How to get legally married in Ireland

[springhaze]

I've read the rules on getting married in Ireland published on the GRO site, but there are a couple of points that are still unclear...

1) I know we have to give three months notice...but three months before when? Is it three months before the wedding date, or three months before the appointment with the registrar to supply paperwork, etc?

2) Following from #1, when is the initial appointment with the registrar usually done? Is it during the three month period of notice, or afterwards?

3) It seems clear that my fiance and I (we're British and American, btw, and not living in Ireland) need to reside in the relevant district for 7 days before meeting with the registrar. We were planning on making a holiday out of it and then give notice after the 7 days had elapsed...then coming back several months later just for the wedding, staying in Ireland 2-3 days tops. I'm assuming that's an okay plan, are there any legal issues with this?

4) Finally, once we do officially meet with the registrar and give notice then, how long does that permission to marry last? I know we can't marry for 22 days after the appointment, but I've seen varying things online saying that we either have to get married within three months, or that we have a year to marry after fulfilling residence criteria/meeting with the registrar. Does anyone know which it is?

If anyone can help with these questions, it would be most appreciated!

[yankeegirl]

I'll try to help on this one; if I get anything wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.

The three months notice is given at least three months before the intended wedding date. The appt with the registrar is done after the 7 days residence but before the wedding ceremony.

So, step #1 would be to give three months notice. It's ok to do this, say 6 months before you want to marry; you just cannot get married within that first three month period after serving notice.
Step#2 reside in the district where you wish to marry for 7 days.
Step #3 in person appointment at the registrars office
Step #4 get married

I think once you have permission to marry, it is valid for one year; I'm not sure about this so you might want to call the registrar wherever you are looking to get married.

Just an FYI, I have heard it can take a while to get an appointment to get married in Dublin. Not sure if that's where you were thinking, but wanted to give you a heads up.

Good luck!

[Platinum]

My husband and I are also a British/American couple, though in our case, we're actually living in Ireland.

We thought about getting married here, but the hassle was just not worth it.

It's true that in Dublin, even after you've done all the waiting period/residency requirement stuff, getting a date for the actual wedding with the registrar is a long business. Last I heard, everything was booked up at least six months in advance.

Also, it seems clear to me the rules of residency, etc., are there to ensure that the registrar is providing services for residents of the county/city/whatever. I don't know what their attitude would be if it's clear you don't live here, even if you follow the actual laws to the letter.

Good luck, anyway! We looked up the procedure for an Irish wedding, and promptly decided "No way" and went elsewhere.

[joesoap101]

I agree, save yourself the grief and get married somewhere else.. perhaps northern Ireland might be a better idea?

[springhaze]

Thanks everyone for your help and input! I've done some calling around to registry offices and found out some more info, and we are going to go ahead with it. We're taking a trip to Ireland later this year to satisfy the residency requirement, and the fact that we don't normally live in the country isn't an issue. We're definitely not in a rush to get married, so even though the process is quite slow we have the luxury of time