Margy Hagan
Marriage Celebrant
Now that you've decided to get married, there are some legalities to consider...
A Notice of Intended Marriage form needs to be completed at least one month and no more than 18 months before your marriage date. We will fill this out together and I will lodge it with the appropriate government organisation for you.
Each party to a marriage must provide documents that establish their date/place of birth and identity. The following documents are acceptable as evidence of a party’s date and place of birth:
An official (original) certificate of birth, or an official extract of an entry in an official register showing the date and place of birth of the party or
A passport issued by the Australian government or a government of an overseas country showing the date and place of birth of the party.
If you are providing a birth certificate, you will also need some form of photo identification such as a driver's license.
If you have been previously married, you must produce your Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce or if you have been widowed, the relevant Death Certificate.
If it is impossible to provide these documents we will need to discuss statutory declarations.
On your wedding day there will be three certificates to sign and you will need two people to witness your signatures. They will need to be over eighteen and able to read and understand English.
One of the certificates will be sent to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to register your marriage, a second certificate remains in my marriage register and the third, commemorative certificate will be given to you on the day. This certificate is not sufficient as evidence of change of name; you will need to obtain an official copy from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs.
In Australian law, for two people to marry they must both be over the age of 18 years. If one person is under 18 (but over 16), it can still be done, but there are some extra steps.
