Ready to Elope to Ireland? Here is what you need to know to Elope in Ireland

Here is what you need to know to Elope in Ireland

Couples who Elope to Ireland do so for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s an adventure, while others value the idea of running away from all of the ‘have to do’s’ that come with planning a larger affair. It’s ideal for the couple who may not like the idea of being in the limelight. It can be an economical choice for some.  While others fall in love with the romance of eloping in Ireland.

Regardless of how a couple comes to that decision, the one that thing that they all have is a deep connection with each other and make that the focal point of their special day.

Legal ceremony or commitment

The first thing to consider is whether you want your elopement to be legal or a non-legally binding yet fully meaningful commitment ceremony in Ireland.

To have a legal ceremony in Ireland, you need to be over 18, free to marry, not related, and can be of the same sex or opposite sex.

Couples choose either option for many reasons but having a legal ceremony in Ireland when living outside of the country does take some advanced planning however is actually pretty easy regardless of what you may have read.

All couples wanting to marry in Ireland {eloping or not!} do need to give 3 month’s notice to the Registrar {we can help you with that!}. That notice CAN be done by post so you do NOT have to come over to Ireland 3 months in advance of your wedding. To give that notice, you need to know who will marry you, where you will be getting married {there are some subtle requirements. See below for that part!} and who your witnesses are. We can help you with all of that too!

Note that if either of you has been married before {divorced or widowed} they will ask for additional documents so better to start as early as you can. Also, all documents that are not in the English or the Irish languages will have to be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Then when you arrive in the country before your wedding. you must meet with the Registrar in person 4-5 calendar days before your marriage. This is simply a 20-minute meeting presenting original documents so that the Registrar can verify that you are who you say you are! There are various offices around the country and we can help you to easily fit that into your travel schedule.

At that meeting you will both need to present the following original documents: Passport as ID, original Birth Certificate with Apostille, letter of freedom and the fee of €200

Additional documentation may be required in some cases and the Registrar’s office will advise in advance if needed.

We help and guide our couples through this process every day and it really is much easier than it seems. Especially if you were to go it alone.

Where can I elope in Ireland?

We have done elopements in castles, castle ruins, abbeys, churches, lighthouses, cliffs, beaches, manor houses, lakes, Islands, forests.

There are different requirements on where you can get married for different celebrants. The main restrictions come in if you are having a legal ceremony here in Ireland. For example, a Catholic Priest will only marry you in the catholic church, a Civil Registrar will only marry you in an approved location. A Humanist is a little more flexible and will marry you outside in an approved location. A Spiritualist, other nondenominational Ministers or secular celebrants will have somewhat different and more relaxed criteria on location. The main thing to know is the location needs to be a public place {not a private home} and have an address {not a field or random beach or at the top of a mountain}.

Of course, we will guide you through all of the options of location along with what type of celebrant to use for the location you hope for and the type of ceremony you would like.

Note if you are having a non legally binding commitment ceremony, your possibilities are nearly endless! Cliffs, mountains, beaches, castle ruins, etc all are possible!

 

So you see! It’s that easy! Just drop us an email and we can talk you through it all based on your needs, hopes, and vision for your elopement.

We will look forward to hearing from you!