Almost 6,000 couples have married in the Dublin registry office to date this year, four times more than in 2000.
The
growth in the number of people turning away from church weddings is
highlighted in a behind-the-scenes documentary about the registry
office aired last Sunday night.
Registrars Julie Morgan and
Anne Bradley also hit out at the increase in the number of sham
marriages occurring in Ireland, and claim couples who can't speak the
same language and don't know each other's names are looking to be
married.
"We'd have a number of couples coming for a
marriage of convenience," Bradley says.
"It would be a non-European
wanting to marry a European; they feel it would help them remain in
Ireland longer than normal. A lot of couples wouldn't have a common
language, wouldn't know each other's names or be able to even write each
other's names."
Bradley acknowledged that "there isn't a lot" that can be done about the issue.
"When
we see people without a common language it raises the question as to
why they are coming in here. We do a lot for the couples who come to us
and make sure we care for them – every couple is special to us – but for
those people who are using marriage as a convenience, it is just hugely
disheartening for us. There doesn't seem to be a lot that we can do."
An
average of 40 marriages a week now take place in the office, which is
attempting to cope with backlogs due to the increase in demand.
Meanwhile, Westlife, Boyzone and Shania Twain are the top three
wedding-song artists, with Twain's From This Moment the most-used CD.
Bradley and Morgan say the only strict guideline in the office is the use of religious references in vows.
"We encourage people to do their own private vows to make it special for them. However, we will not allow religious content. Most couples are getting married here because they don't want a religious ceremony so we are fairly strict on that side of things, but with everything else we are fairly relaxed."
SIC: ST/IE