Our Wedding was at home after dinner....

This week sees new rules for celebration of civil marriages in Ireland, allowing you to get married in your place and your own way! Soon there'll be no need to traipse off anywhere, you can do it all at home.... maybe even after dinner.

Other venues, than registry offices or Churches and Temples will very shortly be allowed to be used for marriage ceremonies provided they have the prior approval of the Health Service Executive. The details of the requirements have not, as yet been finalised.

According to reports private home-owners who organise a wedding in their house or grounds will be forced to admit members of the public, whether they are on the guest list or not. As a spokesman for the HSE stated approved wedding venues have to be open to the public. Therefore home owners and hotels will not be allowed to turn away members of the public, even if they were not invited to the wedding. The 2004 Civil Registration Act is due to come into force next month but the necessary regulation details have not yet been approved by the minister.

The other principal changes include:

Residency requirements for civil marriages will be abolished. The three months’ notification of intention to marry will have to be given to a registrar in person, rather than by post.

All couples giving notification must sign a ‘‘declaration of no impediment’’ and obtain a marriage registration form.This is issued by the registrar after they have completed the notification procedures and satisfied the registrar that they are free to marry.

More details here.