Legal Requirements

Before you may marry, the law requires that you sign before an Authorised Celebrant or JP and lodge with me the NOTICE OF INTENDED MARRIAGE.  This form must be submitted to me a minimum of one calendar month and one day prior to the wedding.  You can submit your Notice in person, via email or post, however, you must bring the original Notice with you when you meet with me.  The NOIM form will remain active for 18 calendar months from the date of submission.

Download a copy of the NOIM (Notice of Intended Marriage) here.

Documents (originals) I will need to sight are:

a.  evidence of your date and place of birth.  (Birth certificate or Passport.)

b.  if a party to the intended marriage is a divorced or widowed person - evidence of your divorce, or of the death of your spouse.

If you were born overseas you will need an Overseas passport or a birth certificate translated in English.

You must be over 18 years of age to marry in Australia (or have special permission.)

On the day of your marriage, you must have two witnesses over the age of 18.

Ceremony Wording

Your ceremony can be as original as you desire, however, under Australian Law there are certain words that must be included in the ceremony.

Each of the parties say to the other, in the presence of the authorized celebrant and the witnesses, the words:

“I call upon the persons here present to witness that I ____________ take thee _______________to be my lawful wedded husband /wife"

 (or words to that effect).

The celebrant must say:

“I am duly authorized by law to solemnize marriages according to 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 of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life."