Catriona Doherty Celebrant & Solemniser

Catriona Doherty Celebrant & Solemniser I'm a Donegal wedding celebrant & solemniser. I work with couples to turn their love story into a magical ceremony.

I write & deliver elopements, baby namings, vow renewals & weddings - legally binding & symbolic - across NI & ROI. I specialise in ceremonies for all events in life – weddings, elopements, funerals, baby naming, and vow renewals.

❤️ Client testimonial ❤️Photo credit: on Instagram
19/11/2025

❤️ Client testimonial ❤️
Photo credit: on Instagram

Just me casually reading love poems in a forest, because that’s how I roll. Only joking, I was actually running around a...
17/11/2025

Just me casually reading love poems in a forest, because that’s how I roll. Only joking, I was actually running around after my two little ladies to ensure they stayed unharmed and clean for photos during a family shoot with Nicola Kelly Photography
Whilst, I’m not usually found reading romance in the woods, researching poems and readings is an enjoyable part of my job, and I love coming across new writing that’s perfect for an upcoming ceremony.
‘Ordinary Morning’ by Joyce Grenfell remains one of my all-time favourites. Often when an individual meets their future husband or wife, little do they know that on this ordinary day, the course of their life has changed forevermore… Here it is:

It felt like an ordinary morning,
It began an ordinary way,
And then, without warning
Ordinary morning became extraordinary day.
Hadn’t the slightest sort of inkling,
No-one said love was on its way,
And then within a twinkling,
Without the smallest inkling,
It became an extraordinary day.
For there you were,
And the whole world stood still.
There you were,
I loved you then, and I always will.
At first, an ordinary morning,
Began in an ordinary way,
And then my heart was beating
At this ordinary meeting
And we both knew
This was not an ordinary day.

I was asked recently if I do more than one ceremony per day. The answer is ‘no’. I have a ‘One ceremony per day policy,’...
14/11/2025

I was asked recently if I do more than one ceremony per day. The answer is ‘no’. I have a ‘One ceremony per day policy,’ to ensure I am 100% focused on your big day.
I arrive around two hours before your wedding to double check everything is set up how you imagined, to meet your other suppliers, and to greet your guests as they arrive.
Delivering one ceremony per day also gives me greater flexibility; should you need to move your ceremony time for any reason, I can facilitate that.

13/11/2025

Too good not to reshare.
Amy Meehan Music rehearsing ahead of Louise & Robbie's wedding ceremony at Beech Hill Country House - Exclusive Events Venue

For couples who live abroad and return to or visit Ireland to marry, choosing poems by authors from both countries is a ...
12/11/2025

For couples who live abroad and return to or visit Ireland to marry, choosing poems by authors from both countries is a lovely way to personalise their ceremony, whilst also including loved ones in their day. I married a couple who travelled all the way from Australia to Donegal this summer and they chose these two poems to reflect their life in Oz and their Irish roots: Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney and Together In the Wilderness by Paul Warren.

✨Together In the Wilderness by Paul Warren ✨

We have walked together in the Australian desert at sundown
And we saw the nestling eagles in the trees settle down
When the blazing sun boiled the distant air of the horizon
We travelled towards this mirage on the bitumen run

On sparkling white sands and a cobalt blue sea
I have raced my love into the cool waters with me
At night under a chandelier of twinkling stars bright
We have laid together as the campfire crackled with delight.

✨Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney✨

Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.

❤️New Testimonial ❤️“Catriona was our celebrant for our August 2025 wedding at Slieve League and she was truly wonderful...
10/11/2025

❤️New Testimonial ❤️
“Catriona was our celebrant for our August 2025 wedding at Slieve League and she was truly wonderful. We wanted a bit of a non-traditional wedding - we came over from the States with the idea of a cliffside ceremony followed by celebratory drinks at the pub; what Catriona gave us was the most heartfelt and memorable day of our lives.
“Over several phone calls and emails in the months leading up to the big day, she took the time to get to know us and our story. She offered suggestions on special ways to involve our family in the ceremony that I had never thought of and I am so grateful for. She then wrote an incredibly touching ceremony that reflected who were as a couple, our relationship, and the marriage we hope to have.
Our family and friends that were all in attendance all told us how moving her words were - and even my dad (who I didn't think would approve of any celebrant other than a catholic priest) was impressed.
“I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was difficult to say goodbye to her as it felt like she had become family. I have plans to frame the text of the ceremony alongside of one of the pictures of our day - her words were that meaningful.
“Without family or friends to offer recommendations of celebrants (or other vendors) we really didn't know what to expect, but Catriona couldn't have been more wonderful and I can't recommend her enough.”
Kind words from Kate Duggan ❤️
Photo by Lauren Carroll Photos

💫 One year married💫One year ago today, Brian and Danielle celebrated their love surrounded by family and friends at the ...
09/11/2025

💫 One year married💫
One year ago today, Brian and Danielle celebrated their love surrounded by family and friends at the beautiful An Grianan Hotel. Their day was full of laughter, music, and heartfelt moments including our groom surprising Danielle with a song mid-ceremony. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness in all the years to come. Photo credit: Stephen Latimer Photography
For more info on their wedding planning experience, check out this blog post:
https://catrionadohertycelebrant.com/blog/couples-stories-a-family-focused-heartfelt-day-with-a-hint-of-old-holywood-glamour

09/11/2025

💕Finalist💖
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to vote for me in the .ie national wedding awards. I'm so excited to be a finalist in my first ever wedding awards. The winner will be announced in February at an awards ceremony in Johnstown Estate. Thanks again 💕.

💌 Another love story and ceremony script completed and sent off to a lovely couple for their review. I always share my s...
08/11/2025

💌 Another love story and ceremony script completed and sent off to a lovely couple for their review.
I always share my scripts well ahead of the wedding for a few important reasons. Firstly, your personalised love story makes for a beautiful keepsake from your special day.
Secondly, it gives you the chance to review, tweak, or adjust anything you wish. And finally, knowing exactly what will be said can ease some of those wedding-day nerves - helping you feel calm, confident, and ready to say I do.

Photo by

07/11/2025

Paris 🇫🇷

I have my own top-quality PA system, because every word of your ceremony deserves to be heard, I don’t always use it, be...
06/11/2025

I have my own top-quality PA system, because every word of your ceremony deserves to be heard,
I don’t always use it, because your chosen venue’s system may be first-class, but nonetheless it comes with me.

💫 Handfasting: An ancient ritual for modern love 💫Handfasting is an old Celtic tradition where two hands were bound toge...
04/11/2025

💫 Handfasting: An ancient ritual for modern love 💫
Handfasting is an old Celtic tradition where two hands were bound together with ribbon or cord to symbolise a promise of eternal love and unity.
Whether you’re saying “I do” or “we still do,” handfasting is a timeless reminder that love is a choice, made freely and wholeheartedly.
You can use cords in colours that mean something to you, weave in fabric that honours your heritage or a loved one, or invite family and friends to take part.
Photo credit: Nicola Kelly Photography

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