Outdoor Wedding Ceremony - Validity

The General Registrar’s office said it insisted on weddings being held indoors “to avoid situations where marriages are solemnised to which there may be an impediment, to prevent forced marriages, and to provide an opportunity for the making of objections.”

It did not explain how four walls and a roof could safeguard against such eventualities.

This says it all really... surely for pretty much all of their objections listed an outdoor ceremony actually makes things easier?

It was fab to hear the Humanist society being interviewed on the radio - they put across their point so well & spoke so eloquently about the subject.

They pointed out that the law does state 'any place open to the public' and that they did feel the HSE was enforcing the 'building' regulation onto that phrase wasnt within the spirit of the law. It is open to interruption & they are choosing to enforce it very literally.

The HSE are maintaining that its to prevent forced or secret marriages! But there is no statistics to back this up & the Humanist society pointed out that they could be asked to perform a ceremony in a hotel in some back room but they cant have it out on the lawn in full few of everyone - so the HSE point doesnt hold much water! Interesting though

They won't do any of it outdoors at all Sulla Felix.

constitutes 2 ceremonies? do they say the same about religious ones? like the wedding mass followed by the bit when the couple disappear off somewhere and everyone else gets a bit bored waiting til they come back?

I know that it's not another ceremony, that's why I'm aghast. But regardless of the religious stuff that precedes it, signing the register is the important part. Once the 5 signatures are on the MRF and the legal words were spoken by the registered solemniser and couple that should be sufficient. Having handed in our MRF and received or marriage cert yesterday I know if we'd lost that form the registrar wouldnt have entertained us no matter who said what or where on the day.

I can't see how they are able to treat "humanist ceremony outdoors, with non-legally binding pleasant words spoken, followed by indoorsy legalities with 2 witnesses and celebrant" different to "religious service of choice, with non-legally binding religiousy promises, followed by legalities with 2 witnesses and celebrant". We had a handfasting for example, it's no more legal than a prayer, but surely it should be ok for couples to do whatever ceremonial stuff they like, then retire indoors and say the required legal words in front of celebrant and witnesses.

In my experience theres an hour or so of mass and then everyone is left waiting while couple and witnesses go off to the sacristry with priest and sign/pose for pics.

Our local church has an area where they go back to. Always thought it was strange and annoying. It's old and huge though, maybe more modern buildings don't bother/have the space?

English couples seem to get on just fine with a 16 day notice period :pac:

Legal now hooray http://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/al-fresco-weddings-get-green-light-after-ruling-by-ag-1.1866981

Good news, now just the Irish weather to contend with for those who want one

Brilliant news,outdoor wedding in 2 weeks. I'm over the moon!!!

It was always planned for outdoors, then when they messed with it all, we were going to do legalities few days before and blessing outdoors. So just cancelled the thing for few days before. Jammy timing!!!

Also nice to have just one wedding anniversary!

my username wrote: »

Venues such as marquees, private dwellings or the open air are not acceptable. To ensure the venue is approved in time for your wedding you should arrange for the approval well in advance of notifying the Registrar.

This only applies to HSE ceremonies though, right?
We have played outdoors for Humanist ceremonies and ceremonies by the Grace Christian Church, both of which are fully legal ceremonies and everything took place outdoors.

the 1st mistake made was letting the HSE take control over weddings/registration