“The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by Him with its own proper laws. . . . God Himself is the author of marriage." - Catechism of the Catholic Church

Wedding Booking Form

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Wedding Booking Form (Fillable PDF)

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MULLINGAR PARISH

5 STEPS TO ORGANISE YOUR WEDDING

 Congratulations on your engagement.

We are looking forward to help you with your wedding plans.

 Step 1: When you decide to get married

First of all, contact the parish office to book the church where you would like your wedding to take place. A booking form is available online at www mullingarparish.ie or through the parish office (044) 9348338.  When booking the church and seeking a preferred date, you can arrange with the priest celebrate your Nuptials.

As bride and groom, you both complete the booking form, and both the Parish Office and this priest will set the date in the parish diary.

 A sacristy fee of €250 is also required. This payment covers the use of the church, goes towards the church costs (lighting, heating, insurance, grounds) and towards the sacristan who will be attending to your needs on the days prior to and on day of the wedding. The parish secretary will note this payment and acknowledge it.

It will be your responsibility to contact the Registrar of Marriages and begin the process of notification to the State for your wedding to take place. It is important that the priest you ask to celebrate your wedding is registered as a solemniser.

 Step 2

A Pre-Marriage Course is required to be undertaken in order to get married in the Church. Details and Booking of Pre-Marriage Course can be accessed with ACCORD (www.accord.ie)

 Step 3

After you have completed the Pre-Marriage Course, contact the Parish office to complete the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry

 Step 4:

The Parish or Priest can supply a soft copy of the Wedding Ceremony that contains the choice of Readings, Mass text, Prayers of the Faithful.

 Step 5:

Closer to the ceremony Arrange/Confirm Rehearsal Date and Time

Paperwork

Church

Church Papers are completed in the parishes where the bride and groom reside.

The paperwork should be completed at least 3 months prior to your wedding.

You must both obtain the following certificates as soon as possible so that you can meet with the priest in the parish that you currently reside in to complete the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form

Baptismal Certificate:

If you were baptised in one of the churches in Mullingar you will not need to get this certificate. Otherwise you should contact the parish of your baptism seeking a new baptismal certificate. When contacting the priest or parish office please inform them of your date of birth and parents names.

Confirmation Certificate:

If you received your confirmation in Mullingar parish you will not require this certificate. Otherwise you should contact the parish from which you were confirmed seeking a confirmation certificate. You will need to indicate the primary school you attended and the year of your confirmation. In cases where parish place of baptism and confirmation are the same these may be recorded on the one form.

Declaration of Freedom

A letter from a family member (parent or sibling) should be addressed to the priest stating that you are over 18, your religion and that you have not been married before in either a religious or civil ceremony. Please note letters of freedom are no longer required from individual parishes in which you have previously resided.

Pre Marriage Course Certificate:

When you have completed a Pre- Marriage Course you will receive a certificate. This should be given to the priest when finalising the church paperwork.

Permissions and Dispensations

Where applicable, need to be applied for. If you or your fiancé have been previously married or are non - Catholic, it is essential that freedom to marry be established before any marriage arrangements can be confirmed.

All of the above forms should be brought with you when filling in the Pre -Nuptial Enquiry Form (with the priest of the parish you live) and will be included with the papers being forwarded or filed

State

You must receive permission from the Registrar of Marriages for your wedding to take place. You should as soon as possible contact the registrar's office and arrange a one-to-one meeting. If this is not done within the time-frame and requirements, the priest will not be allowed by the state to perform the ceremony. If the priest celebrating the wedding lives outside Ireland, he will have to be registered as a 'temporary solemniser'. For details contact the registrar's office in Mullingar at (044) 9395098 or any registrar's office in any county.

Mullingar Parish Marriage Guidelines

The church ceremony is one of the main parts of your day and we hope that it will be full of meaning and one that expresses beautifully the vows you make at the altar.

There are five churches in our parish Cathedral of Christ the King, St.Paul's, Gainstown, Walshestown and Brotenstown. Some of which may be more suitable depending on the size of your wedding.

General:

1. Wedding ceremonies are usually at 2pm. Weddings can to take place earlier by arrangement.

2. Under diocesan regulations weddings are not permitted on Sundays.

3. For details on the various wedding Mass texts, including all the Scripture readings and options on the vows, you should check out www.gettingmarried.ie, or www.accord.ie, or your priest.

Taking Part in the Wedding Mass:

I. There are two readings (First and Second Readings) from the Old and New Testament, with the Responsorial Psalm sung by the Wedding Cantor.

2. Couples usually ask family members and friends to read 'Prayers of the faithful'. Normally there are 4 -6 prayers included in the ceremony.

3. The gifts of bread and wine are often brought to the altar by family members.

4. It can be helpful, but not necessary, to have a Mass booklet for the ceremony.

The Celebration of Marriage can also take place outside of Holy Mass.

Music:

Sacred Music can play an important part in the ceremony. There is now a wide range of new church music which is suitable to the wedding Mass. There are a number of good church musicians in the parish and they will help you to ensure that the ceremony is beautiful and prayerful.

1. The Parish Director of Sacred Music and Chant/Organist is Mr. Will Woods. He can be contacted through the parish office (044 9348338)

2. All musicians are obliged to follow diocesan regulations regarding music. Only church music/hymns are appropriate.

3. Couples are prohibited from using streamed or recorded music during the ceremony.

Flowers:

Guidelines have been issued to all florists in Mullingar. If you have another florist from outside this area, please provide them with a copy of our guidelines from the parish office.

2. Flowers should never obscure the visibility of the altar or lectern. Flower arrangements and wedding candles are placed on a table in the sanctuary.

3. For safety reasons, candles are not permitted in the aisles or attached to seats and no additional candles are permitted on the sanctuary

4. Flowers in the sanctuary are welcomed to be donated to the Church.

5. Florists are responsible for safety issues arising from their activity, and should be covered by their own insurance. The Parish can Florists should supply their own equipment and ensure that it meets proper safety standards. Any spillages or leaks onto floors should be attended to immediately.

Photographers:

1. The photographer is to meet the priest before the ceremony begins in the sacristy. Each photographer should discuss beforehand his/her expectations with the priest.

2. Photographers may discreetly use the sanctuary, keeping attention to the sacredness of the area.

3. Group photographs may be taken outside the church.

4. Photographers should not delay the start of the ceremony, nor be a source of distraction to the ceremony.

Video Personnel:

1. All video personnel to meet the priest before the ceremony begins in the sacristy.

2. A discreet presence should be kept during the ceremony, and are expected to act with respectful discretion, in keeping with the sacredness of the occasion and building.

3. Video recorders should be battery powered (ie. no electric leads). For insurance reasons, no auxiliary lighting or scaffolding is permitted.

4. Tripod should be located in one spot and remain there for the ceremony.

5. Access to the balcony in the Cathedral is not permitted.

Further Points

I. Please do not interfere with any of the church furnishings (including seats, notice boards, candelabras).

2. For safety reasons the addition of a red carpet on the Cathedral steps or on the aisle of the Cathedral is not permitted.

3. Confetti should not be used in church grounds.

4. It is normal for the groom and groomsman to occupy the front seat at least fifteen minutes beforehand. This enables them to deal with any last minute details, as well as having a final word with the priest.

5. It is courteous for the bride to arrive on time. This allows the maximum time afterwards as other liturgies may be arranged for the church.

6. It is customary for the couple to give an offering to the priest who celebrated the wedding. The stipend is an offering given by the couple to the priest to express thanks for the work done in preparation for the wedding and the priest's care and attention on the day itself If you want guidance on this, please feel free to ask the priest.

We trust the above will help you and facilitate us in providing a beautiful occasion for your wedding.

Getting Married Abroad

Couples intending to get married abroad should note that they need to take extra care and time with their paperwork to make sure that the State and Church requirements for their marriage are met.

Both the Bride and Groom need to complete the form 'Additional Information for Marriages arranged outside the Diocese of Meath'  This form is available from the parish office. In particular, it is necessary to provide us with a letter from the parish abroad, indicating it's agreement for the wedding to take place. You then need to obtain the paperwork outlined above.

The Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form needs to be completed in the presence of the priest of your parish at least 4 months before your wedding. As the wedding is abroad, these papers have to be sent to the local diocesan office which forwards them to the diocesan office abroad and on to the parish where the wedding is due to take place. The local diocesan office applies a €100 fee for this process.

The paperwork takes time to gather and process so please allow yourself adequate time to get all this done.

Alongside satisfying Church requirements you need to find out the State requirements in the country of your proposed wedding. You should do this by contacting the Department of Foreign Affairs (01) 4780822.