"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1601
Dungannon Parish Wedding Information
1. Before you make any other wedding plans, please contact the Parish Office (028 8772 6893) .They will be able to check if dates and Churches are available. It is a requirement of the Archdiocese and Church Law that couples intending to marry should give a minimum of three months’ notice to the Priest.
2. Contact the Priest – either in Dungannon Parish or a Priest of your choosing to check if he is free to officiate at your wedding. If asking a Priest outside of the parish– it is a requirement to ask the permission of the Parish Priest in Dungannon. Please ensure that the Priest and the church are available before making other firm wedding arrangements
3. Once the dates have been agreed – complete a Marriage Booking form (available on the Parish website or from the Parish Office) and forward it, together with the £250-00 booking fee to the Parish Office. This will secure your wedding booking and will cover administration costs. It will also cover the Stipend which is normally offered to the Priest. There is a considerable amount of paperwork and time associated with preparing for a marriage and this can vary depending on your circumstances and plans. The Priest will have to meet with you on at least two occasions prior to your wedding ceremony and will help and advise you regarding your marriage preparation, music for your ceremony and Wedding Mass booklets.
4. The fee for non-parishioners or those not currently registered as parishioners who wish to celebrate a wedding in any of the Churches in the parish is £350-00.
5. Book a Marriage Preparation Course through ACCORD (028 3833 4781 or www.courses.accord.ie).
6. Obtain from the parish in which you were baptised – a Letter of Freedom, which is a Certificate confirming that you have been Baptised, Confirmed and that you are free to marry – each partner will need one from their parish of Baptism.
7. Six Weeks Prior to the wedding – Contact the Priest in the Parish in which you currently reside to arrange a meeting in order to complete your Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Forms. You will need to bring the Letter of Freedom/Baptism/Confirmation and the Accord Marriage Preparation Course Certificate with you to this meeting. These should then be forwarded to the Parish in which your wedding is taking place.
8. Arrange a wedding rehearsal with the Priest in the Church in the week prior to your wedding.
*new charges begin January 1 2022
In Northern Ireland – Civil Requirements
Contact the Registrar - Mid Ulster District Council on 03000 132 132
To marry in Northern Ireland, you and your partner must be:
- Aged 18 or older on the day of your wedding
- Unrelated to one another in a way that would prevent you from getting married
- Free to marry, for example, neither of you is already a civil partner nor legally married.
The couple may give a maximum of one year (but not less than a minimum of twenty eight (28) days notice) of their intention to marry.
Couples from abroad who do not hold a British or an Irish Passport must bring details of their Home Office Settlement Status code, which is a 9 character alpha numeric code, to the Registrar when applying for Marriage. This is to prove that they have resident status.
They must contact the local Registrar in the council district in which the marriage is going to take place to book a 30 minute appointment. A Notice of Marriage Form (one for the Bride and one for the Groom) must be completed and submitted. The forms can be downloaded from www.nidirect.gov.uk.
Bring both of the Notice of Marriage Forms, which must be signed on the back, to the local Registrar together with both original FULL Birth Certificates which must show the parentage. The Council fee for a religious marriage is currently £44-00. NB – Fees are subject to change.
One of the parties must collect the Marriage Schedule (the document to be signed on the day of the marriage) from the local Registrar’s office. The schedule cannot be issued more than fourteen days before the marriage and the Registrar will advise the couple when the marriage schedule can be collected.
Bring the Marriage Schedule to the Marriage Ceremony where the Priest will sign it to confirm that the wedding has taken place. This is of utmost importance as no marriage can take place without this schedule.
Return the signed Marriage Schedule to the local Registrar within three days of the wedding taking place.
Things To Note
If you wish to invite the Priest to attend your wedding reception, then please send him an invitation in advance. It is important to appreciate that he may not be free to attend the reception because of other commitments.
It is also suggested that a small gratuity is given to the Church Sacristan for his or her help in the lead up to and on the wedding day.
Weddings normally take place from 12 noon onwards.
So that the ceremony can begin on time, the Bride should aim to be at the church at least 10 minutes before their wedding begins to allow for photographs before the ceremony. The Groom usually arrives at least 15 minutes before the Bride!
Flowers/Decorations for the Church.
Flowers of your choosing may be added to the sanctuary; however we ask that no flowers or other arrangements are placed on the altar table. The altar table is the place where the bread and wine become the body and Blood of Jesus Christ and should remain unadorned.
Flowers may be used to decorate the Church in a moderate fashion. No pins or adhesive tape may be used when attaching displays to seat ends.
No lit candles are allowed in the aisles.
Aisle runners are strictly not permitted.
The throwing of confetti or rose petals is not permitted at any time inside the church, or at the church door, or in the Church grounds.
Clearing up after the Wedding Ceremony
Please ensure that your florist or wedding planner removes all decorations from the Church after the ceremony. They must also sweep up any leaves or flowers which have been dropped and leave the Church as they found it.
Most couples take their floral displays with them after the ceremony – but it may be worth considering leaving some of the flowers in the Church- please check with the Priest or the Parish Office if it is alright to do this.
Stationery
Before printing wedding stationery, please confirm times and dates with the Priest or the Parish Office. If you decide to have a Wedding Mass booklet, please confirm with the priest that all of the text is accurate. Appropriate readings can be found on www.accord.ie or your Priest will guide you. Please give a copy of the Wedding Mass Booklet to the Priest a few days prior to the ceremony.
Photography
If using a photographer or videographer, please advise them that they must do their work quietly and without causing unnecessary distraction. They shouldn’t intrude unnecessarily or obstruct aisles or passageways.
Music
Music will add to the joyful atmosphere of your wedding. Only hymns and sacred music should be played. A list of your chosen music should be discussed with the Priest and given to him well in advance of the occasion, to avoid any embarrassment on the day.
Forms
Note that Dungannon District Council requires couples to complete Marriage Notice Application forms approximately 8-10 weeks before their wedding. For further details visit their website.
