Getting Married in Ireland: Legal Requirements
Yes. Irish law requires at least three months’ notice to the Civil Registration Service before your wedding date. This is the first thing we lock in once you choose a date.
Yes — both of you must attend a notification appointment with a Registrar in Ireland in person. This can’t be completed remotely.
A legal ceremony is performed by a registered solemniser (civil, religious, or secular) and includes the paperwork that makes your marriage official. A symbolic ceremony — including a Celtic handfasting or vow renewal — carries no legal weight, giving you full freedom over location and script.
Valid passports, original birth certificates, proof of address, your ceremony venue and solemniser details, and your two witnesses’ names and dates of birth. If either of you was previously married, divorced, or widowed, additional documentation is required.
No. There’s no residency or citizenship requirement. You’ll pay a marriage notification fee (currently €200) at your appointment.
Yes — Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so the process differs from the Republic. Notice period is 28 days minimum (up to 12 months ahead), with a fee of £22 per person, submitted separately by each partner. Americans and Canadians typically need a Marriage Visitor visa, plus a UK ETA to enter. See our Northern Ireland legal guide.
Most couples spend between €2,400 and €9,000+. €2,400–€3,500 covers a simple couple-only elopement; €3,500–€5,500 gets a professionally planned elopement with greater location choice; €5,500–€9,000+ is a comprehensive experience with hair and makeup, flowers, videography, music, and chauffeur included.
Starting from €2,400, Lite packages are built specifically for couples eloping alone, without guests — covering the ceremony location, photographer, planning, and location fee.
Yes — photographer, videographer, celebrant, hair stylist, makeup artist, florist, chauffeur, ceremony musician, reception venue, accommodation, and guest transportation are all optional add-ons.
Our Lite Elopement Packages (from €2,400) include the ceremony location, photographer, planning service, and applicable location fee. Location-specific packages add more — our Cliffs of Moher package (from €3,500) also includes private clifftop access, indoor weather backup, celebrant, and Celtic handfasting.
Videography, hair and makeup, flowers, transportation, live music, and legal marriage registration are the main cost drivers beyond your core package. Flights and accommodation are booked separately.
A booking deposit secures your date and planner, with the remaining balance and any location fees scheduled ahead of your wedding date. We handle vendor payments on your behalf.
Favourites include the Cliffs of Moher, Dunluce Castle on the Causeway Coast, the remote Three Castle Head, Howth Cliffs near Dublin, and the 19th-century roofless Dunlewey Church beneath Mount Errigal.
Yes — our Cliffs of Moher package includes private drive-up access, and more remote spots like Kinbane Castle or Three Castle Head offer even greater seclusion.
An indoor weather backup is built into our location packages by default, so a rainy forecast never derails your day.
Cliffs of Moher gives dramatic clifftop views with private drive-up access. Castles like Dunluce sit above the Atlantic with photogenic backdrops. Ancient ruins feel intimate and secluded. Stone circles suit a Celtic handfasting with minimal setup.
Some locations, like Three Castle Head, require a short walk through the landscape; others, like the Cliffs of Moher, offer private drive-up access. Tell us your group’s needs and we’ll match a location.
Planning Your Elopement From Overseas
We recommend 9–12 months ahead, giving comfortable time for legal notice, vendor availability, and travel planning. Simpler, off-season, couple-only elopements can sometimes be arranged faster.
Because your planner is based in Ireland, issues like vendor unavailability or road closures are often solved before you even know there was one.
Your Ireland-based planner has explored every location first-hand and has established relationships with trusted photographers, celebrants, and florists — so you get experienced recommendations, not guesswork, over video calls and email.
Flights, accommodation, personal legal documents, and attire. We handle locations, vendors, permits, and on-the-ground logistics.
Dublin Airport for Dublin/Wicklow, Shannon Airport for the Cliffs of Moher/Galway/west coast, Cork Airport for southern Ireland, and Belfast airports for Dunluce Castle and the Causeway Coast.
We recommend 7–14 days — enough to recover from the flight, attend any legal appointment, enjoy your wedding day, and explore afterward.
Absolutely — most couples do. Extending your stay to explore beyond your wedding location is easy to build into your itinerary.
US and Canadian citizens need only a valid passport for stays up to 90 days in the Republic. Visiting Northern Ireland requires a UK ETA, and marrying there typically requires a Marriage Visitor visa.
Ireland drives on the left and most rental cars are manual. The Republic uses the euro (€); Northern Ireland uses pound sterling (£). Rural roads can take longer than distances suggest.
Weather, Seasons & Your Wedding Day
May–September offers the warmest weather and longest daylight. April and October are quieter with good scenery. November–February brings dramatic coastal views and excellent privacy, but limited daylight.
It varies by season — summer gives the longest days and best light for photography, while winter has limited daylight. We plan your ceremony timing around the actual season.
Plan for it — Ireland’s weather can change quickly, sometimes across very short distances. Every outdoor package includes a scouted indoor weather backup.
Pack for changeable weather. See our wedding attire travel guide for how to pack and protect your dress or suit.
Wedding Vendors, Services & Irish Traditions
Photographer, videographer, celebrant or legal solemniser, hair stylist, makeup artist, florist, chauffeur, and ceremony musician are all available as add-ons to your package.
Traditional Irish music, Irish readings or poetry, Claddagh rings, Irish flowers, and a toast with Guinness or Irish whiskey are popular ways couples personalise their day.
An ancient ritual where your hands are bound together with ribbons or cords during the ceremony, symbolising your union.
Local, first-hand knowledge and established vendor relationships mean honest recommendations and problems solved before you even know about them. Read why an Ireland-based planner makes the difference.