Requirements

First Steps

1. Check availability of Kells or Girley Church at the Parish Office (046 924 0213) or e mail and contact the local priest (the solemniser) well in advance [email protected].
   The booking of the Church for the marriage is deemed to be provisional until the freedom of the couple to marry in the Church is established.
   If either party is a member of our Parish, there will be no fee for the use of the church
2. All couples must complete the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry and related forms in their local parish at least six months before they wish to get married.
3. Contact ACCORD (www.gettingmarried.ie), Navan or another Accord Centre and register for pre-marriage course, at least 6 months in advance. Phone 046 902 3146
4. Civil Preparation For Marriage
   Under a directive from the Civil Registrar’s Office (Sept 2007), couples must present themselves to the Civil Registrar at least 3 months before the date of the marriage. Along with personal data, the couple must give the name of the solemniser (priest)of the marriage to the Registrar.
   The Civil Registrar in time will give a Civil Registration Form to the couple.
   On the day of the marriage, the couple must take this Civil Form for signing to the Church .
   After signing by the Couple, Witnesses (best man and bridesmaid) and Priest, the couple must then return the Signed Form to the Registrar’s Office within 1 month of the marriage.
   The address of the Registrar’s Office is Meath Enterprise Centre, Trim Rd, Navan. Phone 046 902 3209.

Marriage Papers

1. Marriage Course completed, you may start arranging your papers.
   Couples themselves should approach either of the priests or the Parish Office. The couple must then complete a Marriage Booking Form. This form acts as a check-list well ahead of the wedding so as to ensure that, when it comes to filling out the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry Form, no serious obstacles arise.
2. Get a copy of your Baptismal Cert (issued within the previous 6 months) from the Church, where you were baptised.
3. Get a Confirmation Certificate from the church where you were confirmed.
4. Fill in a Prenuptial inquiry form with your local priest.
   The Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form ought to be completed no later than six months before the wedding is due to be celebrated.
5. If you do not reside in Kells fill in a prenuptial form with your own local priest. He will then forward same to Kells.

The Wedding Ceremony

1. Couples are advised to discuss the ceremony with the officiating priest – readings, hymns, marriage rite etc.
2. The Sacristan will prepare the Church on the day -he would appreciate greatly any details – gifts, mics for singing, altar servers etc.
3. The use of extra candles in Kells and Girley Church for wedding decoration is strictly disallowed under Church Insurance requirements. Flower decoration is recommended but removal of existing liturgical presentations is not allowed. Advice from the Sacristan is necessary.

We try to make your Wedding Day a most memorable occasion and these suggestions should help avoid any unnecessary complications both leading up to and on the actual day. If you have any further suggestions to make, please contact one of the priests or the Parish Office.

Marriages Outside Ireland

It is important that couples planning to get married abroad must contact the local priest before making any arrangements with a travel agent or wedding co-ordinator.

The Irish College in Rome, however, provide, a good information service for weddings in Rome and can indicate the protocol and freedom required by Church and State.

Marriage Papers prepared by the local priest are then forwarded to the Bishop’s Office for onward transmission to the Diocese where the marriage is to take place. The Prenuptial Enquiry Form for foreign weddings is to be completed at least six months prior to the date of the marriage. Marriage papers completed outside this time frame are liable to be rejected by the Chancery of the Diocese where the marriage is to take place.

The Diocesan Office undertakes to do the following

• Having examined the Pre-Nuptial forms a Testimonial Letter is granted indicating that all is in order for the Church celebration of the marriage.
• The NIHIl OBSTAT of the relevant Diocese is sought, requesting permission for the marriage to proceed.
• The papers will be dispatched to the relevant chancery (by registered post) and a copy of the documentation will be retained until the wedding date.
• Couples are warned of the impossibility of ensuring the bona fides of every priest nominated to celebrate the marriage abroad. The Diocesan Office simply transmits the papers to the relevant Diocese and cannot be sure of the status of the proposed celebrant therein. Couples are advised to raise the matter with their travel agent or wedding co-ordinator, where applicable.
• A charge of €100 should accompany all papers for marriages abroad (apart from Rome).

For some further relevant information:

• www.gettingmarried.ie
• www.gettingmarried.ie/pages/index.php?nd=10&art=18