Shotgun wedding and Coronavirus

Kob2020

I just found out im pregnant and my partner proposed and wants to get married before the baby arrives. By the time we get our documents together and give 3 months notice to register it i think our only window will be October to December this year. The baby is due in January. Because we are so unprepared our budget is only 5000 and we would probably invite 50 people. Does anybody know any good options for this price and this short notice? (and possibly a backlog with Coronavirus and some places still closed or hard to contact). We might like to have BYOB option. Im open to any suggestions for venues and spaces for hire. Thanks so much in advance.

Faith

It's worth noting, ahead of all of that, that there is a HUGE backlog with regard giving notice of intent to marry. You could get all of your documents together tomorrow, but it could be near the end of the year by the time you can even get a meeting with the HSE. Everyone who was due to have an appointment between March - July has theirs cancelled, and people will already have booked up a lot of the slots for July onwards, so honestly I'd be surprised if you could manage it before the baby arrives.

That's before the issue of finding a venue that fits with your budget, especially within the timeframe.

ArthurG

Kob2020 wrote: »

..... my partner proposed and wants to get married before the baby arrives.

Why?

charlietheminxx

If you were looking for the registry office route, my friend was told they aren't taking any new appointments for 2020, the earliest you can book in for a civil ceremony is January 2021.

I honestly don't think you'll manage planning a wedding this year with all the rescheduled ones from the past while, but I could be wrong.

Kob2020

Thank you so much. Yeah it sounds unlikely. We may just have to wait until next year.

Kob2020

Thanks so much. Yeah it sounds so busy and very unlikely.

Turbohymac

There's lots of other expenses with a child coming..REALISTICALLY you need to ask yourself why such a rush to get married before child arrives..if it's only yourself and your partners decision that's ok..but if it's for the wider family and friends then that's total b,s.
Good luck and get your priorities in order ..lots sleeps before baby arrives and save some money..

splinter65

ArthurG wrote: »

Why?

Why not??!? What a strange retort!

august12

ArthurG wrote: »

Why?

don't think it's any one's business but the OPs and you are not helping with their query.

Shelli2

charlietheminxx wrote: »

If you were looking for the registry office route, my friend was told they aren't taking any new appointments for 2020, the earliest you can book in for a civil ceremony is January 2021.

I honestly don't think you'll manage planning a wedding this year with all the rescheduled ones from the past while, but I could be wrong.

That's not accurate, but you might have to travel. We were due to get married in May, which was cancelled due to Covid, it was a humanist celebrant, not HSE.
Now I'm pregnant and we wanted the legal bit done this year, we got a July appointment in the Carlow Registry Office.
And I know couples who got October in Dublin.

But...the biggest delay seems to be getting the green folder appointment, we already had ours and it was valid for six months.

lazygal

There's myriad legal benefits for both parties to getting married before baby comes. Not least of these is next of kin rights, pregnancy and birth can be dangerous for both mother and child and I for one would want my husband and no one else deciding on matters like this for me and my child if the worst happened. Then there's inheritance rights, again if the worst happens. Unmarried couples are still not granted the same sort of legal protections as married couples. That's one of the main reasons we got married before having kids.

Toots

OP, if it's the legal aspect you're worried about then you could see can you get that bit done before the baby comes - that costs €200 and you would need 2 witnesses, but you don't even have to tell the rest of the family if you would prefer. Then after the baby is born and you've had time to recover and save a bit, you can have a ceremony and reception. You'd probably be better off hanging on to the 5k for the minute in case you need it for baby/pregnancy related expenses.

circadian

lazygal wrote: »

There's myriad legal benefits for both parties to getting married before baby comes. Not least of these is next of kin rights, pregnancy and birth can be dangerous for both mother and child and I for one would want my husband and no one else deciding on matters like this for me and my child if the worst happened. Then there's inheritance rights, again if the worst happens. Unmarried couples are still not granted the same sort of legal protections as married couples. That's one of the main reasons we got married before having kids.

Exactly the reason we got married, otherwise we didn't really care. Was just a registry office job with 2 witnesses and that's it.

Neyite

The main issue is the green folder appointment. They've not been doing any appointments since mid March and it's going to be possibly end of July at least before they reopen. If then. Trying to get any sort of answer or direction on that has been a dead end.