Resources
All my couples who have booked a date with me will receive a 'wedding booklet' with numerous suggestions and considerations, this page contains clips of what is found in this booklet.
In order to marry in Australia, parties to the marriage must meet the following criteria:
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Both aged 18 years or over unless court approval has been sought
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Both not married to someone else (or each other)
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The parties are not be in a prohibited relationship with each other
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Both individuals must give real consent
It is also the celebrant’s duty to ensure that the following requirements are met:
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You have provided a completed Notice of Intent to Marry to the celebrant over a month but less than 18 months before the date to be wed
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Any previous marriages have ended, and evidence of this is provided
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You have read Happily Ever ... Before and After
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You have provided evidence of birthplace and date
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You have met individually with the celebrant before the ceremony
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Your celebrant has said the monitum in front of the couple and witnesses
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You have said your legal vows to each other “I call upon the persons here present to witness that I x take thee y to be my lawful wedded z”
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You and the celebrant have signed all five forms
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Your witnesses have signed the marriage certificates and Form 15
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Your celebrant submits all documents within 14 days of the ceremony*
*Please let your celebrant know if you would like an official certificate of marriage from Births, Deaths and Marriages (usually required if one of you would like to take your partner’s last name)
Legal Requirements
for a Marriage
In Australia, every couple wishing to be legally married must submit a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) at least a month and less than 18 months before their wedding date. You can either:
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Download and complete a copy from the Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) website. This will need to be signed and witnessed by a Justice of the Peace, a medical practitioner, a member of the AFP/police force, or a marriage celebrant.
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Or, if you've chosen me as your celebrant, I will complete the NOIM with you
The one-month period starts from when your celebrant receives the NOIM, not from when it was signed and when your signature was witnessed. The document remains with me for 6 years and I submit the paperwork to BDM as soon as possible, usually the same day of the wedding.
You will need to provide proof of your date and place of birth (birth certificate or passport), photo ID (driver licence or proof of age card) and evidence of any previous marriage ending (divorce certificate or death certificate).
Celebrants are required to see the originals of these, not certified copies before the ceremony. If these documents are in another language, we will need to see a formal translation of the document.
As your celebrant, I'll bring a 'Green Book' and a 'Red Book' on the day.
The Green Book contains two forms for you to sign:
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A copy of the marriage certificate, which needs your signatures, the witnesses' signatures, and mine underneath.
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The Declaration of No Legal Impediment (confirming you're both over 18, not in a prohibited relationship and not currently married), which is witnessed by your celebrant. We sign this before the ceremony when I meet with you separately to also verify true consent.
The Red Book contains the official marriage certificate, signed by you, your two witnesses, and me.
Finally, there is the couple's certificate, also known as the Form 15. This contains the signatures of the two witnesses, the couple, and the celebrant.
If you need a form for a name change, let me know and I'll order one for you. Births, Deaths and Marriages charge a fee for this, which is passed on to you.
