Welcome to St. Patrick’s Church, Powerscourt
Nestled at the heart of Enniskerry Village and framed by the beauty of Powerscourt Estate, St. Patrick’s Church offers a truly special setting for the celebration of Christian marriage. For generations, couples have gathered here to begin their married lives, surrounded by history, faith and the quiet grandeur of the Wicklow landscape.
Your wedding day is one of the most meaningful moments of your life, and it is our privilege to welcome you into this sacred space as you make your vows before God, family and friends. Within these walls, countless promises have been spoken, prayers offered, and joyful celebrations shared.
This booklet is designed to guide you through the practical and spiritual aspects of planning your wedding at St. Patrick’s. From choosing readings and music to understanding the arrangements for your ceremony, we hope it will help you prepare with confidence and peace of mind.
Our Rector, parish team and congregation look forward to walking with you on this journey and to helping make your wedding day a beautiful, prayerful and memorable occasion.
May your preparations be filled with joy, and may your marriage be richly blessed.
Our Rector
The Rev. Cathy Hallissey, M.Th.
Rev. Cathy Hallissey was instituted as Rector of Powerscourt & Kilbride in March 2019. A wife and mother, Cathy began her journey towards ordination in 2012. She has previously served as Deacon in Kilternan Parish Church and as Curate in Christ Church Taney, bringing with her a wealth of pastoral experience and a deep commitment to parish life.
Our Director of Music
Helen Beardsley
Helen Beardsley serves as Director of Music at St. Patrick’s Church.
A gifted and experienced organist, Helen brings beauty and sensitivity to every service. She is delighted to
provide music for wedding ceremonies and to assist couples in selecting pieces that will enhance their special day.
Our History
St. Patrick’s Church stands at the heart of Enniskerry Village, Co. Wicklow, in one of Ireland’s most beautiful and historic settings. Situated directly opposite the gates of Powerscourt Estate, the church is surrounded by peaceful grounds that offer a place of quiet reflection for visitors and parishioners alike.
The church was commissioned in 1859 by Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Earl of Powerscourt, in response to the growing Protestant community in Enniskerry, who at that time had no local place of worship. Prior to its construction, parishioners attended services in a chapel on the Powerscourt Estate. The building of St. Patrick’s provided the village with its own dedicated church and quickly became a focal point of spiritual and community life.
Designed in the traditional Gothic Revival style, St. Patrick’s Church is framed by the breathtaking scenery of the Wicklow Mountains, with the iconic Sugar Loaf Mountain forming a dramatic backdrop. The churchyard is rich in local history and is the resting place of the renowned Irish artist Paul Henry (1876–1958), celebrated for his evocative landscapes of Connemara and the west of Ireland.
Today, St. Patrick’s continues to serve as an active and welcoming parish within the Church of Ireland Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. Regular worship takes place each Sunday at 11:30am, and the church remains a cherished setting for baptisms, weddings, and community gatherings.
For generations, couples have chosen St. Patrick’s Church as the place to begin their married lives together, drawn by its timeless beauty, warm atmosphere, and deep sense of heritage.
Additional Services
Red Carpet
To preserve the church’s heating system, which is vented along the central aisle, the red carpet is reserved for special occasions. For a small additional fee, it can be laid especially for your wedding day, adding a touch of elegance to your ceremony.
Flowers by Marjorie
Beautiful floral arrangements can be provided for both the church and the wedding party. Marjorie Mold is delighted to assist couples in creating designs that complement the style and atmosphere of your special day.
For enquiries, please contact:
powerscourtparish@gmail.com
Bespoke Wedding Stationary
Create a beautiful first impression with custom-designed wedding stationery by Andrea. From invitations and order of service booklets to menus, table plans and thank-you cards, Andrea can craft coordinated designs tailored to your chosen colours and theme. Whether your style is classic, contemporary or uniquely personal, she will work with you to ensure every detail reflects the spirit of your special day.
For enquiries, please contact the parish office at
powerscourtparish@gmail.com
Your Wedding Checklist
Speak with Your Clergy
Couples intending to marry should first meet with the member of clergy they wish to officiate at their wedding. This initial meeting allows you to discuss the proposed date and confirm the church venue. In accordance with Civil Registrar requirements, at least three months’ notice must be given before a marriage can take place. Except in exceptional circumstances, Church of Ireland weddings are normally celebrated in a Church of Ireland church or chapel. If the clergy member officiating at the wedding is not the incumbent (Rector or Vicar) of the chosen church, the permission of the incumbent must be obtained before arrangements can proceed. At least one of the couple must be baptised and a member of the Church of Ireland, or of a church in communion with it.
Visit the Civil Registrar
Once a date, venue and officiating clergy have been agreed, couples must make an appointment with a Civil Registrar to give formal notice of their intention to marry. This must be done at least three months before the wedding date.
Appointments can be made at any Civil Registry Office in Ireland. Both parties must attend together and in person, and will be required to bring relevant documentation such as proof of identity and any other documents requested by the Registrar. Allowing more than three months’ notice is strongly recommended to avoid any potential difficulties.
Obtain the Marriage Registration Form (MRF)
When the Registrar is satisfied that all requirements have been met, you will be issued with a Marriage Registration Form (MRF). This document is the official civil authorisation for the marriage to proceed. The MRF should be presented to your clergy as soon as possible and no later than five days before the wedding. The clergy are required to check the form for accuracy prior to the ceremony.
At the Ceremony
The Civil Registration Act requires that both parties make a formal declaration that they know of no legal impediment to their marriage. This declaration may be made during the service or immediately beforehand. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the MRF will be signed by the couple, the officiating clergy, and the two witnesses.The completed MRF must then be returned to the Civil Registry Office. This is the responsibility of the couple, and it should be posted promptly following the wedding.
Stay Connected with St. Patrick’s Church
As you prepare for your wedding day, we warmly invite you to become part of the life of St. Patrick’s Church and the wider parish community. Our new website, www.powerscourtparish.com, offers helpful information about church services, parish activities, and practical guidance for planning your wedding.
Our Church Service Times
We would be delighted to welcome you to worship with us. Services take place every Sunday at 11:30am in St. Patrick’s Church. Details of service types and special occasions throughout the month can be found on our website.
For updates on parish events, community news, and reflections from parish life, couples are encouraged to sign up for our weekly newsletter. To subscribe, simply email powerscourtparish@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list.
For further information on services, weddings, or any aspect of parish life, please feel free to contact us at the same email address. We look forward to welcoming you and to supporting you as you prepare for your special day.
Suggested Wedding Readings
First Readings
Some suggestions for the First Reading from the Old Testament
A reading from the Book of Sirach (26: 1-4)
A loving partner is a safe shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A loving partner is something beyond price, there is no measuring their worth. A loving partner is a life-saving remedy, and those who respect their Lord find true love. For as a person is, so is their loved one.
A Reading from the Book of Ruth (1:16-17)
Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people and your God will be my God too. Wherever you die, I will die and there will I be buried beside you. We shall be together forever and our love will be the gift of God.
A reading from the book of Genesis (1:26-28. 31)
God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’ God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.’ God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good.
A reading from the book of Genesis (2:18-24)
The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.’ So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts.
But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed:
‘This at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh! This is to be called woman, for this was taken from man.’ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.
A reading from the Song of Songs (2:8-10,14,16; 8:6-7)
I hear my Beloved. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the windows, He peers through the lattice. My beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock. In the covert of the cliff, Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.’ My beloved is mine and I am his. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, Jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of the Lord himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown.
A Reading from the Song of Songs (2:10-14, 16)
My beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard
in our land. The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock. In the covert of the cliff, Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.’ My beloved is mine and I am his.
A reading from the prophet Jeremiah (31:31-34)
See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, but not like the one I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks. Deep within them I will plant my law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my
people. There will be no further need for neighbour to try to teach neighbour, or brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know the Lord!’ No, they will all know me, the least no less than the greatest – it is the Lord who speaks.
Suggested Wedding Readings
Second Readings
Some suggestions for the Second Reading from the New Testament….
1 Corinthians (12:31-13:8.)
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
A reading from the first letter of St John (3: 18-24)
My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active; only by this can we be certain that we are children of the truth and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence, whatever accusations it may raise against us, because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything. My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience, we need not be afraid in God’s presence, and whatever we ask him, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments and live the kind of life he wants. His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to. Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.
A reading from the Song of Songs (2:8-10,14,16; 8:6-7)
I hear my Beloved. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the windows, He peers through the lattice. My beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock. In the covert of the cliff, Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.’ My beloved is mine and I am his. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, Jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of the Lord himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown.
A Reading from the Song of Songs (2:10-14, 16)
My beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock. In the covert of the cliff, Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.’ My beloved is mine and I am his.
A reading from the prophet Jeremiah (31:31-34)
See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, but not like the one I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks. Deep within them I will plant my law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my people. There will be no further need for neighbour to try to teach neighbour, or brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know the Lord!’ No, they will all know me, the least no less than the greatest – it is the Lord who speaks.
A reading from the first letter of St John (4: 7-12)
My dear people, Let us love one another, Since love comes from God, And everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, Because God is love. God’s love for us was revealed When he sent into the world his only Son, So that we could have life through him; This is the love I mean: Not our love for God, But God’s love for us when he sent his Son, To be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. My dear people, Since God has loved us so much, We too should love one another. No one has ever seen God; But as long as we love one another, God will live in us, And his love will be complete in us.
A reading from Mark (10: 6-9)
Jesus said: “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”
A reading from Matthew (5:1-12)
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up to the hill. There he sat down, and was joined by the disciples.
Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
How happy are the poor in spirit;
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
They shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
They shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
They shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
They shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
They shall seek God.
Happy the peacemakers:
They shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you
and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Matthew (19:3-6)
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said “Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?” Jesus answered: “Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave his father and mother, and cling to his wife, and he two become one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.”
A reading from Matthew (22:35-40)
A lawyer, to disconcert Jesus, put a question, “Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole law, and the prophets also.”
A reading from John (2:1-11)
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said, “Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” There were six stone jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants,
“Fill the jars with water”, and they filled them to the brim. “Draw some out now,” he told them, “and take it to the steward.” They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the stewards who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said: “People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper
sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.” This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
Get In Touch
If you are interested in getting married in St Patrick’s Powerscourt or St Brigid’s Parish, please let us know.