Hi Sanja,
Seemly the irish media has been reporting that there may be a ban on irish tourists getting married in croatia, due to the fact many tourists are going to Dubrovnik unprepared with paper work and they are not dressing apprioatly for the Church.
here is a link which you will need Media player to hear a radio discussion on RTE the main broadcaster. this braodcast is from the 14th of February, you will have to scroll down and select the link regarding Croatia.
http://www.rte.ie/news/drivetime/Now here is an article which was in the Irish Independent today the 15th of February, it looks like there is not yet a Ban, but that the bishops are advised to discourage irish people travelling abroad for weddings,
I can completly see the point in which they have.
AN IRISH Catholic bishop has ordered his priests to clamp down on couples getting married abroad.
His action follows complaints from Croatian bishops about their behaviour in church.
Croatian church officials sent bishops here a scathing letter criticising the behaviour of Irish "wedding tourists" - and especially the women's "inappropriate" clothing in church.
The letter, from the Diocese of Dubrovnik, also hit out at Irish people travelling to Croatia for church weddings who never attend confession or have no contact with their parish priests back in Ireland.
It appealed to Irish bishops to "discourage" Irish couples from going to Dubrovnik for weddings.
The main complaints concerned:
* putting Croatian priests "under a lot of pressure" to get married at short notice;
* couples not having the proper papers;
* little or no preparation by the couple and guests;
* lack of awareness and respect for rules on receiving communion;
* people, mainly women, wearing inappropriate clothes in church.
The Irish Independent has learned that one Irish bishop has already responded. In an edict issued to his clergy, Catholic Bishop of Meath Michael Smith expressed his concern about the growing number of couples who go abroad to get married.
Priests were worried about the number of people going abroad to get married, the document said.
They feared that couples were concentrating on the trimmings and not putting sufficient planning into the marriage ceremony itself.
Tightening diocesan rules governing such marriages, Bishop Smith's directive calls for foreign wedding arrangements to be made only when a couple have met their parish priest and started pre-nuptial discussions.
Discourage
The priest should commence the wedding papers only after receipt of a letter from the priest abroad stating his willingness to celebrate the sacrament.
Papers must be sent to the bishop's office in Mullingar at least three months and preferably six months before the proposed marriage, accompanied by €100 to cover expenses.
The Croatian letter, details of which were revealed in 'The Irish Catholic' newspaper, was sent to Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Dr Sean Brady, urging the Irish bishops to actively discourage such marriages.
A spokesman for the Catholic bishops confirmed that the Chancellor of Dubrovnik, Monsignor Ivan Simic, who signed the letter, insisted there was no pastoral reason for weddings in Dubrovnik.
These weddings were clearly advancing "the touristic promotions of certain wedding agencies".
Monsignor Simic also complained that Croatian priests had been put under a lot of pressure to marry Irish couples at short notice and without the proper papers.
Disturbed
He said that "very often wedding candidates put our parish priests under a lot of pressure arranging wedding ceremonies and booking plane tickets and hotels before getting all the necessary papers done".
According to the chancellor, in some cases marriages had been conducted with little or no preparation by the couple and guests.
The Croatian clergy had been disturbed by a lack among Irish couples of awareness of and respect for rules on receiving communion.
Dr Brady has passed on the letter to his fellow bishops. The matter will be discussed at the hierarchy's general meeting in March.
However, Bishop Smith has moved to crack down on abuses associated with weddings abroad ahead of any decisions that might be made later by the bishops. [/b]
I have contacted my agent who is organising the wedding and she has assured me that eveything will be ok as i have carried out the correct procedures in regards to paperwork, our marraige preparation course and our meeting with the priest here in Ireland to ensure all documents etc are in order,
I hope this is of some help to everyone,