Frequently Asked Questions
To get married in Australia, your celebrant will need to sight a few specific documents. You'll need to have your Passport OR original Birth Certificate to show your evidence of date and place of birth. If you are providing the Birth Certificate you'll need to show photo ID to confirm who you are (if you are using a Passport, that covers both bases!)
If you've been married previously, you'll need to supply evidence to how that marriage ended eg. Divorce or Death Certificate.
Beyond that, there can be certain situations where you need to provide other documents - you've changed your name and your ID doesn't match your name, or you are below 18yrs and need parental consent - and your celebrant will let you know what to do.
You'll need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM) and have your signature witnessed by an approved witness.
This is usually done in person with your celebrant, however if you're in a different state or in a situation where that's not possible, there is a small list of other approved witness options.
Prior to the ceremony, you will also sign a Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage, confirming your consent etc.
And at the end of the ceremony, there will be three marriage certificates to sign, along with your official witnesses, who will co-sign.
In most circumstances, you must wait one calendar month after lodging your Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM) with a celebrant to get married. So, if you want to be married on the 21st November, you'll need to get your ducks in a row and have that paperwork lodged by the 21st October.
In certain exceptional situations, you can be married sooner than one month by applying to a prescribed authority for a 'shortening of time', which your celebrant will guide you through.
Heck yeah! Sometimes you just want to keep it on the downlow, an intimate and private moment for the two of you.
The ceremony must have a minimum of five people present - the couple getting married, the celebrant, and two witnesses.
If you want to bring a couple of special people to be witnesses, that ticks the box. But if you're eloping by yourselves you can ask your photographer and any other vendors present to stick around to witness. Alternatively, I can organise witnesses on your behalf.
As you plan your wedding and search out different vendors, you may notice the pricing can be quite varied. As sole traders, we each set our price according to a variety of different factors - experience, confidence, location, etc.
Over my 6 years as a celebrant and hundreds of weddings worth of experience, I have learned the ins and outs, the minutia, of what makes a great ceremony and a great experience for my couples, as well as the friends and family they've brought together to share the moment. I bring this know-how to each wedding I am a part of so that each wedding is getting the benefit of all I've learned.
Pricing covers this experience, ongoing professional development, insurances, top quality speaker and microphone systems, and so much more.
Most importantly, I value what I do and the role of a celebrant - I hope you do too!
In most circumstances, you must wait one calendar month after lodging your Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM) with a celebrant to get married. So, if you want to be married on the 21st November, you'll need to get your ducks in a row and have that paperwork lodged by the 21st October.
In certain exceptional situations, you can be married sooner than one month by applying to a prescribed authority for a 'shortening of time', which your celebrant will guide you through.
I absolutely LOVE it when couples write their own vows - what we call Personal Vows.
While you will need to say your Legal Vow:
"I call upon the people here present, to witness that I, (full name), take you, (full name), to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse/partner in marriage"
You can take this time to also share those personal thoughts, reflections, promises and love for this special human in front of you. With my handy dandy vow writing booklet, and some seasoned feedback, I'll be there to help you nail down exactly what you'd like to say.
You can book me anywhere from one month to 18 months prior to your wedding date. But if you are going for a peak day - and that means a Saturday afternoon from October to March - it's best to get in touch as soon as you can as these are the days that fill up fast.
I'm finding more and more couples opting for a non traditional day - a Friday/Sunday or a weekday (I got married on a Sunday!) - which tends to open up the availability for vendors.
It's the role on the wedding day most shrouded in mystery, but we're a pretty important player! Despite the obvious - getting you and your spouse-to-be officially and legally married, and all the associated paperwork and processing that goes along with it - we also collaborate with you to create a ceremony that is brimming with heart and authenticity, and is a true representation of your story and what you love about each other.
Leading up to the day, we run through the logistics of how you would like to kick off your ceremony (traditional entrance, walk in together, mingle with guests and then crack on), music coordination, witnesses and ring bearers, as well as any other special elements you'd like in your ceremony. We talk about the name change process if either of you are going down that route, how to write personal vows, and all the little details you may not have thought of.
And we tell your story! The story of why you are standing there together, looking utterly dashing, about to say "I Do".
Every couple is different, and I've conducted ceremonies that are fun and full of hilarity, ceremonies that are elegant and romantic, ceremonies that are full or nerdery and super non-traditional. As long as the ceremony is reflective of you and your style, then I've done my job.
Having said that, I'm most drawn to ceremonies that are relaxed and fun, with quirky and hilarious anecdotes, and sneaky touches of heart for that unexpected tear in the eye. I love to see big smiles and engaged faces!
If disaster or serious illness struck, and I were unable to be there on the day, what would happen? Well, I'm fortunate enough to work alongside a very 'community over competition' group of people, and have a pool of utterly fabulous celebrants to reach out to who can step in for the big day.
While this is fortunately a very rare occurrence, it's comforting to know that in an unexpected situation your day can go ahead as (mostly) planned.
Changing to a married surname is not mandatory, it is purely your choice.
So, if either of you, or both of you, are taking on a married surname, you'll need to go through the steps to update it after you are married (it won't happen automatically).
When we sit down to complete paperwork and talk ceremony logistics and elements, we'll also talk about what your plans are and I'll get you started on those steps.