Pre-Nuptial Enquiry

Getting married in a Catholic Church in Ireland.

Once engaged, one of the first things to organise is your ceremony. If you decide to have a religious ceremony in a Catholic Church, you need to choose a church and also the priest (solemniser) to officiate in the ceremony. Every couple getting married in the Catholic Church is required to give at least three months notice. Arrange to meet your priest to discuss the marriage ceremony. He will go through the format of the ceremony, and discuss the different options. The sacrament of marriage can be celebrated within a Mass or as a shorter ceremony without the Communion. The choice is up to the couple.

The Paperwork
Both the bride and groom will need to complete a Pre Nuptial Enquiry Form. This forms part of the paperwork for the church. This paperwork should not be confused with the civil registration paperwork required by the State. The bride and groom must meet with a priest from their own parish who completes the Pre Nuptial Enquiry. The form indicates that you are a full member of the Catholic Church, that you are free to marry, and that you are a mature adult who understands the sacrament of marriage, and accepts the responsibilities of marriage.

You must provide the following to the priest:

A recently issued copy of your Baptismal Certificate (from the parish where you were baptised)
A recently issued copy of your Confirmation Certificate (from the parish where you were confirmed)
A Letter of Freedom from each parish you have lived in for more than 6 months since you were 18 (from the Parish Priest which states that you have not been married before)

These documents form part of the Pre Nuptial Enquiry which is then sent to the parish where the marriage ceremony is taking place.

A Sample Pre Nuptial Enquiry can be viewed here:

http://www.gettingmarried.ie/documents/prenuptial_enquiry.pdf