YOUR WEDDING IN CLONDALKIN VILLAGE CHURCH
There are a number of points to remember to ensure that your preparations run smoothly.
1. Fix the Date at the Church.
As soon as you can you must set the date and time in the Sacristy Diary at the Church. The couple must do this together in person and not by telephone. And please do this before you book a Reception. Also, couples who do not live in Clondalkin Village parish but who would wish to use the Village Church for their wedding, should note the special regulations (in no. 7 below)
2. See the Registrar.
Since November 2007 couples must go and actually meet the Civil Registrar at least three months before the wedding to give notice of their intention to marry. This is a very strict civil law. For further information about how to make an appointment with the local Registrar, see the General Registrar’s Website at www.groireland.ie. The local Registrar will give you the Marriage Registration Form, the “MRF” which should be shown to the priest who is performing the ceremony on your first visit to ensure that the details are correct.
3. See your Priest/s
You must go to see your priest/s at least 3 months before the wedding. Usually the Bride goes to see the priest of her home parish - who later performs the Wedding Ceremony - and the Groom sees the priest of his home parish. Expect to meet your priest three times before the wedding in order to complete the Marriage Papers, (the “Pre Nuptial Enquiries”). When you are booking your wedding at the Sacristy you can find out the best time to make an appointment with the priest who is performing the ceremony. When you go to the priest the first time you should have your documents with you.
4. Your Documents
Since your Church wedding is also a civil event, both Church and State require certain documents.
- Firstly, as a couple, you will need to have the Registrar’s ‘MRF’. Then individually you will each need to get:
- A new Baptismal Certificate from the Church where you were christened.
- You may need a Confirmation Certificate from the Church in which you were confirmed if the fact of your Confirmation is not included on the Baptismal certificate. (It usually is).
- If you have lived somewhere other than where you now live, you’ll need a Letter of Freedom from any parish you’ve lived in for more than 6 months since you were 18 years old.
5. Preparing together
We all know that it’s easier to get marriage certificate than it is to get a driver’s licence! While some people may find it sensible to take lessons in driving skills before going on the road they can hesitate when it comes to hints about interpersonal relations that are involved in marriage. Don’t dismiss the techniques of keeping love alive as ‘common sense’. There are different kinds of Marriage Preparation Courses, given by experienced folk, geared to different kinds of couples. Ask Accord – bookings are made through the central office (01) 478 0866 or admin@dublin.accord.ie - about the different courses available. But ring soon as they fill up early. Accord Clondalkin is at ‘St Kevin’s’ on Monastery Road, tel. 459 3467
6. Preparing for the Ceremony
On your final ‘documents visit’ to the priest, you should consult with him if you intend to have a special Wedding Mass Booklet printed and you may like to make an appointment for the ‘Rehearsal’ – usually about a week before the Big Day.
Please note: you should have your music and flowers arrangements made before the Rehearsal. Your flower arrangersshould contact the Sacristan (tel. 459 3520 or 403 7477) at least a week in advance of the ceremony to enable them to gain access to the church at an appointed time. NOTE ALSO: If your priest is a visitor to Clondalkin the sacristan must be contacted concerning a rehearsal time in the Church
7. A Note for Couples who do not live in Clondalkin Village Parish
Couples who do not live in Clondalkin Village are welcome to celebrate their marriage in our beautiful village church – subject to some conditions. Firstly, they will have to have their own priest to celebrate the wedding. And secondly, following the recent extensive and costly renovations of the Village Church, the Parish Council has asked that couples from outside the village parish should contribute a church offering of €150 which should be paid at the point of booking their wedding date in the Church Diary