Your Legal and Spiritual Wedding

So we would create together a ceremony that can draw on readings and poems from any and all of the traditions - or from none of them!

I can also do a wedding that centres on nature, love and relationships, without any spiritual references at all. However you want it to be - so it will be created. 

Can I get married outdoors?

Your ceremony can be held on any day of the week and at a venue of your choice, including outdoors as long as it is at an identifiable address and open to the general public.

What is Your Role as Our Celebrant?

My role is to help you both reflect deeply about your relationship, the purpose of your relationship, your intention and expectations of your commitment, the vision for your lives together and combine all these things in a beautiful ceremony. The ceremony should be an authentic reflection of who you are and where you are heading together.   As we create the ceremony together, you will focus on the content and I will focus on putting your chosen content into a form that reflects your intentions and wishes.

You will be invited to look up readings, music, poetry or prayers which have special meaning for you and which you might want to include.

I will also send you material to look through and give you ideas.
 

Together we will create a wonderful celebration you will always remember.

So how will our wedding ceremony be put together? What wedding packages do you offer?

I offer two wedding packages to suit your wishes and your budgets!

Wedding Packages

The purpose of these questions is to help you to enter into your union having consciously chosen exactly what it is that you are committing to. Couples find these questions and this part of the process extremely meaningful and important as they prepare for their wedding.

Can We Choose the Wedding Venue?

Yes! I have conducted weddings in hotels, at Irish castles, at Brigit’s Garden in County Galway, and on Inishbofin island among other places. YOU choose the venue. It’s all about you and your day.

I can help you to bring a sense of the sacred to your special day in a place of your choice.

The two criteria to be fulfilled for a legal wedding are that the venue has an identifiable address (so a 10 mile stretch of beach wouldn’t be OK) and it has public access (so a private house isn’t allowed). I am responsible (not the HSE) for agreeing the venue and checking that the criteria have been met.

Do You Conduct Wedding Blessings and Vows Renewals?

Yes I do. Sometimes couples do not want to be, or cannot be legally married but want to mark their commitment to each other in a sacred ceremony.

Even if there is a separate private ceremony beforehand to satisfy the legal aspect, couples sometimes choose to make the sacred commitment to each other in a Commitment Ceremony or Wedding Blessing in front of family and friends.

Vows renewal ceremonies are a lovely way to reaffirm the marriage commitment. Couples love coming to Ireland to do this even if they have been married in another country.

Contact me for my FAQ document about Getting Married in Ireland

Here is What Couples Have Said About Their Weddings

***** Feel free to request the Testimonials document *********

Jerry and Fiona

I’m not sure of the correct description for a spiritual Minister but you are a class act! So impressed with your professionalism but also your ‘presence’. It gave our ceremony great dignity. We really can't thank you enough for making our wedding such a memorable day. We knew ourselves that the ceremony was incredibly special, a very special and emotional atmosphere was created in the room right from the beginning, and from what we hear there wasn't a dry eye in the house. We have had nothing but praise for the ceremony, and how moved people were by it. Straight after the event, we had feedback from the hotel staff, who heard people saying how beautiful it was. Of course we knew that ourselves, but it was very rewarding to get such wonderful feedback from so many people. 
We would like to pass on all the compliments and praise that we received from friends & family of yourself as celebrant. I think the common denominator was your natural dignity as a celebrant and the professionalism and elegance that you brought to the ceremony. 
With our love and thanks. 

Jonathan and Josephin 

We were so happy with all you did on our special day. You truly were the perfect person and your guidance, help and calming influence was invaluable. You gave us ample freedom to design a ceremony which was very personal and we were happy that we were able to include so many of our friends and family which made it even more special to us. We cannot thank you enough for the beautiful service you conducted on the day. Many said it was the most moving wedding they had even been to. Thank you for being part of the most wonderful day of our lives so far. Love and best wishes. 

Maggie and Phil 

When we were planning our intimate wedding Geraldine was recommended to us by our wedding planner. She already knew of Geraldine's work and had told us how lovely she was. When we first had dealings with Geraldine we instantly knew we had made the right choice cause she made us feel so at ease and it was clear that we could design our own bespoke wedding ceremony. We lived hundreds of miles apart but the internet truly was a wonderful invention. 
We wanted a religious aspect to our service but also various individual twists to make it our own unique service. With all of Geraldine's help we ended up designing our own beautiful service. We wanted to include my husband's son (my gorgeous new step-son) as much as possible in the service so that he could understand how important he was and is to us. Again Geraldine came up with a number of ideas that we could use and during the service Rhys beamed for ear to ear with pride at being included. 
What we loved most about Geraldine was her gentle kindness and the professionalism she showed throughout the service. Geraldine also had loads of suggestions for the service but left it entirely up to us as to what we wanted and was more than happy to include any of our own suggestions. 
I also showed the ceremony to my elderly parents when we got home and my mother cried when she read the ceremony because she thought it was so beautiful and intimate and suited us perfectly. All that we can say is "thank you Geraldine for helping us make a beautiful personal service for our wonderful wedding day. We will never forget it.” 

Laura and John 

  Gerry and Sandra 

As it was my 2nd marriage, we couldn’t get married in a church in the Catholic tradition but neither Sandra nor I wanted to anyway. I’d class myself as agnostic and Sandra is a lapsed catholic, but she still retains the better aspects of Catholicism. 
We both wanted to have a wedding ceremony that reflected this and within 20 seconds of meeting the Rev Geraldine, we both knew we had made the right decision. She gave us her undivided attention, suggested the style and format of ceremony that might suit us, but never at any point put us under any pressure to include A,B or C and at every corner her primary concern was 'what was best for us'. It's difficult to put into words, but her warmth, kindness, and genuineness, put us so at ease . 
On the day of our ceremony Geraldine was an Angel at our side, she met both of us beforehand, was reassuring and calming without ever being intrusive, she had both of us so relaxed before the ceremony that we were both able to enjoy and take in the whole thing . 
We had 45 guests at the ceremony, and to a man/woman, they all said that it was the most moving, warm and personal wedding that they have ever been to and that is down in no small way to the guiding hand that was the Rev Geraldine Bown. 

Victor and Patricia, Texas, USA

Reverend Geraldine was a delight to work with. She helped my husband and l enter into our sacred union consciously. We found her through a google search of Reverends who were not linked to any denomination. The ceremony was unique and reflective of us as a couple. She accommodated a combined wedding/ baby naming ceremony! She brings a calm, centred and radiant energy. It was a pleasure getting to know you Rev. The experience was so unique that our guests still talk about it. Planning a destination wedding can be a challenge but Rev. Bown made the process so easy and honestly it was fun. I looked forward to our Skype calls.

She gave me practical conflict resolution tips that I still use to this day! Thank you. 

Book Your Special Day

Why not call me or Skype me or email me to discuss your particular requirements. I’d love to talk to you about your special day. Click below to Contact me.