If you’re getting married in Australia, there are five things you need to know to make sure you are legally married.  Some of them need to happen before the ceremony, some happen during the ceremony, and some happen after.  So, grab a cup of coffee, stop for five minutes and check out my post below.

1.  Complete the Notice of Intended Marriage

The Notice of Intended Marriage is a form that your celebrant can give you to complete, or it is available on the Attorney Generals website – ag.gov.au  The Notice of Intended Marriage (or NOIM as its is lovingly referred to) contains all the information that is required by law for you to be married.

This form must be signed by you both and witnessed by your celebrant between one month and 180 days before your wedding ceremony.  Once it is signed and witnessed, you then lodge it with your Marriage Celebrant who by law must keep it in a secured and safe environment until just after your wedding day when it will be sent to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Department.

The Notice of Intended Marriage is easy to fill in – it requires information about you both – your names, address, occupation, parent’s names, divorce or death of previous spouse information.  There are some documents that I need to see the original of.  Personally, I like to see a copy of either a passport or driver’s licence and your birth certificates if you have them.  (That’s because I like to cross all my t’s and dot my i’s!)

2.  Complete a form called “Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage”

As close to your wedding day as possible, (I complete this form with my couples at our rehearsal) I ask you to read, understand and sign the No Legal Impediment document. This form is great, it details some information about you both (which is extracted from the Notice of Intended Marriage form).  The document confirms that there is no legal reason why you two can’t be married.  You read it, agree that all information is correct, and sign it.   I then keep this form in my locked filing cabinet, and have it ready to submit to Births, Deaths and Marriages after your wedding day.

3.  On Your Wedding Day:  Now the fun starts!

It’s your wedding day – in fact we are now at your wedding ceremony, standing proudly in front of your family and friends, and here’s the four things that must happen during your ceremony:

1. I must say the following. “My name is Annette James, and I am a registered Marriage Celebrant.”
2. I need to say your full names at least once during the ceremony. This can be said at the very start of the ceremony, or when we get to the legal part – called The Monitum.
3. I must say the words below, and cannot change any of the wording (except your names of course):
   “Annette Mary Byrne and Stephen John James, I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to the 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 between two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.”
4. You need to say the following words as part of your marriage vows. Once you say these words you can say your personal vows and promises to each other.  I think this part of the ceremony is the most romantic and beautiful bit – its when you declare your love for each other, and when we do it well, its like you are the only two people in the room.  Its just so special.

4.  Signing the documents on your Wedding Day

Just before the end of the wedding ceremony, I call for two pre-selected witnesses to come forward to sign your wedding certificates. Your witnesses must be over the age of 18, and be able to understand everything that has happened during the ceremony, especially the legal components.

There are three documents we sign on your wedding day:

1. The Official Marriage Certificate which will be sent to BDM,
2. another copy of the Official Marriage Certificate which will be kept by me for at least the next seven years (and I intend to keep them for life – I’m so proud of each marriage that I do),
3. and a Couples Certificate, which is not a legal certificate you can use to confirm you are married or change your name, but a commemorative certificate for you to keep.

The official marriage certificate comes in step 5.

5.  Your documents need to be submitted to Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days of your wedding date

I love doing this part. It means that everything is signed, sealed and delivered.  I have a bit of a ritual ….. first thing on the morning after your wedding, at around 6am, you’ll find me in my office, at the computer, lodging your legal documents.

I prepare everything, triple check that everything is signed and legally correct, and get your form submitted to BDM.  I can also apply for your legal marriage certificate, and pay for it on your behalf, so that it is delivered straight to your door.  No fuss, no stress – everything is done and dusted.

Getting married in Australia is easy – as long as you choose your celebrant well.  Make sure they are registered – you can check this on the Attorney General’s website, make sure they attend regular training and keep themselves up-to-date with all legal requirements and changes, and make sure you like and trust them.  Feel comfortable with who you choose to be your celebrant, and you’ll have a ball planning your wedding ceremony.  Pick someone you can trust.

And just like that,
when you follow these steps,
you’ll be legally and happily married – now and forever!

If you want to speak to me about getting married, just complete the contact form below or call me on 0488 452 126 and we can talk about your dreams and I’ll help make them a reality.