Congratulations you are engaged and looking for a celebrant for your marriage ceremony. So what do you need to do now?
A good time to contact a celebrant is when you have set the date! There are popular seasons of the year to be married and bookings for these times are often taken many months in advance. Most celebrants, including myself, will require a non-refundable deposit to hold the date in our diary.
As far as meeting the legal requirements, there is a simple process involved in “getting married”. You will need to fill out and sign the Notice of Intended Marriage Form (NOIM). This form must be completed no less than one calendar month and one day prior to your wedding and can be done up to 18 months in advance. Both of you will also need to sign a Declaration of Marriage Form, declaring that there is no legal impediment to your marriage- this is completed closer to the wedding.
You will need to supply “your celebrant” with the following documentation for them to sight, before they can proceed with conducting your marriage-
- An original Birth certificate for each of you if you were born in Australia.
- An original Birth certificate or valid passport (an expired passport is ok also, but not one that has been cancelled) if you were born overseas.
- Photo identification such as a driver’s license, ID card or passport.
- And, if either of you have been married before, the original certificates of how that marriage ended (Divorce or Death Certificates).
Remember that on the day of your marriage, you will need two witnesses to sign the Registry and Certificate of Marriage- they will both need to be over the age of 18. They do not necessarily have to be a part of the bridal party. You may also like to start to think about family and friends who may like to be involved in your wedding ceremony.
I offer all couples enquiring about my services an obligation free meeting as it is important that you feel comfortable with your celebrant.
Once a couple have decided that I am their celebrant. We will then meet to make the official booking were we will complete the Notice and a marriage booking form with details of your wedding and marriage ceremony. This form helps me to understand and work towards creating the ceremony that you want. A ceremony that fills all of the aspirations you have for your wedding day.
There are some components that are required to be included in the ceremony by law and I will advise and guide you through these. I have a selection of ceremonies and poems for you to draw inspiration from and can provide couples with resources in both printed and CD format.
Relax, enjoy and most of all happy planning…….