Sonya Grimes - Guidelines for marriage venues

Civil Registration Act 2004

I, Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children in exercise of the powers conferred on me under Section 52(1) of the Civil Registration Act 2004, hereby specify the matters set out below:-

Having regard to their primary use, situation, construction and state of repair, the ceremony room and the venue in which it is situated must, in the opinion of the Registrar, be a seemly and dignified venue for the solemnization of marriages. The primary use of a venue would render it unsuitable if that use could demean proceedings or bring them into disrepute.
The ceremony room must have adequate capacity to accommodate, comfortably seated, the numbers attending the ceremony.
Section 51(2) (c) of the Civil Registration Act, 2004 provides that a registered solemniser shall not solemnise a marriage unless the venue where the solemnisation occurs is open to the public. Only venues that allow unrestricted public access without charge will be considered for approval, subject to normal security and health and safety considerations.
The venue in which the ceremony room is situated must conform to all the requirements of any venue open to the public in respect of planning permission, certificate of fire safety, and must meet all relevant health and safety requirements.
The ceremony room, and the venue in which it is situated must have adequate public liability insurance cover.
The ceremony room must be accessible to all, in particular to persons with disabilities.
The venue must have no recent or continuing connection with any religion, religious practice or religious persuasion which would be incompatible with the use of the venue for the solemnization of civil marriages.
The place in which marriage may be solemnized must be a fixed structure that is clearly identifiable by description and location as a distinct part of a venue.
The requirement that the marriage be solemnized in a fixed structure that is open to the public precludes marriages being solemnized in the open air, a tent, marquee or other temporary structure, or a private dwelling.

Given under my Signature
November 2007

Mary Harney
Minister for Health and Children

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		Civil Registration Act 2004 I, Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children in exercise of the powers conferred on me under Section 52(1) of the Civil Registration Act 2004, hereby specify the matters set out below:- Having regard to their primary use, situation, construction and state of repair, the ceremony room and the venue in which it is situated must, in the opinion of the Registrar, be a seemly and dignified venue for the solemnization of marriages. The primary use of a venue would render it unsuitable if that use could demean proceedings or bring them into disrepute. The ceremony room must have adequate capacity to accommodate, comfortably seated, the numbers attending the ceremony. Section 51(2) (c) of the Civil Registration Act, 2004 provides that a registered solemniser shall not solemnise a marriage unless the venue where the solemnisation occurs is open to the public. Only venues that allow unrestricted public access without charge will be considered for approval, subject to normal security and health and safety considerations. The venue in which the ceremony room is situated must conform to all the requirements of any venue open to the public in respect of planning permission, certificate of fire safety, and must meet all relevant health and safety requirements. The ceremony room, and the venue in which it is situated must have adequate public liability insurance cover. The ceremony room must be accessible to all, in particular to persons with disabilities. The venue must have no recent or continuing connection with any religion, religious practice or religious persuasion which would be incompatible with the use of the venue for the solemnization of civil marriages. The place in which marriage may be solemnized must be a fixed structure that is clearly identifiable by description and location as a distinct part of a venue. The requirement that the marriage be solemnized in a fixed structure that is open to the public precludes marriages being solemnized in the open air, a tent, marquee or other temporary structure, or a private dwelling. Given under my Signature November 2007 Mary Harney Minister for Health and Children


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