General Legal Marriage Requirements
1. Lodging Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM)
Before the wedding ceremony, you should lodge Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM) to the celebrant, the following of identifications must be made available:
- Australian or Overseas Birth Certificate (Not Birth Extract)
- Australian or Overseas passport
- Photo Identification: driver license.
- If a party is widowed, you must show the death certificate of the previous spouse.
- If you were divorced, you must provide a Certificate of Divorce/Decree Absolute for your divorce.
- If your previous marriage were annulled, you must show me the nullity order.
- If a party is under the age of 18, you must show me both an effective court order issued by a Judge or Magistrate and a consent form signed by your parents/guardian.
- For overseas documents which do not have English translations, you should seek for official translations, who are recognised and approved by NAATI. These translated documents must be obtained before the NOIM can be completed.
A Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage will need to be completed and signed. This is a means to declare that the information provided in your NOIM is true & correct to the best of your knowledge and that you see no legal impediment restricting you two to getting married.
The signing of this document can be done on the day of the wedding as long as it is before the ceremony commences. This document must be signed in my presence.
3. At the ceremony
After vows have been spoken during the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom, two witnesses and I (as your Marriage Celebrant) will sign three copies of your marriage certificate.
The first is, Certificate of Marriage (Form 15), will be given to you on the day after the marriage has been solemnised. The second is, Official Certificate of Marriage (Form 16), will be sent by me to the Registrar for registering your marriage. The third is also called, Official Certificate of Marriage (Form 16), is retained by me as per Regulation 42A (3) of the Marriage Act 1963.
Your Certificate of Marriage will be beautifully printed in calligraphy letters, a lasting record of this wonderful moment in your lives. It is an important document with a unique identifying number and evidence of marriage that your legal status has changed.
However, it does not obviate the need. If you must prove your marital status later on in such situations required, you should acquire an official standard marriage certificate, which is certified by the Registry. This Standard Certificate would be used as your marriage's legal proof and is available from the Registry usually after 20 working days.
Please note that the Registry will not automatically issue you with a certified standard marriage certificate. If you find you require this, it can only be available upon application.
4. After the ceremony
I will email to notify you once your marriage has been processed and officially registered with the Department of Births, Deaths & Marriages.