence because we want this type of ceremony-less ceremony? I'm sure it might come across as odd but it's (I'm sure) perfectly legal. I'm thinking maybe we won't, due to us both being Irish citizens.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

January

You have to say some vows. You don't have to promise to love each other etc etc but you do have to do the "I X take Y to be my lawful wedded wife/husband"

You won't be questioned for it and remember you do need your two witnesses also.

Vojera

The only parts you legally need, as far as I know, are the declaration that you know of no legal reason why you can't be married and the signatures of yourselves, the registrar and your witnesses.

You definitely don't need to exchange rings, not 100% on the vows but they'll provide them if you want.

You won't be scrutinised. If you're both EU citizens then they can't stop you. Anyway, a lot of people these days have the bare bones in the registry office and an "unofficial" ceremony at the weekend since the HSE only do weekdays, so the type of ceremony you want isn't actually that unusual.

legalbride

Great. Thanks folks, you've really put my mind at ease. Although I still have two questions.

I'd forgotton about witnesses. Do the witnesses have to be known to you? I checked the Citizens Info site and it doesn't specify. I thought I read somewhere that you need the witnesses' PPS numbers, a pair of strangers might not be comfortable giving out that information.

Do you need to give the names of the witnesses when you apply for the licence? Thank you again.

cookiecakes

We had to give our witnesses names and addresses to the HSE when we applied for our licence. Didn't need their pps numbers though! They did tell us that we could change witnesses between that and the wedding though and just to fill out the appropriate part of the green marriage registration form on the day.

January

Yes, witnesses names have to be given the day you register your intent, but as above they can be changed, up to and on the day.

SmilingLurker

Note on the witnesses, we changed ours on the day, no bother at all. We had the minimum ceremony - in our case had the big day out a week later - humanist ceremony before they were legal.

Suprisingly, I really enjoyed minimum legal ceremony.

Good luck and congratulations.

legalbride

Thanks again all for the responses, I think that's all my questions answered!