Frequently Asked Questions
- We want to get married by the end of this month. Is that possible?
- Can we get a shortening-of-notice?
- Do we need witnesses to our wedding?
- My partner is coming from overseas and speaks little English. Is that a problem?
- Does your fee include our marriage certificate?
- What documentation do we need?
- Other questions
- Useful links
We want to get married by the end of this month. Is that possible?
No, as you are required to give at least a calendar month’s notice before a marriage can take place. The law requires that you lodge a duly completed Notice of Intended Marriage (NIM) with your chosen celebrant in that time-frame.
Can we get a shortening-of-notice?
A shortening of notice may, under certain circumstances be granted by personal application to a prescribed authority, as listed on the Attorney-General’s website. Usual grounds would be that one of you is to be posted overseas for work, or that one of you, or a close relative is terminally ill.
Do we need witnesses to our wedding?
Yes, the law requires two adult (over the age of 18) witnesses to be present throughout the ceremony. They can be family, or friends and need not be Australian citizens.
My partner is coming from overseas and speaks little English. Is that a problem?
You would be required to provide an interpreter, not a family-member, in such a case, who would sign a statutory declaration to the effect that he/she is fluent in the language to be used in addition to English.
Does your fee include our marriage certificate?
Yes, although you may be asked after the wedding, perhaps by a bank or other institution where you wish to register any name-change or your married status, to provide a copy of the full marriage certificate which is signed at the wedding by your celebrant, the two witnesses, and, of course, the marrying couple! In such cases, you would need to contact the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the State in which you were married, and pay the appropriate fee for a copy of the certificate.
What documentation do we need?
If you and your partner were born in Australia, you would need to provide your birth certificate(s) or a certified copy thereof. If either of you were born outside Australia, you may provide your passport.
If either of you has been married before, you would need to provide either a death certificate, a decree absolute (proof that the previous marriage has been dissolved in the appropriate Court of Law) or a certified copy of either.
As a celebrant, I must sight the documents, note their official number, but do not keep them.
Other questions
If you have a question which is not addressed above, please feel free to email or ring me!