There is no shortage of fantastic venues in Wexford
Up to several years ago, the only place you could get married in Ireland was in a church or a Registry Office but the introduction of legislation allowing approved venues to conduct civil wedding ceremonies, opened up a host of alternative locations for intending couples.
You can now get married in a castle, a hotel, a country house or even a park if you wish, provided the venue is open to the public and is approved by a registrar in which the wedding is taking place.
The good news is that there is no shortage of fantastic venues of all sizes in County Wexford where you can say ‘I Do’ in an individualised way and celebrate afterwards with your family and friends.
The joy of having a civil ceremony is that everything happens under one roof, adding to the comfort and relaxation of the bride and groom and their guests and in many cases, providing a romantic backdrop for photographs into the bargain.
Most approved venues have dedicated wedding co-ordinators who work with the couple to organise a personalised ceremony and celebration that will create memories for many years to come, from details surrounding the flowers and the decor, to the menu and the music.
Some country venues provide marquee accommodation in which to host the ceremony and/or the wedding breakfast, which offers an informal garden atmosphere to the event.
An important point to remember though is that whether you are getting married in a civil or a church ceremony, you must give three months notice in advance to your local registry office of the date and location of the wedding and the name of your proposed solemniser as well as providing other relevant details documentation along with a notification fee. This is a requirement that often catches people out and it is not fulfilled by the venue.
If there are no legal obstacles to your marriage, you will be issued with a Marriage Registration Form which is the authorisation for your wedding to go ahead.
You can fill in an initial Capture of Data Form on the HSE website www.civilregistrationservice.ie.
Remember that if you are hiring a professional celebrant who is not on the official list of solemnisers or you are asking a friend or family member to conduct your ceremony, it will not be legally valid and you will still have to have a separate legal ceremony in a registry office, with a solemniser or at a registered venue.
An up-to-date official list of Active Solemnisers in Ireland is available on the HSE website. In County Wexford, it includes HSE registrars based in Ely Hospital at Ferrybank, Wexford and the Community
Care Centre at Mill Park Road, Enniscorthy, Gorey Health Centre and New Ross Health Centre as well as a large number of solemnisers in a variety of religions and faiths including an extensive list of Roman Catholic priests, Church of Ireland and Methodist ministers and representatives of the Religious Society of Friends, the Humanist Association of Ireland, the One Spirit Inter-Faith Foundation, the Assemblies of God (Ireland), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Page Life Rites (Ireland) and Gorey Christian Assembly.
Don’t forget the Marriage Registration Form on your wedding day, as you will both have to sign it along with your solemniser and two witnesses. It should then be returned to the Registrar’s office within 30 days and after that your marriage will be legally registered. You can then purchase a marriage certificate from the Births, Deaths and Marriages office of the HSE.
According to the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act , the place where a marriage solemnisation takes place, must be a building that is open to the public, or a courtyard, garden, yard, field or piece of ground that is open to the public and is near to and usually enjoyed with a building that is open to the public.
You can apply to have a venue approved by contacting the Registry Office in your area and this may involve the Registrar inspecting the venue. To ensure that the proposed venue is approved in time for the wedding, arrange for the approval well in advance. There will be an additional fee for a civil ceremony held in a venue other than a registry office.