Sacrament of Marriage

Sacrament of Marriage

Congratulations! We are happy that you have decided to get married. We wish you every joy and God’s blessings. We hope that your life together will be a happy and fulfilling experience.

Receiving the Sacrament of Marriage  in Enfield + Rathmolyon Parish
Couples who plan to receive this sacrament must contact the Parish Office to check availability of the desired date. If the date is available, couples will then be advised to fill in a booking form, obtainable from the parish office.

If you wish the Parish Priest  to conduct your marriage ceremony, check the date and time with him to make sure that he is available. Couples are advised to discuss the ceremony with the officiating priest – readings, hymns, marriage rite etc.

Marriage Preparation
A Marriage Preparation Course is an opportunity for couples to take time out from the planning of their Wedding Day, to focus on their relationship.

All of this takes place in the company of other couples preparing for Marriage and with the assistance of trained facilitators, themselves experienced in Marriage. These preparation courses highlight the core elements of relationships and the course concentrates on exploring these.

You should contact ACCORD and register for your pre-marriage course at least 6 months in advance. It is advisable to book early, as these courses are usually heavily booked.

What couples need to do before their wedding day

1. The Church law requires a minimum of six months notice of your intention to marry.
2. The date and time of the wedding is arranged with the Parish Office.
3. Weddings are not celebrated on Sundays, holy days, or Holy Week .
4. A pre-nuptial inquiry form must be completed in the parish of your residence.                                 To complete the form you will need:
   • Baptismal certificate (issued within the past six months)
   • Confirmation certificate
   • Letter of freedom from previous parishes
   • Letter of Freedom signed by commissioner of oaths.
   • Pre marriage course certificate
   • Permissions and dispensations where applicable need to be applied for. If either party has been previously married, it is essential that freedom to marry be established before any marriage arrangements can be confirmed.

Civil Requirements
At least three months before the wedding, you must arrange to meet in person a civil registrar, to give the required three months notice of your intention to marry. You will receive the Marriage Registration Form (MRF) from the civil registrar. Without this document your marriage cannot take place. You must show this form to the priest when the pre nuptial forms are being filled out, to check that details are correct. This MRF form is the sole responsibility of the wedding couple, and you must ensure that you present it to the priest officiating at the wedding on the day of your marriage, to be signed. You must return the signed MRF form to any civil registrar no later than one month after the wedding.

Guidelines for the Ceremony
The ceremony is prepared with the priest who will celebrate the Wedding Ceremony

Couples who wish to marry in Enfield + Rathmolyon Parish  must comply with the following guidelines:

1. In the celebration of the marriage ceremony the readings must be taken from scripture and the marriage rite and all other prayers from the marriage ritual.
2. The Music should be appropriate to the celebration of the sacrament. This should be discussed with the priest well in advance of the celebration.
3. Flower arrangements are a beautiful adornment to any ceremony. However, they should not be ostentatious to distract from what is happening, nor should they impede the congregation’s view of the altar, which is reserved for the celebration of the Eucharist.  For this reason the unity candles should not be placed on the altar table, but on a table near the ambo.
4. The signing the Marriage Registration Form takes place at a table in the sanctuary.
5. Outside the Church
   • No rice confetti etc may be tossed in the Church grounds.
   • A drinks reception on the church grounds is not permitted.
6. Punctuality: Out of consideration for all concerned the bride and groom should be present on time as delay inconveniences everyone.
7. Photographer/video technician

Please present these guidelines to your photographer/video technician

A video recording and photographs of the ceremony are permitted on the understanding that:

1. • For the integrity of the ceremony, photographers and the video technicians should not distract or disturb the ceremony e.g. lots of movement.
   • The photographer or video technician should not enter the sanctuary area.
   • The photographer and/or the video technician are asked to introduce themselves to the priest conducting the ceremony before the beginning of the ceremony and not to record private moments like the receiving of Holy Communion

Getting Married in a Catholic Church Abroad
All couples wishing to celebrate their marriage abroad must firstly fill in a form available from the parish office. This form requests the name of the Diocese in which the ceremony is taking place, the name of the church in which the marriage is being celebrated, the name and address of the officiating priest, a letter from the officiating priest stating his willingness to celebrate the sacrament, and the date of the ceremony.

All Church papers for weddings abroad (pre-nuptial enquiry forms) are to be completed at least six months prior to the date for the marriage.

All papers for marriages abroad when completed in your parish are then sent to the diocesan office for onward transmission to the Diocese where the marriage is to take place. Papers sent to the diocesan office must be accompanied by €100 to cover expenses. In Irish law the obligation to oversee the civil registration of marriage rests with the couple. The civil registration of marriages differs from country to country.