Q. What is the minimum age of marriage in Australia?
A. The minimum age is 16 years, however permission from a parent/s and a Judge or Magistrate is a legal requirement. One party to the marriage must also be over the age of 18 years.
Persons 18 years and older do not need parental permission to marry.
Q. How soon can we get married?
A. You must wait one calendar month from the date that the Notice of Intended Marriage form is lodged with the celebrant. However, there are certain circumstances where this provision in the law can be shortened to a few hours.
Before you can marry, the law requires that you sign and lodge with your Marriage Celebrant a completed Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form. The form must be lodged with your Celebrant a minimum of one month and up to eighteen months prior to the wedding date.
Q. What proof of ID do we need to show?
A. You will need to give your celebrant evidence of date and place of birth, identity and the end of any previous marriages for each party. Acceptable proof of ID documents are birth certificate, passport, drivers licence, and any relevant divorce/death certificate. These original documents must be shown before your wedding day.
Q. Where can our ceremony take place?
A. Your ceremony can take place anywhere within Australia or Australian Territorial waters, at any time of the day or night.
Q. Can we have our children involved in the ceremony?
A. Yes. This is a good idea as it will assist with the bonding of blended families.
Q. Can I write my own vows / ceremony?
A. Yes, of course you can. There is one sentence that is required to be said by law, however the rest can be whatever you’d like to say.
Q. Can we have a rehearsal?
A. Yes. Rehearsals are important and I’m more than happy to run through that with you.
Q. Can we have other rituals included in our ceremony?
A. Yes, I love to include special moments like that in your ceremony..
Q. Can I marry my first cousin?
A. Yes, legally you can.
Q. Can I include other people in my ceremony other than the celebrant?
A. Yes. Whilst the majority of the ceremony must be performed by the celebrant, other people can do smaller sections such as readings.
Q. Do I have to be given away by my father?
A. No – this is optional, and completely your decision.
Q.I have lost my divorce papers?
A. You should apply to the Family Court and provide them with as much information as possible so they can issue you with a new Certificate of Divorce. This process can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, so the earlier you apply for the Certificate, the better. There is a charge for the search and printing of the Certificate.
Q. Can I fill my Notice of Intention to Marry before my divorce is processed
A. Yes, but you cannot be married until the celebrant has seen your final divorce papers.
Q. I cannot find my birth certificate or I have never had a birth certificate?
A. If you were born in Australian, your birth should have been registered, and a new birth certificate can be obtained from the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (or the Registering Authority where you were born). If your birth was never registered then you must obtain a “Letter of No registration of Birth” from the state Registering Authority where you think you were born.
Q. Can I change my driver’s licence with the Marriage Certificate the celebrant gives me on my wedding day?
A. No, you will need to obtain a certified copy of your full Marriage certificate from the Register Office. This process can take anywhere from 1 to 8 weeks, however you can request a priority issue of the certificate to be sent to you. There is a charge for obtaining a copy of the Certificate. I can order this Certificate for you, and also include the fee for this as part of my package if that’s what you’d prefer.
