Reviews (22) 5/5

City Sanctuary is an eclectic and inclusive wedding venue in Dublin CIty Center that is redefining ceremony with their accessibility and laid-back approach.

City Sanctuary offers straightforward wedding ceremonies for those who want to focus on the magic of their special day. With our stylish and clean space, we are passionate about redefining ceremony by providing affordable options for lovers from all walks

of life.

We are neither a church nor a hospitality space, we are Dublin’s eclectic ceremony venue with a strong ethos of inclusivity, accessibility and equality. We believe in putting the couple and their family at the forefront of everything we do.

Our ceremonies can be as traditional or alternative as you envision your big day and are led by Entheos Ireland.

We are proud of our practical approach and believe that the moments that truly matter are the ones in which you are present.

Inclusive We value being a wedding venue that welcomes folks from all walks of life regardless of age, cultural background, religious belief, or gender identity.

Redefining Ceremony We’re devoted to providing meaningful ceremonies regardless of how traditional or alternative your approach may be.

Accessible City Sanctuary is an easy and comfortable venue for those with disabilities and/or smaller budgets.

Simple Our laid-back and easy going methods are ideal for practical couples who value simplicity.

Magic We’re uber passionate about preserving the magic of your special day above all

Check us out on Instagram and Facebook.

Reviews

5.0/5

22 reviews

Quality of service	5.0/5
Value	5.0/5
Responsiveness	5.0/5
Flexibility	5.0/5
Professionalism	5.0/5

Ann & Bill

Added 19th Apr 2022

Wedding 13th Apr 2022

As the proud parents of Christopher and delighted in-laws to Christine,we knew that their wedding ceremony would be very special..just like them. And so it was..and thanks to Karen's professionalism, warmth, storytelling and surefootedness, it proved to be a most memorable, moving, relevant and personal ceremony that reflected the love and commitment which shone from this most happiest of couples! Karen drew us in, engaged us, weaved a magic element into proceedings with her knowledge of history and ancient traditions. We laughed, we cried , we celebrated!! Thank you Karen for guiding, directing and caring for this special couple...you are an outstanding and unique solemniser and the couples of the future will be so lucky to have you as part of their special day. With our best wishes for the future..Ann & Bill.

Response from Karen Dempsey - Registered Solemniser

Dear Ann and Bill, I honestly can't thank you enough for your lovely words of commendation. Christine and Christopher are indeed such a special couple, and that makes my role so much easier, but it's always so lovely when others see beyond the outward presentation of the ceremony and feel the magic too! With huge love, Karen xxx

Christine and Christopher

Added 19th Apr 2022

Wedding 13th Apr 2022

We got in touch with Karen via a recommendation from a friend, and it was just about the best recommendation we've ever gotten! From the initial phone call and our video chat with Karen, we just immediately felt like we'd known her our whole lives. She instantly understood what we were looking for, and gave us such excellent advice in the buildup to the big day, especially in terms of the structure of the ceremony and the flow of how things would work. The ceremony itself was absolutely perfect. Neither of us were interested in anything stuffy or overly-formal, and Karen delivered a wonderful ceremony that was just perfect for us in terms of the tone - it felt like it was an old friend guiding us through it all, and she made everyone in the party feel included and completely at ease. We've had countless guests, including my 94-year old grandmother, tell us that it was the most beautiful ceremony they'd ever attended, and that's so much down to Karen. We can't possibly thank her enough, and we give her our absolutely highest recommendation.

Response from Karen Dempsey - Registered Solemniser

Aww Christine and Christopher, what a gorgeous message to read!!! i absolutely loved every minute of your ceremony, I was beaming the whole way home!! You both put such care and attention into it too, so it reverberated with both of your personalities and your love. Thank you so much to Granny G too, that is praise indeed, and so very much appreciated. Huge love!! Karen xxxxx

Janice

Added 8th Aug 2021

Wedding 29th Jul 2021

We just wanted to say a huge thank you for making our wedding day what it was Honestly, every person there spoke about how incredible you and the ceremony was which was always the most important thing for us. It was honestly perfect and we can't thank you enough.

Deana & Eamon

Added 22nd Aug 2021

Wedding 10th Jul 2021

Karen was an incredible solemniser. She made our ceremony extremely enjoyable, interactive, funny, heartfelt and personalised. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. She was so wonderfully supportive and informative to work with for the planning process. We couldn't be happier with our choice. She's a very special woman.

Kellie Brennan

Added 4th Aug 2021

Wedding 19th Jun 2021

Karen was amazing throughout the planning of the wedding ceremony, very quick to respond to any queries, on the day she was brilliant

Grace & Michael

Added 4th Aug 2021

Wedding 18th Jun 2021

Karen was our celebrant for our recent wedding, from first engagement to the ceremony day she was super helpful and easy to deal with. Family and friends commented on how warm and personable Karen was.

Chris

Added 11th Aug 2021

Wedding 11th Jun 2021

Thanks to karen for all her help , we had to change our dates a few times and she was always very helpful, she made the atmosphere at the ceremony very relaxed for both of us

Juliana & John

Added 23rd Aug 2021

Wedding 5th Jun 2021

Due to COVID, we ended up organising a lot of things last minute, and choosing our solemniser was one of them. It's funny how we knew Karen was the right person for our Big Day...We saw a lot of other celebrants online but she was the one with the biggest smile! We just got such a good energy from Karen and we were delighted to hear that she was available to officialise our marriage. She was very flexible and so supportive during the pre-wedding process and so helpful in moments we felt completely lost! Karen created a beautiful ceremony and made it so easy and relaxing for this nervous couple! Everybody loved it and complimented Karen! Thank you so much for making our wedding so special!

Richard

Added 10th Aug 2021

Wedding 15th May 2021

Karen was great, both before and after the wedding. Helped us decide on the format of the wedding beforehand. On the day, she was a warm and engaging presence, and made the wedding day special.

Clare & Emmet

Added 21st Feb 2021

Wedding 24th Dec 2020

Karen was so wonderful, what an amazing person. From the initial zoom call (because of covid) to the ceremony, Karen provided us with throughtful suggestions, felxibility and warmth. She made our day so special we just couldn't be more thankful that we happened upon her. She is absolutely made to do this, it is clearly a vocation. We we so at ease with her from the minute we started to chat and she listened to the mood of the day we were looking to create and her considered suggestions and careful planning made our day much much more than we could have envisaged ourselves. She remembdered to consider the things we might have forgotten for the ceremony but it was as though we had thought of these things ourselves. She was absolutely integral to the beautiful and special day we had, full of warmth, laughter and celebration... and on Christmas Eve. Karen you are a treasure thank you so much xx Clare & Emmet

Margaret & Darragh Woods

Added 10th Nov 2020

Wedding 21st Sep 2019

Choosing the right celebrant is so important to set the tone for the day, and we couldn't have found a better person than Karen! From the first email, she was so warm and lovely and we knew she was the right person to marry us. She was so helpful during the planning process and gave us a lot of suggestions but was always open to what we wanted. She helped us design a ceremony that reflected who we are as a couple and did such a beautiful job. Our guests were so impressed and said it was the most beautiful ceremony they had been to! Karen delivered such a personal and warm ceremony filled with so much love and we can't thank her enough for making it a day we will always cherish. Thank you for calming my nerves and making me be present in the moment!

Response from Karen Dempsey - Registered Solemniser

Aahh thank you so much Mags and Darragh- and a happy first anniversary to you both!! What a fab day we had for your ceremony, it was my absolute privilege to hold it with you :-)

Stephanie Anne

Added 28th Aug 2019

Wedding 17th Aug 2019

My husband and I were so lucky to be married by Karen this August and we absolutely could not be more grateful for the incredibly beautiful ceremony she created. Every step of the way through the (relatively short!) planning stages, Karen calmed us and centered us and kept us grounded. We never felt rushed or like anything was too much or too little to ask or consider. The ceremony was all at once fun, comfortable, emotional and personal. She is a complete natural and it’s as though she was born to celebrate people! Everyone at our wedding asked for her name after as they all can’t wait to have her for their own ceremonies! She put everyone at ease and created the most beautiful and comfortable environment for all of us. We truly could not have imagined better, or more tailored to us. Thank you again, Karen.

Pati and Conor

Added 4th Sep 2019

Wedding 17th May 2019

Our wedding ceremony was so beautiful and perfect! I had the best time of my life, very touching and so personal. You did an amazing job and we cannot thank you enough! I was impressed with how many people told us the ceremony was the best they've seen at a wedding! Many guests said that was the best part of the wedding, they were so excited about it which was a great surprise. One of my husbands guests said she was really touched and it was a great way to get to know myself better, that the ceremony was really like us. That was so nice to hear because it was exactly what we wanted: the ceremony to represent who we are as individuals and as a couple. I am glad we have chosen you, it was perfect!????

Fiona and Ciarán

Added 19th May 2019

Wedding 5th May 2019

We had the privilege of being married by Karen two weeks ago and the whole experience was perfect from beginning to end. We had a relatively short run in time to the ceremony but we never felt rushed with Karen. Her system works very well in that she has lots of suggestions and guidance for every stage of the ceremony that she can send by email in advance. She was very prompt to reply with suggestions and thoughts, so that, by the time we met her, we were able to personalise the ceremony exactly as we wished. We were able to combine Karen's suggestions with some of our readings and it all went like a dream. Karen has a lovely warm, caring, inclusive manner, that shines through at every stage. For a number of our guests, this was their first non-church wedding and they were all blown away by how personal and thoughtful Karen's service was. We cannot recommend Karen highly enough, she is incredible.

Michelle Ridge

Added 26th Apr 2018

Wedding 11th Nov 2018

Karen is not only an amazing friend and one of the most generous people you could ever meet, she now performs weddings too!!! How could I not request for her to marry me? Karen performed our wedding ceremony in November and even before the day she made time to catch up regularly with me and my husband and created a personalised ceremony based on our lives, no doctrine required. :P On the actual day she nailed it, even the older staunch country catholic ladies were fierce impressed! The quote "That's the way you do it" was echo-ed throughout the day. To re-iterate what other reviews have said, every single person raved about it afterwards. I think you may have even gotten two more bookings out of it, testament in itself. Thank you so much missus and we'll definitely be giving you a call for any of our future spiritual needs.x

Response from Karen Dempsey - Registered Solemniser

Ahh Michelle, thank you so much for your lovely words!! And so far, three more weddings have sprung from yours- you two are clearly a great example!!! Huge love always, Karen xxxxxx

Karen Lipsett

Added 2nd Aug 2018

Wedding 26th Jul 2018

Thank you so much Karen for the wonderful service you delivered. Everybody was captivated and felt a part of it all. It was and still is the talking point of the whole day. Once again, thank you so much. John and Karen Lipsett

Response from Karen Dempsey - Registered Solemniser

Karen, thank you so much for your kind words, I'm sure you've both settled well into married life by now!It was a pleasure to have been a part of your special day, huge love and luck to you both in your married livess together! Karen xxxxxx

Sean and Matt Leslie-Bryceland

Added 28th Apr 2018

Wedding 20th Apr 2018

Matt and I could not be one ounce happier with the amazing, magical and at times hilarious ceremony Rev. Karen delivered for us and our guests. It was a really heartfelt and personal celebration for us both, with nerves running high, both of us clinging to each other with somewhat sweaty palms, Karen kept us centered, in the moment, and focussed on what this marriage was all about... our commitment to each other. Every single one of our guests commented on just how personal the ceremony was, with many pointing out the differences with more traditional civil or religious ceremonies. More importantly they commented on Karen and her amazing personality and what it brought to making this day special for everyone in the room. We were on this journey with Karen, planning the ceremony for over a year; and even though we had planned it in detail, it still blew us both away. The day and party that followed just could not have been more perfect with everyone in fantastic spirits ready to celebrate a big moment for us; we firmly believe that was in part caused by the tone Rev. Karen set for the day.

Response from Karen Dempsey - Registered Solemniser

Dearest Matt and Sean, Your ceremony was a joy to be involved in, from the moment we first met for coffee, to the moment you both said I DO and shared your first kiss, as husbands to one another! The love in the room was palpable- I just helped to channel it your direction!!! I loved every minute of it, and I wish you both all the best of love, luck and happiness in your lives together. See you in Oz!!! Love, Karen xxxxxx

Annie & Val

Added 28th Apr 2018

Wedding 24th Mar 2018

We booked Karen to come and do our ceremony in Aran islands hotel. From the get go she emailed us what to expect. We meet the night before and chatted through ceremony which was lovely. The ceremony was great we had loads of fun as we wanted and was really relaxed. The hand fasting and nice poems were very intimate moments. We had 6 bridesmaids and one best man so our odd number was a worry but was grand,Karen will do whatever you ask ceremony wise to relax crowd and was nice to be married by someone so down to earth. I would highly recommend Karen for ceremonies where ever the location. Aran islands is a adventure in itself to get too.

Gráinne

Added 28th Apr 2018

Wedding 28th Dec 2017

Karen put us at ease from the first time we met her. She really understood what we wanted for our ceremony and helped us to create exactly the atmosphere and flow that we wanted to achieve. All the guests commented on how relaxed she made them and the ceremony was personal and reflected us a couple. Karen is extremely professional and really listens to what you are looking for & can guide you and give plenty of options for the type of ceremony you want. She has an incredible command of the room in a calm & charismatic manner. I couldn't recommend Karen enough.

Rebecca Burke

Added 26th Apr 2018

Wedding 27th Jul 2017

Where to start. Karen is such an amazing woman, the compassion she showed us when we had to postpone our wedding was second to none. When we finally got around to rescheduling she helped us in every way she could. She made our day amazing, the ceremony was both beautiful and funny. All our guests would of been more used to a traditional church wedding but each one of them said how fantastic it was. Thank you so much Karen you made our ceremony everything we ever wished for xx

Jacqui Pearson

Added 25th Apr 2018

Wedding 14th Jul 2017

Karen is 1 in a million as a person and solemniser, she gave us little ideas to include everyone in our special day and kept me calm the day of our wedding, I would recommend Karen to everyone, she listens, understands and is grateful to be part of your day. Karen THANK YOU for making our day unique xxxx

Andy Murray

Added 27th Apr 2018

Wedding 20th Aug 2016

I couldn’t possibly give Karen anything less than 5 star, from the moment we met I knew our ceremony would be perfect. Karen fulfilled our wishes right down to the tiniest detail, even to this day our family, relatives and friends are still talking about how wonderful her performance was. I highly recommend Karen for any style of wedding and service.

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