How to book registry office

Aquals · 06-03-2021 8:51pm #1

Hi all! We got engaged in 2020 and, after much deliberating, we have decided to get married this year in a low key way, and then have a big party whenever we can in the future.

So my question is, how do you go about booking a registry office ceremony? We're not too pushed on where we get married. We'd do it in either of our home towns. So we thought that we might go with whichever has better availability this year. How do we find out about availability in different registry offices?

If anyone can talk me through the process, that would be brilliant. Thank you!

jlm29 · 06-03-2021 11:00pm

You need to make an appointment to give your 3 months notice to get married.
Look up the phone numbers of the registry offices you would get married in and ring them, that’s the easiest thing to do.
Some of the offices (pre covid anyhow) have a bit of a backlog for notice appointments. Remember you can give your notice in any office, doesn’t have to be the one you marry in. I found that getting an appointment was quicker in one of the offices that don’t actually do weddings, where you could register births and deaths. That all said, I think those appointments are happening remotely now anyhow, not sure exactly what the story is.
If you’re happy to get married early in the week and not fussed about time of day, you should be able to marry quite quickly.

aoife1991 · 09-03-2021 3:38pm

There is good advice here: https://www2.hse.ie/services/births-deaths-and-marriages/how-to-get-married-in-ireland/how-to-get-married-in-ireland.html

However, if you are planning on getting married this year, I would phone the registry office ahead of your appointment to secure a date. Have a couple of dates ready to check for availability. I didn't get the original date I wanted as the registry office is extremely busy this year. A lot of people are doing small registry office weddings and have afterparties next year. Congrats on your engagement!

Aquals · 20-03-2021 3:52pm

Thanks to both of you for your replies. Does anyone know what availability is like for registry office ceremonies at the moment? For example, would the Summer months still be an option at this point?
Thanks again!

aoife1991 · 20-03-2021 5:39pm

Aquals wrote: »

Thanks to both of you for your replies. Does anyone know what availability is like for registry office ceremonies at the moment? For example, would the Summer months still be an option at this point?
Thanks again!

Which registry office are you planning on getting married in? Cork City is very busy this year. I secured my October date in January and I was told that nearly every Friday was gone at that point. The registry office is only open Monday to Friday. If you have your heart set on this summer, you might have to make peace with having a date Monday to Thursday. I'd say best thing is to ring them and ask.

Aquals · 20-03-2021 6:41pm

Thanks Aoife! Yeah, Cork is what we're hoping for too. We'd be happy with any of the offices in Cork actually. And couldn't care less about the time or day of the week.

Sure I can't think of anything else I'll be doing!

jlm29 · 20-03-2021 7:17pm

I don’t know for definite, but I’d hazard a guess that if you’ll get married on a Monday at 11 am or basically take what you’re given, you’ll get a date in the summer!

m*pp*t · 20-04-2021 9:32pm

I know this thread is a few weeks old, but just in case anyone is looking apparently Cork City is booked solid for civil ceremonies until at least September.
Does anyone by any chance know if any regions with availablity sooner? (Preferably in the Southern half of the country, but...)

Aquals · 20-04-2021 10:47pm

I phoned Cork city last month and they had no availability before October at that stage.

Killarney gave me July though, so they’d be worth a try if that part of the country took your fancy!

Alkers · 20-04-2021 11:23pm

m*pp*t wrote: »

I know this thread is a few weeks old, but just in case anyone is looking apparently Cork City is booked solid for civil ceremonies until at least September.
Does anyone by any chance know if any regions with availablity sooner? (Preferably in the Southern half of the country, but...)

Doesn't really help you but I know it's the same in Cavan and wicklow and worse in Dublin

m*pp*t · 20-04-2021 11:27pm

Thanks Aquals. I got a voicemail from the Killarney office today telling me they don't have booking appointments until around June.
But then again, I had an issue with booking appointments in Cork too and figured out that I could get that done sooner in Skibbereen. So maybe there'll be a regional Kerry office like that too that might work out. I'll try ringing again tomorrow.
Cheers!

Aquals · 20-04-2021 11:30pm

m*pp*t wrote: »

Thanks Aquals. I got a voicemail from the Killarney office today telling me they don't have booking appointments until around June.
But then again, I had an issue with booking appointments in Cork too and figured out that I could get that done sooner in Skibbereen. So maybe there'll be a regional Kerry office like that too that might work out. I'll try ringing again tomorrow.
Cheers!

Your marriage notification appointment must be at least three months before your wedding date (you probably already know this). But you can book this one online, and then phone them to book your wedding for any date more than three months after your first appointment. You could check availability for that initial appointment online now.

Aquals · 20-04-2021 11:37pm

I just did a quick check there and it looks like the earliest notification appointment in Killarney is currently the 18th June. So you could book that online and then phone them to book a wedding date any time from 18th Sept.

You can phone them to book the wedding date before you go to your notification appointment in June though. Like you could book your actual wedding date with them over the phone tomorrow.

Aquals · 20-04-2021 11:39pm

Oh also, your notification appointment can be in any registry office. It doesn’t even have to be in the same region as where you plan to get married!

m*pp*t · 21-04-2021 12:01am

Thanks a million Aquals. I'll get on the phone to them tomorrow. &#55357;&#56397;

How to book registry office

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