Getting married? What steps to take.

So where do you start?

The first step is to book a time to meet your Celebrant. I offer a no obligation meeting however, sometimes this meeting is used to start the initial planning process. If that is the case, I will ask you to bring:

1. Original documentation to establish your identities, including any of the following (where applicable):

– a full Birth Certificate, or an official extract of an entry in an official register, AND
– a driver’s licence, by way of photo ID, OR
– an Australian or overseas Passport showing the date and place of birth (*this form of ID replaces both a Birth Certificate and Driver’s Licence); AND
– evidence of any name changes since birth; AND
– evidence of any divorce or death of a party’s spouse.

2. During our meeting, I will provide you with a thorough explanation of all legal paperwork, including the Notice of Intended Marriage form (‘the Notice’), the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage (‘the Declaration’), Marriage Certificates and application to the Registry for an official Certificate . 

  • The Notice is the first legal document to be prepared and must be signed/lodged with me as your Authorised Marriage Celebrant at least 1 calendar month before your proposed ceremony date and no earlier than 18 months. This can either be done at our first meeting or subsequent meeting/s.

Once the Notice is signed, I am legally required to provide you with a brochure called ‘Happily Ever…Before and After’, which outlines not only the importance of marriage, but marriage education, counselling and dispute resolution; changing your name; making a Will and Taxation.

  • The Declaration is the second of the legal documents to be prepared. It is recommended that this be signed as close to your ceremony date as possible, to ensure all information is correct and up-to-date. The Rehearsal is a good opportunity to sign this document, but it can be signed on the day of your ceremony, so long as it is done before it commences, noting the time it was signed.

On the day of your Wedding, you will need 2 legal witnesses to sign the Marriage Certificates and they can be a family member, so long as they are aged 18 years or older. ID does not need to be provided, unless I am unsure they are of legal age.

Do you need an interpretator? I can arrange the Statutory Declaration and Interpretator forms to be completed.

After the Ceremony

As a Registered Online Service Provider with the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, I can apply (on your behalf) for an official copy of your Marriage Certificate to be sent to you after your Ceremony. You will need this official Certificate if either party is planning to change their surname. The application fee is $60. I have built this fee into my Wedding Packages. That way you receive the Certificate within 7 days rather than 6 weeks and 3 uploads of ID if you were to undertake the application yourself.  

There are a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ administration work that goes into getting married, from preparing all the relevant legal paperwork mentioned above; preparing your ceremony Order of Service; attending various meetings; responding to emails, calls and texts; offering a rehearsal in preparation and readiness, managing and performing your ceremony.

All in all, celebrants do not just turn up on the day 

Contact me for more information and let’s start planning your special day!