"It is your day to remember"

Civil Marriage Celebrant and Justice of Peace

A guide to legal requirements

A marriage cannot be solemnised in Australia unless:

A Notice of the Intended Marriage has been given to a celebrant, at least one month from your wedding date.  Once received, your form is valid up to eighteen months from your wedding date. Evidence of date and place of birth of the bride and groom has been produced The bride and groom has made a declaration as to his and her belief that there is no legal impediment to the marriage. As your Celebrant I will complete this form with you.

Age:  You must be over the age of 18 years.  Marriage of any person under the age of 18 years requires permission from a judge or local magistrate.  However, this is rarely granted.  No two persons under the age of 18 years can marry.

Documentation

The following original documentation is required to be sighted by myself - depending on your marital status:

Marital Status Born in Australia Born Overseas
Never validly married
Birth Certificate
Birth Certificate
Passport
Divorced
Birth Certificate
Decree Absolute (divorce papers)
Birth Certificate
Decree Absolute (divorce papers)
Passport
Widow/Widower
Birth Certificate
Death Certificate of spouse
Birth Certificate
Death Certificate of spouse
Passport

Birth Certificate

If you are born in Australia, you MUST produce your Birth certificate.  If you have misplaced it, you will need to obtain an extract of your Australian Birth Certificate from the relevant Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages of the State you were born.  A Statutory Declaration will not be accepted.

If you are born overseas, and your documentations (Birth Certificate, Passport) are:In a foreign language, they will need to be translated into English.  This will be the couple’s responsibility to have their documentation translated.  A list of service providers can be viewed on my Resources page.

Misplaced or destroyed, you can overcome this by completing a Statutory Declaration.  I can assist you with this.

Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)

A “Notice of Intended Marriage” is required to be completed and handed to me as your celebrant at least one month from your wedding date.  Once received, your form is valid up to eighteen months from your wedding date.

A “Notice of Intended Marriage” form can be obtained from me, or it can be downloaded from HERE.
 

If you are overseas, the form can also be obtained from an Australian Embassy or the Australian High Commission.After completing the Notice of Intended Marriage form, please do not sign it.  The signing must be witnessed by your celebrant or another authorised person.

Shortening of Time for Notice

If you are unable to wait one month and one day to marry, you can apply for a ‘shortening of time’ through a prescribed authority for approval which is either your local court or magistrate.They are the only ones who can shorten the required period, provided they are satisfied that the circumstances prescribed in the regulations are met.

These circumstances are:

  • Employment related or other travel commitments.
  • Wedding or celebration arrangements or religious considerations.
  • Medical reasons.
  • Legal proceedings.
  • Error in giving notice.

The reason for seeking a shortening of time for notice must fall within one of these circumstances before an application can be considered.  There is no capacity to grant shortening of time outside these circumstances. If you happen to need a shortening of time, you will need to meet with me to fill in a Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM) which will be required as part of your application for shortening of time.  It is important that you understand that it is up to the prescribed authority to approve the application, and it is not an automatic process.