FAQs

A celebrant conducts civil ceremonies for the general public in a variety of roles such as a Marriage Celebrant, Funeral Celebrant or at other family ceremonies such as a baby naming, which is similar to a christening, renewal of vows, commitment ceremony or milestone events such as retirement, 21st or 40th birthdays.  They meet with you to discuss your needs and expectations, write and facilitate a ceremony tailored to your requirements.  In some cases, certificates will be provided.

A Civil Marriage Celebrant, as a qualified trained and professional person, is authorised to conduct your marriage ceremony in a manner that meets the legal requirements.  This includes a range of matters such as ensuring that your ceremony contains certain mandatory words; the correct completion of your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) and all other marriage documents; and the lodging of your marriage documents with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is done in such a way that they comply with the Marriage Act 1961.

Apart from ensuring that your ceremony contains the necessary legal components, your Marriage Celebrant will also personalise your ceremony, if requested to do so and will offer some choices as to what you may like to consider for inclusion in your ceremony.   Your Marriage Celebrant can also offer you a range of resources to assist you in this process.  This is not to say that you cannot write your own vows and indeed, if you would prefer to write your own ceremony, there are a number of celebrants who would be pleased to help you in this endeavour, and most importantly, would still ensure that your ceremony complies with all the legal requirements.

The obligations placed on Marriage Celebrants are outlined in a Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants which is to be displayed by them.  Some Marriage Celebrants may even provide you with a copy of this document.

All Australian states and territories are bound by the regulations set out in the Marriage Act 1961, which defines what constitutes a legal marriage. This law was amended by the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 to extend the right to marry to same-sex couples.

In order to enter into a legal marriage, you must satisfy the following:

• Not currently be in a legally recognised marriage

• Be at least 18 years of age

• Understand the concept of marriage and freely consent to it

• not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister (this includes by adoption)

• Use appropriate wording during the wedding ceremony

• Provide the celebrant with the necessary documentation within a given time frame.

It’s not required that you be an Australian citizen or an Australian resident to get married in Australia. However, if one partner is a citizen of a foreign country, it may be prudent to check the legal standing of Australian marriages in their home country. This is especially relevant to same-sex couples. 

Section 42 of the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) requires the parties to an intended marriage to give the authorised celebrant at least one month’s written notice prior to the solemnisation of the marriage. This notice is known as the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM).

You can fill this form out with me, and I can witness it for you.

The next piece of paperwork is the Declaration of No Legal Impediment. We will complete this as close to your wedding day date as possible. Usually this is done the day before when we run a rehearsal of the ceremony.

The final pieces of paperwork are signed on your wedding day with your two witnesses: the Celebrant’s ‘register’, the Marriage Certificate and your Marriage presentation certificate that you keep.

Before the marriage can take place, both parties must provide to the authorised celebrant (section 42 of the Act): (a) evidence of the parties’ date and place of birth, such as a birth certificate, official extract from a birth register or an Australian or overseas passport, and (b) if a party is divorced or a party’s last spouse died, evidence of divorce or death of that spouse.

Before the marriage can take place, the authorised celebrant must also be satisfied that you are one of the people named in the Notice. Photographic evidence of identity such as a passport, a driver licence, proof of age card or an official identity card will assist the authorised celebrant to meet this requirement.

You can choose anyone you know and trust as long as they are over 18 years old.  They do not have to be part of your bridal party and can include members of your family e.g. mothers, grandmothers, brothers, sisters.

Under section 44 of the Marriage Act , a marriage may not be solemnised unless at least two persons are present at the ceremony who are, or appear to the person solemnising the marriage to be, over the age of 18 years. These are the persons who will sign the marriage certificates in their capacity as the witnesses to the marriage.

Without a celebrant, your wedding is simply a very expensive party! I recommend ensuring that you book your celebrant as soon as possible after choosing your date and venue. Because you must lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage with your celebrant at least on month before the wedding date, you must, of course, book your celebrant at least one month before the wedding date.  Exceptions are when you have already lodged the NOIM with another celebrant and they will transfer it to me, or if your circumstances allow for a ‘shortening of time’. Be mindful however, the ‘shortening of time’ is only provided in exceptional circumstances.

Absolutely! I am proud to celebrate love in all its forms and am delighted to officiate weddings for LGBTQIA+ couples. Every love story is unique and deserves to be honoured with a ceremony that reflects who you are as a couple - filled with warmth, authenticity, and joy.

Yes! I am more than happy to travel to your ceremony location. Simply message me and we can discuss details and work out a plan!