Congratulations that you have found true love!

For a marriage ceremony there are of course two options. You can either get married in a Civil Ceremony or in Church. If you wish to get married in St Mary’s Church in Howth there are a number of steps you have to take.
  • First of all, one of you should be a member of the Church of Ireland or a Church with which the Church of Ireland is in communion.
  • Before finalising a date and any other arrangements, please consult the Rector, Rev. Philip Heak (Tel 01 8323 019). It may be that someone else has already booked the Church for that date (it has happened!) or the Rector has already booked his holidays for that date (that has also happened).
  • Are either of you divorced? This does not preclude marriage in Church but the Rector is required to consult with the Archbishop.
  • Is one of you a member of the Roman Catholic Church? If you wish to remain in good standing with
    your Church, you will need to seek dispensation – your local Parish Priest will be able to advise you what steps you need to take.
  • Now you can go ahead and finalise your reception and your honeymoon:)
You will also need to make an appointment with the Civil Registrar of Marriages. This appointment must
be made a MINIMUM of 3 months prior to the marriage. The Registrar will issue you with a Marriage Registration Form. This must be produced on the day of the marriage – the ceremony cannot proceed in law without it. It will be signed in the course of the ceremony. The couple then return that to the Marriage Registrar who will then issue you with a marriage certificate.
Other important details
You will need to meet with the Rector to discuss details of the Service, what you will need to include on any service sheet in terms of hymns, readings and prayers.  The Service Sheet should not be printed until the final draft has been approved by the Rector.