Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should we make our booking with a Marriage Celebrant?
As soon as possible! You must give a Notice of Intended Marriage to a Celebrant at least one (1) month before your wedding date, and you must also produce to the Celebrant, certain documents, including proof of identity and evidence that you are eligible to be married. It may take some time for you to obtain these documents and you need to discuss with a Celebrant, what documents you and your partner must produce. So don’t leave it until the last minute – book early, and get started now to avoid last-minute delays.
2. What documents will we need to show before our wedding?
If you or your partner were born in Australia I will need to see your Original Birth Certificate or passport; photo ID such as a driver’s licence or Passport; evidence of termination of any previous marriage (eg death, divorce or nullity); consent and court approval if one of you is under 18 years of age.
If you were born overseas then I will need to see either your Birth Certificate or a Foreign Passport or an Australian Passport. If you cannot produce either of these then you will need to tell me at the time of making your booking so I advise you on the steps you need to take to obtain proof of birth place and identity.
If either you or your partner has been married before, I need to see evidence of what ended your last marriage. This may be a Certificate of Divorce or a Death Certificate or Divorce Order.
3. What is the Notice of Intended Marriage Form and how do we lodge it?
The Notice of Intended Marriage Form (NOIM) is an Australian Government prescribed form that must be lodged with your Marriage Celebrant up to 18 months and no later than one (1) month and one (1) day before your wedding date. If you do not get married within the 18 months of lodgement of the NOIM, it will expire. I help couples to complete the information on the NOIM. The NOIM is considered lodged when I receive and witness it. If one of you is unable to present at the lodgement of the NOIM there are several ways to meet the requirements, which I can let you know.
4. My partner is away and cannot sign the Notice of Intended Marriage Form?
The form can be lodged with only one signature but your partner will need to also sign it before your wedding day. Just complete it with me or send it to me with only your signature and the witnesses’ signatures.
5. What happens if my partner cannot speak or understand English?
This isn’t a problem but you will need to advise me of this at the time of making your booking. I will then let you know the procedure to be followed and advise you how to contact the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
6. Do we need to have official witnesses at our marriage ceremony?
Yes. Whilst you may have as many guests as you like, you must have two official witnesses who are both aged over 18 years old, who can sign the Marriage Certificates as witnesses.
7. Can we change our wedding date if our plans change?
If I do not have a booking on the new date you are changing to, then I will be happy to do this. If I am unable to perform your ceremony on the new date, I will refund your deposit and suggest another celebrant for you to contact.
8. What happens if we decide to change the wedding venue?
Changing the venue is no problem provided that I can accommodate your new booking.
9. I intend to live overseas. Will my Australian marriage be recognised there?
If you marry in Australia but intend to live or work in another country you will need to have your official Marriage Certificate certified as authentic for the relevant overseas country. In most cases an Apostille Stamp proves that an Australian registered Marriage Certificate is authentic and genuine.
The Apostille Stamp can be obtained from the Australian Passport Office.
This is quite a simple procedure, but you will need to allow time to finalise this after your marriage, before you travel overseas. Also, for some countries a different procedure is required, so you should ascertain as soon as possible, what is required. You can obtain more information from the Australian Passport Office.
10. Can we have whatever we like in our ceremony?
I will write a ceremony that meets your expectations however there are two sections that must be included – the Monitum and the Vows. Unless these are in your ceremony and heard by those present, your marriage will not be legal.