HI! MY
NAME IS ...
JAMES T. CLARKE
Pastor & Wedding Officiant
Hi I'm James,
I'm the Pastor of a local Church in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland.
​I am a legal wedding officiant in the North & South of Ireland, which means I can legally officiate your wedding or elopement at your venue or location of choice almost anywhere on our beautiful Emerald Isle of Ireland!
I've been officiating weddings and elopements for the past eight years and have officiated over 270 wedding ceremonies in various locations and venues including churches, football pitches, hotels, barns, gardens, castles, beaches, cliff tops, forrest's, waterfalls, and more!
I'm extremely blessed to be a highly recommended minister (or celebrant as I'm sometimes referred too) in some exclusive wedding venues & hotels in Northern Ireland such as Galgorm Resort, The Culloden Estate, The Rabbit Retreat, Leighinmnohr House, Ballygally Castle, The Old Inn, Cultra Manor, Ballyscullion Park and The Wool Tower.
I have officiated many times in other stunning venues such as Finnebrough Woods, Hillmount House, Altahammond Wedding Barn, The Wool Tower, Clandeboye Lodge, Red Castle, Drenagh House Estate, Ballymagarvey Village, Lough Erne Resort, Lusty Beg Island, The Dunadry Gardens, Slieve Donard Resort, Magheramorne Estate, The Old Rectory Killyman, Narrow Water Castle, Hilton Hotel, Ten Square, Crowne Plaza, La Mon, Stormont Hotel, Rosspark, Millbrook Lodge and many more!
2024 AVAILABILITY IS EXTREMELY LOW!
2025 AVAILABILITY IS STARTING TO BOOK UP FAST.
2026 BOOKINGS HAVE ALREADY STARTED COMING IN. NEVER TOO EARLY.
Elopement!
The new old fashioned way to get married.
Fully Legal Ceremony
Want to elope to Ireland and be legally married at the same time?
I can do that. North or South, pick a beautiful spot, we'll get your paperwork in order, plan a beautiful ceremony and you'll be legally married in Ireland.
Symbolic Ceremony
Eloping to Ireland but for whatever reason you can't get the necessary paperwork in order to legally marry here? You still need to legally marry in your own country (before or afterwards) but you can still come here and have a symbolic ceremony like the real thing!
Capturing the Moment
If you haven't found someone yet, I can certainly put you in contact with a photographer / videographer who'll know the area so you'll get the best wedding content to look back on.
I work with the best in the industry, and you should too.
Paperwork
Even though you'll be on a beach, hilltop, castle, or underneath a waterfall, in some places you do need permission, some you don't. So when it comes to your paperwork, it's best to start as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
200th
Wedding Ceremony!
September 2023, I celebrated my 200th wedding ceremony as I was officiating at Ballymagarvey Village for Rachael & Neil Coulter.
​
It's still never lost on me how blessed I am to be so involved in this industry!
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me over the years to get to this milestone! Here's to a few more!
Photo : Paula McManus
June 2023
Sarah-Kate & Bennet eloped from the United States of America to the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland and they tied the knot just beside the ruins of Kinbane Castle. We all worked on the ceremony which was complete with a mix of traditional & personal vows, handfasting + a hand written letter from home which had us all in tears! Then it was off to the Giants Causeway itself as the sun was setting for a few evening images all taken by the wonderful Paula McManus!
Photo : Sun & Beau
DECEMBER 2021
Sharron & Gary got engaged and planned a wedding within three months! Sharron is the owner of Innocent Chaos, specialists in luxury artificial flowers. They included fellow small businesses and vendors in Northern Ireland that they have either worked with or followed, as they both love to support other creators and local businesses and I was fortunate to work along side Emily Rose, Pomegranate & fig and Sun & Beau.
December 2021
Kirstie and Thomas got married in the Renaissance Suite at Galgorm Resort on 23rd of June 2022. The entire day was held in the Renaissance Suite and it looked so good. Working with a great team that day including David McConkey, Mark Barnes, Minford Media and Fairy Tales had the room looking fab!
How does it all work?
(here's the quick version)
Photo : myself
THE PAPERWORK
Help and guidance with all the necessary paperwork required to marry in North or South of Ireland.
Photo : myself
THE PREP
We then get to be a little creative. I'll take all your ideas + worries and work on your perfect ceremony!
THE BIG DAY
The big day arrives, all the prep is done, it's time to stand, smile, sign here, repeat after me and say I DO!
"Our best moment was for sure the ceremony by the lovely James Clarke - he made it so relaxed. Our son Austin was on my hip when we got married and I couldn’t have asked for a better moment."
Megan & Bradley Taylor
April 2022
