The cost of a Celebrant in Ireland varies greatly for many reasons. Factors which may affect the cost of a Celebrant in Ireland include:
the type and style of ceremony you choose
travel distance to the ceremony venue
what is included as standard, and what can be added for extra cost
how competent, experienced (and in demand) the Celebrant is
how much the Celebrant must charge in order to pay their bills
If Celebrancy is a sideline or hobby to a regular paying job – their fee may be less
If Celebrancy is a sideline to a much higher paying career role – their fee may be more
Celebrancy is my career and no matter what kind or type of ceremonies I create & conduct, I am always honoured to be part of such a special day in people’s lives.
With over 25+ years experience in the art of ceremony & celebration, I know what an important decision it is to choose your Celebrant. I also know how everyone has different needs for their ceremony. So I have developed a range of VIP Packages to assist you in choosing a package which best suits your needs.
With every ceremony I create & conduct, you are my VIP.
Special days are made by special people .. and you are one of them Sharon.Thank-you so much for helping to create a wonderful day that we’ll never forget..how you told our story was romantic, funny and just magical. Thank-you. GN (the groom) Legal Marriage Maryborough Woods Hotel Cork City
In my homeland Australia it’s not unusual for Civil Marriage Celebrants to conduct 2, 3 or even 4 or more personalised and unique ceremonies in the same day, especially on weekends. When I get to conduct more than 1 ceremony in the same day here in Ireland, I am absolutely thrilled with the extra excitement it brings to the day!
Others claim to have a 1 ceremony per day policy for all ceremonies they “perform” – so they can “ensure your ceremony has their full attention”. This implies that others (like myself) who won’t hesitate to conduct more than 1 ceremony a day, won’t be capable of providing their full attention.
This claim is false on so many levels.
The mostexperienced and capable Celebrants (like myself and many others) won’t hesitate to conduct more than 1 ceremony a day if requested. Here’s a good question:
Would you ever trust a hairdresser who won’t ever book more than one client per day because they won’t be able to give each client the full attention they deserve ? Does that sound like a suitably experienced professional who is able to deal confidently and competently with the unexpected should it arise on your big day? I didn’t think so.
If you prefer that I don’t book any other ceremonies on your special day for any reason at all – that’s not a problem. You can choose my Exclusive VIP option – which guarantees that I won’t conduct any other ceremonies on your big day.
Many ceremonies I conduct will naturally fall into this category anyway due to their exclusive country location, which makes it impossible to conduct more than one ceremony per day, or being on a peak day, ie. when there is more traffic on the roads making it not at all ideal for more than one ceremony per day.
Celebrancy isn’t a performance you can rehearse and perform, because it’s never about acting on a stage. Celebrancy is real and when it’s at it’s best, it’s an authentic role which is now so fundamentally missing from our modern society, who have so drastically turned away from Religion on such a vast scale.
Despite the many reasons this cultural shift is happening, what Religion did for ceremony is that it preserved a certain level of authenticity and dignity by turning any ceremony into a meaningful and spectacular community event. When Religious ceremony is done well and with true honour and dignity held by a wonderful facilitator (and there are/were plenty of good ones!) Religion kept the Spirit and magic of ceremony alive!
For a ceremony without the Spirit and magic, is nothing more than a speech.
Now society is going full circle with the return of the art of ceremony to its indigenous roots – where the ceremony was never defined by doctrines of a Religion, but was instead defined by the wishes and requirements of the couple to get them off to a wonderful start and help to ensure their successful future together.
Celebrancy remains an essential community skill which is all about capturing the true Spirit and character of the couple and creating the special magic of the moment for them and their guests in the celebration of their new lives together.
No matter what kind of ceremony I create & conduct, the smiles at the conclusion of the ceremony is what makes all my efforts worthwhile,
With over 30 years experience in the art of ceremony – I have the expertise and experience you need to ensure your ceremony exceeds your expectations.
Not all Celebrants in Ireland are authorised to conduct legal marriages, and here’s why.
Here in Ireland there is an abundance of Celebrants who are HSE registered Marriage Solemnisers like myself and therefore duly authorised to conduct legal marriage ceremonies. However there is also a growing number of Celebrants who are not authorised to Solemnise legal marriages.
It’s very disturbing that some of the unauthorised Celebrants are using manipulative trickery in order to get their bookings from unsuspecting couples, like:
Using a misleading job title of “Registered Celebrant” to entice you to make contact with them.
Once you have contacted them, they will use more manipulative trickery like telling you that there is a shortage of Solemnisers so you won’t find one available on your wedding date because they are booked up for at least two years. (not true)
Or that if you choose a Registered Solemniser as your Celebrant your ceremony design will be restricted by the rules of the organisation the Solemniser belongs to. (partly true but very much depends which Solemniser you choose)
Some may tell you that to be legally married in Ireland with a unique & personalised non-Church ceremony, you must book them as your Celebrant for a non-legal wedding with your family & friends,, and “do the legals” with your witnesses in the Registry Office on a different day. (not true)
Every couple who wishes to get married in Ireland, must know the truth about their options for legal marriage in Ireland – only a Registered Solemniser can conduct a legal marriage.
There are 3 types of Celebrants who can legally marry you in Ireland:
Priest or Religious Clergy from a Religion or Religious Order, with or without a belief in God
HSE Civil Registrar from the Registry Office
Non-denominational Religious or Secular Solemnisers who don’t belong to a designated Religion or Religious Order.
I am in the number 3 type. I am a non-denominational Minister and I am duly authorised by the State to Solemnise legal marriage of any style to suit your wishes.
The best personnel to provide information to the public regarding getting legally married in Ireland are Registered Solemnisers, who have a full working knowledge of the Marriage Act.
If you wish to be legally married with personalised and meaningful ceremony created to your own wishes, without any need to attend the Registry Office on a separate day with your witnesses for a Registry Office marriage, you must choose a Registered Solemniser like myself as your Celebrant.
Some important facts are:
There is absolutely no shortage of Marriage Solemnisers in Ireland.
If you wish to be legally married in Ireland with a personalised ceremony of your own style, your celebrant must be duly authorised and recognised by the HSE as a Registered Solemniser of Marriages. (like myself)
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for an obligation-free quick chat to answer any questions you might have. I would be honoured to work with you.
All couples wishing to have their Irish wedding ceremony recognised as a legal marriage must lodge a “Notification of Intention to Marry” with the HSE. In order to do this in person, you must make an appointment with a HSE Civil Registration Office of your choice. The fee for this is currently €200.
If you are living outside of Ireland you can lodge your notification by post. Email the HSE Office most conenient to you and ask them what you need to do for postal lodgement. (You should never post originals of important documents as they may be lost in the post.)
There are some requirements to comply with:
you must lodge your NOIM with the HSE at least 3 months before your wedding date
and this can be done up to 12 months in advance of your wedding.
My advice for those who wish to be married less than 12 months from now, is to book your HSE appointment right away, even if you haven’t yet chosen your wedding venue or your celebrant/solemniser.
Make your appointment a good few weeks away, giving yourself plenty of time to choose your wedding venue and your Celebrant/Solemniser. If you haven’t yet chosen your Celebrant you may wish to read my article Can a Celebrant Legally Marry You for some essential advice that you should not be without.
If you email the HSE office located most conveniently to you they will confirm what documentation they need you to bring with you for your circumstances. Your documentation may include:
Capture of Data Form (Download from link below)
Full birth certificate
Photo ID
Plus anything else you are requested to bring – please ask your HSE office
It is not appropriate for me to advise the complete list of documents you need to bring to your HSE appointment as each situation can be different and usually is. Please ask your HSE Civil Registration office what documents they need from you.
At your HSE notification appointment if you have provided all the necessary information your marriage registration form/marriage licence (MRF) will be printed and given to you in the all-important “Green Folder”. You are required to bring your “Green Folder” and MRF with you to your wedding as your MRF is the legal document which needs to be signed during your ceremony.
If your wedding is less than 3 months away, you can obtain a court order to give you an exemption from the 3 months minimum notice. If your wedding is less than 3 months away and you would like to be legally married, please call me for advice as there are circumstances where the court order is granted and there are circumstances where it is not, so it is not appropriate for me to post that advice here online.
You should also be well on the way booking all your suppliers who are going to come together to make your big day happen!
Celebrant Guarantee
As a valued member of the Enchanted Ceremonies group of non-denominational Celebrants, Holistic Ministers & Solemnisers, there is always a backup Celebrant on hand in case of an unforeseen emergency - this is your Celebrant guarantee!
Your Special Day
If you believe your ceremony should be an important part of your special day, no matter how big or small your ceremony wishes may be, you have found the right place.
If you would like a ceremony as unique as you are - created to suit your own style, please don't hesitate to get in touch so I can answer any questions you might have - and to find out if I am available on your big day. I would be honoured to work with you!
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