Frequently asked questions
What does a marriage celebrant do?
An authorised Marriage Celebrant is appointed by the Federal Government to solemnise marriages according to the Marriage Act 1961. They may solemnise marriages anywhere in Australia including outside the State or Territory in which they reside. Celebrants do ongoing professional development each year and are bound by a code of practice.
When solemnising marriages, celebrants are responsible for performing the ceremony, including ensuring the compulsory legal components are recited and witnessed; ensuring adequate sound for your guests to hear your vows clearly; and most importantly, completing and lodging all the legal paperwork with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the State or Territory where your marriage is solemnised.
What are the legal requirements for marriage in Australia?
Marriage is regulated by the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) and the Marriage Regulations 2017 (Cth). All marriages in Australia must be conducted in accordance with this legislation. The legislation specifies the requirements for the marriage ceremony as well as matters that arise before and after the ceremony.
You don’t have to be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia to legally marry here. To be legally married in Australia, two people must:
not be married to someone else
not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where one party is aged between 16 and 18 years old
lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with their celebrant no less than one month and no more than 18 months before their ceremony
understand what marriage means and freely consent to being married
sign a declaration stating there are no legal impediments to the marriage e.g. already married, underage, too closely related etc.
use specific words during the ceremony i.e. the ‘monitum’ spoken by the celebrant and ‘the vows’ spoken by each party to marriage
have two witnesses at the ceremony who are at least 18 years of age who will be required to sign the marriage certificates
ensure their celebrant registers the marriage with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days.
How much notice must be given to be married in Australia?
The most important step in the marriage process is meeting with your celebrant to complete your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) which is to be signed, witness and lodged with the celebrant. By law, this must be done at least one month prior to the wedding date. A longer time is preferable with 18 months being the maximum amount of advance notice.
What if we want to get married within the next month?
Speak with your celebrant for information about officially applying to a prescribed authority for a ‘shortening of time’. If approved, your celebrant can be given authorisation to solemnise your marriage despite not meeting the required one month lodgement.
What circumstance will the prescribed authority consider for a shortening of time?
These are limited to:
employment related or other travel commitments
wedding or celebration arrangements, or religious considerations
medical reasons
legal proceedings, or
an error in giving notice.
What documents and identification do we need to provide the celebrant?
Evidence of date and place of birth e.g. original birth certificate or birth extract, passport
Photographic evidence of identity e.g. drivers licence, passport, proof of age card
Evidence of the end of a previous marriage e.g. divorce certificate, death certificate
Ideally, these original documents should be sighted at the time of lodging your NOIM with your celebrant. Alternatively, your NOIM and original supporting documents can be lodged with your celebrant via electronic form including an email (scanned), text messaging a photo of the document, or facsimile.
In some exceptional cases a Statutory Declaration may be acceptable. If you cannot provide any of the above, discuss with your celebrant.
Can we use photo copies and certified copies of our legal documents?
No. All identification documents sighted by the celebrant or electronically provided must be originals. A statutory declaration must be a signed original. However, a divorce certificate can be original or a certified copy.
Celebrating love with a personal touch
Your Celebrant
Choosing your Celebrant is a very personal choice, and I would love to hear your plans for your special day. Please get in touch for an obligation-free meeting and you can decide if I am the right Celebrant for you.
Whether you are wanting a ‘You Plus Two’ marriage service with just you and two witnesses or planning an intimate elopement or an ultimate marriage ceremony, I will guide you every step of the way.
As your Celebrant, I will prepare all your legal paperwork, help in planning your ideal ceremony, and compose a unique and personal ceremony that sets the perfect vibe for your day. I will provide you with lots of resources and ceremony ideas, assistance to write your personal vows, conduct a rehearsal and officiate your ceremony.
How many meetings do we need?
We will have an initial meeting to discuss preliminary arrangements for your ceremony, and then a second meeting for you to lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form with me. Follow-up chats via phone, email or Facetime (if you live outside Geraldton) as often as needed in preparation for your ceremony. We will also meet for your wedding rehearsal, so everyone feels prepared for the day.
Can we personalise our ceremony?
Absolutely! My passion is to create a personal ceremony that truly reflects you and will have your family and friends thinking “This is so them!”
I will provide you with a ‘Love Story’ questionnaire. This is how I get to know you as a couple and helps me to create a unique ceremony – relaxed, loving and fun, and just as you want. Your day, your way!
Do you provide a ceremony draft?
Once I have received your completed questionnaire, personal vows, and any special inclusions, I can begin crafting your ceremony. I will send you a first draft allowing plenty of time for any edits.
How long is the ceremony?
The length of your wedding ceremony will depend on how many different elements you choose to include. As a guide, allow roughly 30 minutes from start (wedding party processional) to finish, when I introduce you as the newly married couple.
During the ceremony where do we stand?
There is no particular side for the bride/groom/partner to stand for weddings. You and your wedding party can choose to free to stand where you want.
A couple of things to keep in mind are, what looks best in photographs taking into consideration the venue, location, symmetry, size of your wedding party, background, sunshine etc.; and what feels best for you.
Should we have a Rehearsal?
The decision to have a rehearsal is totally up to you, however, it is generally a good idea to get your wedding party together before the big day to help settle any nerves, especially for any children involved. The best time is usually the day before or within a week of the wedding to step through the details and answer any questions you might have. This is also when you will sign the second legal document Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage.
Do you have a sound system?
Yes, I have a portable PA system. I use a headset microphone and provide a hand-held wireless microphone for your vows and any readings by guests. For a smaller intimate service, there is often no need for a PA system. I can also download your ceremony music via Spotify and control it through my PA system.
Booking me as your Celebrant
If you feel that I am a ‘good fit’ as your Celebrant, please contact me to complete a Booking Form and to lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form with me. Once you have paid your NOIM lodgement fee, your date is secured.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.