FAQ

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The following legal requirements must be met for a marriage conducted by a registered marriage celebrant to be considered legal in Australia:

  • with the exception of Section 12 from The Marriage Act 1961, both parties must be at least 18 years of age
  • you are required to have two witnesses to the ceremony who are at least 18 years of age to sign the certificates and register
  • you must sign a declaration to state that there are No Legal Impediments To The Marriage e.g. being married to someone else, the couple being too closely related etc.
  • Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) must be lodged with your celebrant no less than one month and no earlier than 18 months before your ceremony

To complete the NOIM:

  • you must show your original (photocopies are not accepted) birth certificate, extract of birth or passport from your country of birth
  • if you have been married previously, you must show your Divorce Decree Absolute or Death Certificate of your previous spouse.

The Attorney General’s Department website has more information for couples who are about to get married.

A

Wedding ceremonies usually last between 20 to 30 minutes, which is ample time to cover the basics (words of welcome, a few readings, your story, vows, the ring exchange, the final pronouncement and signing). The exact length of your wedding ceremony will depend first and foremost on how many different elements you choose to include or not.

 

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I recommend and gently insist on a rehearsal – that’s why it’s included in my services!

If your venue is not available for a rehearsal, don’t fret! We just need a space where we can imagine a “front area” and practice walking down a mock aisle and standing in a line.

We want to do everything we can to make sure everyone is as relaxed as possible on your wedding day. A rehearsal – anywhere – goes a long way towards that.

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After we meet and you decide to book me, I send you an email with the payment information. You can pay using bank transfer or PayID.  I ask for a 50% booking deposit as a retainer, and I ask for the remaining 50% well after you have the draft of your ceremony script and it’s almost complete. Then I start building your story, editing along with you, and reaching out to your friends and family.

A

Hopefully, this will never ever happen! However, I am fortunate enough to know some experienced colleagues who I know would knock your ceremony out of the park as well as I would. Your ceremony will already be completely written by me, of course, and I would call on one of my colleagues to seamlessly step in and read and perform what you and I have created together.

 

A

The “Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage” is like our pre-wedding handshake. It’s there to confirm that everything in your NOIM is spot-on, and you’re all set to tie the knot.

Worried about timing? Fear not! We’ll usually sign this during our final meeting or rehearsal, but if time’s a bit tight, we can even do it on the big day. No fuss, just love and legality.

I’ll bring the document, you bring those ready-to-be-wed smiles, and we’ll get it all signed in a jiffy.

A

On the day of the wedding, there are three mandatory legal obligations to be fulfilled:

The Monitum: This is a prescribed statement that all authorised marriage celebrants in Australia must recite during the ceremony. The wording is as follows: “I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law. Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” This can be paraphrased as required by law.”

The Declaration of Intent: This is a legally mandated statement that all couples must recite during the ceremony, and the wording is: “In the presence of these witnesses, I (full legal name of party 1/2), take you, (full legal name of party 2/1), to be my lawfully wedded husband/wife/spouse/partner in marriage.”

The Signing of the Marriage Register: This involves two persons over the age of 18 acting as official witnesses to the marriage and signing the marriage register, which includes three documents:

  • Two copies of the official Government Certificate of Marriage – one to be forwarded to the Department of Births, Deaths & Marriages for registration, and one retained for record-keeping.
  • One presentation marriage certificate, provided to the couple as a keepsake.
  • Both witnesses and the celebrant will sign all three certificates.

These requirements are integral to the legal process and are strictly adhered to ensure the validity of the marriage within Australian law.



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