We are happy to be part of your wedding preparation and hope that the following checklist and information will be helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact the Parish Office if you have any queries.

Checklist for Couples marrying in St John’s Parish

• Book the church where you wish to marry. (Contact our Parish Office to arrange this.)
  In St John’s Church weddings can only be celebrated at 2pm. Weddings at other times can be arranged for Curraheen or the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
• Book the priest/deacon who has agreed to marry you. Check that he is officially registered as a Solemniser by the Irish State; if not our Parish Office will advise and help you on the required procedure.
  The priest/deacon will assist and advise in the preparation of the wedding ceremony. Approved readings, vows and prayers for the wedding ceremony can be found at www.accord.ie.
• Make immediate contact with the priest(s) in charge of the area(s) or Parish(es) where the bride and groom live in order to start preparing your wedding papers. Each person must complete the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form with the priest of the Parish/area where he/she resides. As the bride’s Parish/Area Priest has ultimate responsibility for the wedding paperwork, his name will be needed by the Parish Office.
  Couples living abroad should allow plenty of time for this as their paperwork will need to be sent via their local Diocese to:

The Chancellor,
Diocese of Kerry,
Bishop’s House,
Killarney,
Co. Kerry,
Ireland.

• For the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry form the following documentation is normally needed.
• A recently-issued long form Baptismal Certificate;
• Proof of Confirmation, (if not recorded on the Baptismal Certificate);
• Proof of Freedom to Marry – normally Letters of Freedom from previous parishes of residence, but other forms of proof may be accepted. Your own Parish/Area Priest will advise you of the precise requirements.
• If previously married or Non-Catholic, permissions and dispensations need to be applied for through your local Priest. Wedding bookings can only be accepted subject to the freedom of both parties to marry in the Catholic Church without impediment.
• Attend an Approved Pre-Marriage Preparation Course (best completed 6 months before your wedding). The only course recognised in the Kerry Diocese is  – Accord (Nationwide – www.accord.ie – Tralee Office 066-7122280 )
• To secure the use of the church, a suggested offering of €200 is payable to St John’s Parish Centre when making the booking. This covers the use of the Church and includes €50 for the Sacristan, who will assist at the rehearsal and your wedding ceremony. The amount of the offering to the priest is at your own discretion.
  If you wish the priest to attend the reception, please ensure that he is invited.
• The musician/singer will advise you on appropriate music with reference to the Diocesan guidelines available from the Parish Office. The priest should also be consulted. Secular songs are not appropriate for the wedding liturgy.
• It is important that flowers should be arranged in consultation with the sacristan before they are ordered. Confetti is not permitted in the church or on church grounds. For reasons of safety, lit candles are not permitted in the body of the church.
• Out of consideration for all involved in the wedding, the bride should arrive on time.

 Visit the Diocese of Kerry website for further details and  to download a sample of the  wedding ceremony booklet.
Accord also have some useful information you can download regarding planning your wedding. 

Civil Requirements

You will need to contact the Civil Registrar, in Kerry contact:– Civil Registrar, Sr Joseph’s Road, Killarney – 064-6632251 or your local Civil Registrar (Contact a civil registration service – HSE.ie) to fulfil all the State requirements for your marriage:
a. Meet the Civil Registrar at least 3 months before the wedding stating your intention to marry. (Contact the Registrar in good time to arrange this as appointment times are limited.)
b. Receive the Marriage Registration Form (MRF) from the Registrar.
c. Bring the MRF to the Solemniser (Priest/Deacon).
d. Make a verbal declaration of “no civil impediment” not more than 2 days before the wedding.
e. Return the signed MRF to any Civil Registrar not more than 1 month after the wedding.

The Parish Clergy wish you every happiness and God’s blessing in your life together.

For further information, please contact:

St John’s Parish Centre,
Castle Street,
Tralee,
Co. Kerry
Tel. 066 – 7122522
Email office@stjohns.ie
Office Hours: Mon-Sat: 9.15am to 1pm and 2pm to 4.45pm