Your Celebrant has one of the biggest responsibilities of your wedding day.   If you have chosen wisely, you will have a beautiful ceremony that your guests will be talking about for years to come, and for all the right reasons.  

One challenge facing couples who wish to be married in Ireland with a non-church ceremony – is finding the right advice about their ceremony options.

The Marriage Act provides for three types of Celebrants who can conduct legal marriages in Ireland:

• Civil:  An employee of the HSE Civil Registration Office (Civil Celebrant)
• Secular:  A Celebrant who belongs to an organisation with Secular beliefs, including those who belong to a Religion with a defined set of rules and beliefs, but without any belief in God or Spirituality. (non-Theistic)
• Religious: A broad category which includes type a) Celebrants who belong to an Organised Religion, such as Priests, Pastors of a Church, Rabbi’s etc. but which also includes type b) non-Denominational Celebrants who don’t belong to a specific Religion but have a Spiritual purpose for community benefit.

In Ireland there is also a 4th type of Celebrant, a lay Celebrant who doesn’t belong to a Secular or Religious organisation.  Anyone can become a lay Celebrant without any specific or detailed training.  There are even “quickie” weekend trainings available and also online courses for anyone to very quickly become a lay Celebrant. 

The Marriage Act prohibits lay Celebrants from becoming Registered as Solemnisers because there is a huge responsibility in Solemnising Marriages.   It is therefore essential that the training of Registered Solemnisers must remain in the strict control of the Government.

With so many lay Celebrants now in Ireland, there are also many myths circulating about Marriage Solemnisers.  Now it’s time to fact-check those myths!

1. If you choose a Celebrant who is a member of a Secular or Religious body, the design of your wedding ceremony will be restricted to their rules. FALSE
   
2. You just won’t find a Registered Solemniser available, because there are not enough Registered Solemnisers in Ireland. FALSE
   
3. You won’t find a Solemniser available because they are all booked ahead for 2 years,  FALSE
4. The only way to be married in Ireland with a ceremony designed your way, is to choose a Celebrant to create your  non-legal wedding ceremony to your wishes and requirements, and “do your legals” with HSE and your witnesses on a different day.  FALSE
5. The only way you can be legally married outdoors, in a forest, by the cliffs, or by the sea, is to “do your legals” with the HSE on a different day, and engage a lay Celebrant to conduct a non-legal wedding ceremony at your outdoor location.  FALSE
   

I am duly authorised and Registered to Solemnise Marriages in Ireland.  I will help you to design, create & conduct a unique & personalised marriage ceremony of any style to suit your needs.  This can be a fully legal marriage ceremony, non-legal symbolic wedding ceremony, funeral or any other family ceremony of your needs.

Through my helpful advice and ideas gained from over 30 years of experience in my homeland Australia, I will inspire you to discover your own unique ceremony style no matter what that might be.

Do you wish to have a civil ceremony Australian style, a humanist style non-religious ceremony, Spiritual ceremony, with or without a Religous feel or a mixed faith ceremony – or any combination in between?   Your ceremony will be individually crafted to suit your own wishes and requirements all the way – limited only by your imagination.

Please don’t hesitate to give me a call to find out how easy it is to have the unique & personalised marriage ceremony of your dreams.

Are you having trouble answering questions on your “capture of data form” in preparation for your marriage notification appointment?

Are you further confused by the myriad of “expert” websites with so many different and conflicting explanations of what ceremony types exist in Ireland?

That’s not surprising at all, because the explanation of the ceremony types available in Ireland do vary greatly depending on who you speak to.  The best person to consult regarding explanation of terminology in the Marriage Act is a person who is registered to conduct and solemnise legal marriages.  As a registered solemniser of marriages, I am required to abide by and therefore have a faultless knowledge of the Marriage Act of Ireland.

I will explain the three ceremony types described in the Marriage Act, and on your “capture of data form”.  The three ceremony types in the Marriage Act are Civil, Secular and Religious.

A Civil ceremony is another name for a government registry office marriage ceremony.

A Secular ceremony is a legal marriage ceremony conducted by a registered solemniser of marriages who is a member of an organisation without any belief in God. therefore the ceremony will have no spirituality or belief in God.  There is one exception to this, Celtic Monk Darra Molloy on Aran Islands who conducts beautiful ceremonies in indigenous celtic tradition.

A Religious or Spiritual ceremony is a legal marriage ceremony conducted by a solemniser registered with a religious body.  A religious body can be one of two types, either 1. a recognised Church or a Spiritual mission with a defined purpose, or 2. an non-denominational Religious organisation with a defined purpose matching set criteria.    A non-denominational Celebrant can conduct ceremonies to suit your own style and requirements.

I invite you to take some time to browse my website and learn more about me and my work, including some of the many testimonials I have received not only from couples I have had the honour to work with over the years, but also from their family & friends.

I would be honoured to work with you to create your unique & personalised ceremony of your dreams no matter how big or how small. 

Please don’t hesitate to call me to see if I am available for your big day.

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Have you been dreaming of a unique & personlised, enchanted & magical fully legal forest or outdoor wedding ceremony in Ireland but heard there is no way it can possibly be done as a real legal marriage?

Have you been bombarded with misleading information from various mis-informed sources claiming that it’s just not possible to be legally married in a forest or outdoor wedding in Ireland due to the strict rules of the Marriage Act? 

It’s no mistake that you are reading this right now, I am so happy to tell you that the above is not true at all.

I am registered to solemnise legal marriages in Ireland, which means I am required to have an extensive and faultless knowledge of the Marriage Act.  This means that I have the expertise and experience necessary to provide you with 100% correct advice regarding your choices for legal marriage in Ireland, including your magical forest wedding.

The great news for you is Yes you can have your unique & personalised, enchanted and magical fully legal forest wedding ceremony with all your dearest family and friends right there with you as witnesses and yes your legal marriage ceremony can be created in any style to suit your beliefs & wishes.   Ireland really is one of the most magical and enchanting places in the world for a unique & personalised and fully legal forest wedding ceremony and there are so many beautiful forests to choose from.

So – how is this possible?   It’s very simple – follow these steps and you are well on your way!

1. First thing to consider is your ceremony.  For a truly unique & personalised enchanted & magical non-denominational legal wedding ceremony designed & created to your own beliefs & wishes, on any day of the week, at any location of your choice you need a registered solemniser who is duly authorised to conduct fully personalised non-denominational legal marriage ceremonies of any style.  (That’s me!)
2. Next, you need to hire your very own wedding forest!  Yes that’s right, there are a virtually unlimited number of enchanted & magical wedding forests available for hire in Ireland, and the best part is that they all come complete with a nearby luxury guest house, hotel, mansion house or enchanted castle for your wedding reception & celebrations after!  Which also ensures you have a nearby no-fuss built-in plan B ceremony location in case of weather not agreeing perfectly! 
   With our unpredictable weather, this is always the best way.

You have come to the right place.  I would be honoured to work with you to create your enchanted & magical legal forest wedding ceremony of your dreams!  Please don’t hesitate to call me to see if I am available for your big day.

Sharon Q.

Ceremony Officiant / Registered Solemniser of Marriages / Lover of Enchanted & Magical Forest Weddings

SHAI Registered Sound Therapist, Yoga Alliance RYT200 Registered Yoga & Meditation teacher, MBII Registered Positive Mind Coach, Community Volunteer, Musician, Visionary, Creator of dreams
= Earth Spiritualist Interfaith Minister

Tel: +353 (0) 858 313 43

This is one of the most common questions I am asked by couples and also one of the most common mis-conceptions about non-religious marriage ceremonies, and here’s why:

When couples ask me if I can give them a humanist ceremony, what they really mean is can I give them a non-religious ceremony.  A ceremony without any mention of a God or deities, and without any spiritual or religious feel to the ceremony.  Followers of the Humanism movement must abide by strict rules which dictate that there must be no belief in any God, or any deities.   So a humanist ceremony won’t ever refer to anything being divine, holy or spiritual.  Also within the strict rules of the humanism movement, any belief in spirituality or superstitions of any kind is also strictly forbidden. 

I am from Australia where non-religious and humanist-style ceremonies have been a way of life for over 40 years   I have extensive experience creating and conducting non-religious and humanist style ceremonies of all kinds but I also have an added advantange.   I create & conduct truly non-denominational ceremonies, which means is that you make your own ceremony design rules without any restrictions. 

With me as your ceremony officiant you are free to include any traditional ceremony ideas of your choice.  Your marriage ceremony can therefore include handfasting, lighting candles, pouring sand, ring warming, ring exchange and any other traditional wedding ceremony ideas which are prohibited in a humanist ceremony due to having their origins in a superstitious belief of casting good luck for the couples marriage and their future together.

With me as your ceremony officiant, I can give you the most flexibility with your non-religious ceremony design options.

Sharon Q.

Ceremony Officiant / Registered Solemniser

Tel: +353 (0) 858 313 43

Consumer Protection Ireland has provided the following guidance:

in regards to refund of booking deposits paid in advance for a wedding postponed due to pandemic restrictions:

If you have found it necessary to postpone your wedding day, and any of your wedding suppliers have not been able to change to your new wedding date with the same quality standard of service you originally booked them for, which includes the same day of the week as your original booking, you are eligible for a full refund of any part payments made in advance including booking deposits.   But only if your wedding day can’t proceed as originally planned due to government restrictions in place on that date.   This also includes government restrictions in place limiting the numbers of guests.  If you postpone your wedding to a later date, because your original date has restrictions on the number of guests, for example you had invited 300 guests but you are now limited to 100 guests, and you want to postpone your wedding date to ensure that everyone on your guestlist can attend, you are entitled to any refunds due for booking deposits paid on your original date.

However if there are no government restrictions of any kind in place on your original wedding date, you are not entitled to a refund of booking deposits if you postpone your wedding “just in case”.

According to the consumer laws in Ireland, a booking deposit is not a separate fee.  A booking deposit is a part-payment of services to be provided on a certain date. 

Direct from the Consumer Protection website:

Deposits

When you buy goods and services you are sometimes asked to pay a deposit e.g. if you order furniture or book a wedding venue.  When you pay a deposit you are paying a percentage of the price of a good or service and it means you are entering into a contract with the business.  In general and in normal situations you will be entitled to your deposit back:

• If the business cannot deliver the goods or provide the service you agreed to purchase.
• If the business cannot deliver the goods or service on the agreed delivery date and the new delivery date is not acceptable to you.

However, given the current situation we are in due to COVID-19 we would suggest that in the first instance you talk to the business to see if you can make an alternative arrangement that suits you both.  If not you should try and negotiate with them to see if you can get some or all of your deposit back.

If after following the above step you are not happy with the outcome and you have bought instore and the business refuses to return your deposit, you may have to take legal action. If your claim is less than €2,000, you can use the Small Claims procedure to try and resolve the issue. If you place a deposit or part payment online you have a right to cancel the contract and seek a refund, with some exceptions. For more information see our  buying on-line section.

If you change your mind about the good or service and decide not to go ahead with the contract, the business may not be obliged to refund you your deposit. If it is not set out in the terms or conditions or you did not agree anything at the point of sale, the business is not obliged to refund you the deposit.

You can read the full web page here on the Consumer Protection Ireland website:

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/covid-19/consumer-contracts/

If your supplier contract doesn’t specifically include a pandemic “Force Majeure” or “act of God” clause, or you have no written contract with your supplier at all, and the supplier has not spent any chargeable time or incurred any chargeable expenses for necessary preparations for your wedding day, then a full refund of any money paid in advance including booking deposit is due and payable to you. 

If you contract or quotation from any wedding supplier states “booking deposit is non-refundable” that is not sufficent legal grounds for any wedding supplier to keep your booking deposit or money paid in advance if your wedding must be postponed due to pandemic restrictions in place on your wedding date, unless they have already completed some or all of the necessary work or incurred in preparing for your wedding day.

For correct legal advice regarding your right to a refund you should always refer to Consumer Protection Ireland. 

Warning on Obtaining Legal Advice from a Supplier’s own Trade or Industry Association

You should never obtain legal advice regarding refund of booking deposits from a supplier’s own trade or industry association, especially if a supplier advises you to do so.  The danger for any consumer in obtaining refund advice from a supplier’s own trade or industry association is that the association exists to support their industry members, and as is the case with one known trade/industry association known to be created and run by a wedding supplier who is refusing to refund booking deposits, their advice to consumers by trade/industry associations may not always be in the best interests of a consumer who is seeking a refund. 

The first place you should contact for legal advice regarding refund of booking deposits of any kind is always the Consumer Protection government agency. 

Consumer Protection Ireland is run by the Irish government and should always be your first point of contact for any questions regarding your right to a refund.   They are there to help you at all times.

You can contact Consumer Protection Ireland here:

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/

Helpline: 01 402 5555

Sharon Q.

Ceremony Officiant / Registered Solemniser of Marriages

SHAI Registered Sound Therapist, Yoga Alliance RYT200 Registered Yoga & Meditation teacher, MBII Registered Positive Mind Coach, Community Volunteer, Musician, Visionary, Creator of dreams = Earth Spiritualist Interfaith Minister

Tel: +353 (0) 858 313 43

A Civil Ceremony is Much Different in Ireland

than it is in my homeland Australia. 

In Australia a Civil Ceremony is a marriage ceremony conducted according to the wishes of the couple rather than the rules of a Religion.  A civil marriage ceremony in Ireland is a Registry Office marriage, which means in Ireland, a Civil Ceremony can only be conducted by a HSE Civil Registrar,  Civil Ceremonies are conducted either at a Registry Office during business hours, or at an outside wedding venue for an extra fee.

Civil Marriage Celebrants

According to the Marriage Act of Ireland, there is no such thing as a Civil Marriage Celebrant.  There are many Lay wedding Celebrants here in Ireland who are confusing the public by incorrectly using the job title of “Civil Celebrant” from Australia, to describe their role as a wedding celebrant here in Ireland.

To add to this confusion, funeral celebrants here in Ireland have been known as Civil Celebrants for years!  Oh dear, no wonder there is so much confusion!

Here in Ireland, the term “Civil Ceremony” with regards to a marriage ceremony has a very different meaning to what it does in my homeland of Australia, where the Civil Ceremony movement began. 

Here in Ireland a Civil Ceremony is another name for a Registry Office Marriage.  A standard government non-Religious ceremony, conducted by an employee of the HSE Civil Registration Office who is known as a Civil Registrar,   The Civil Ceremony / Registry Office marriage is short and simple without any fuss and without any Spirituality or Religion.  Perfect for those who prefer this option.

Unlike Australia where Registry Office marriage is always conducted in the Registry Office, here in Ireland for an extra fee, you can book a HSE Civil Registrar to conduct a Registry Office marriage without any Spirituality or Religion  at your choice of wedding venue.  This fee varies depending on the amount of travel needed by the Registrar.

So you see – a Civil Ceremony has a vastly different meaning here in Ireland than it does in my homeland Australia, where the secular Civil Ceremony movement began all those years ago in the 1970’s.

Each marriage ceremony I create & conduct is created according to the traditions and wishes of the couple, rather than the rules and requirements of a Civil Ceremony or a Church wedding.

If you have any questions about getting married in Ireland please don’t hestitate to get in touch. 

I would be honoured to work with you.

Tel: 085 831 3437