The difficulty with current legislation is that the rules in relation to a wedding venue are not universally applicable to all religious denominations. However, all of this is about to change with the passing of the Civil Registration Act 2004 (the Act), which is expected to come into force later this year.

The Act changes the rules in relation to the places where couples can get married. It provides that a couple can get married in a venue of the couple's choice as long as the time and venue have been agreed with the solemniser (the person who legally performs the marriage ceremony). The Act provides that the venue must be open to the public.

The venue for the marriage must also be approved by the authority which employs the solemniser. The Minister for Health and Children has not yet specified any matters to determine the approval of the marriage venue but it is likely that the following factors will be taken into account when deciding on the suitability of a proposed location:

• whether the location is fixed and permanent
  
  
• whether it meets requisite health and safety standards
  
  
• whether it provides suitable access to the public
  
  
• whether any necessary permission to use the location has been obtained o whether it reflects the solemnity of the occasion.

It is unlikely that beach fronts, bouncy castles and rear gardens will be considered suitable venues!

Little is known about how the Act will operate in practice, however, it appears that there may be an opening for hoteliers to apply for licences to have civil marriages preformed on their premises. It is uncertain whether the hotel will be permitted to charge for such a service.

It may be that hoteliers could offer packages to couples wishing to get married, which would include not only the civil marriage ceremony but also catering and accommodation. Watch this space ...

For further information, please contact Rachel Murphy.


Spring 2007.