Marriage Ceremonies.
Legal Requirements for Marriage in Australia.
For a man and woman to become legally married in Australia, at least one party to the marriage must have attained the age of 18 years or older. The person of less than 18 years of age must gain written permission from his/her parents and also apply for and gain written permission from the courts before an authorised celebrant is able to solemnise a marriage between that person and a person of the opposite gender.
Same gender marriages are not permitted to be solemnised withinin Australia, nor are same gender marriages recognised here.
Notice of Intended Marriage.
A completed Notice of Intended Marriage form must be lodged with your chosen authorised marriage celebrant within 18 months of, and no later than, one month prior to your proposed wedding date. Download a NOIM here.
When lodging your NOIM with your chosen celebrant, you are also required to show to your celebrant your original birth certificates if you were born in Australia (laminated documents are not acceptable). Only an original birth certificate or extract of your birth certificate is acceptable; an Australian passport is not acceptable.
If born overseas, an original birth certificate (not laminated) or a passport issued by your country of birth is required to be shown. Being able to show your celebrant your original (not laminated) 'Certificate of Australian Citizenship' will also assist and be an advantage. If either party has been previously married, the party who has been previously married, is also required to show either their original Divorce Decree Absolute, original Divorce Certificate confirming the dissolution of that marriage or an original Death Certificate of their previous spouse, now deceased.
The required two official witnesses to your wedding ceremony, must both have attained 18 years of age .
Our Wedding Ceremonies.
Your choice of wedding ceremony will depend upon your wishes and requirements, your budget, the content and style of your ceremony and perhaps your chosen venue. We at Blue Sky celebrant Services, believe that "one ceremony does not fit all", so currently offer three levels of Wedding Ceremonies to our clients; the choice is yours:
- A 'Full' Garden Wedding Ceremony;
- A 'Short & Sweet' Garden Ceremony &
- An 'Elopement / Registry' Garden Ceremony (on offer due to recent demand).
Our base ceremony fee cover ceremonies primarily conducted on Saturdays, Sundays, weekday Public Holidays and Public Holiday weekends 9.00am to 5.00pm at conventional locations. Ceremonies conducted on a normal weekday, 11.00am to 1.30pm, will be charged at a reduced rate. Please contact us for a firm statement of fees for your chosen wedding ceremony.
International Visitors wishing to Marry in Australia.
You must lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage with your celebrant at least one month day prior to your wedding day. If sent via via fax, email or registered mail, your completed document needs to have been signed by you and duly witnessed by an appropriate authority.
When you arrive in Australia you will be required to show your chosen celebrant your overseas passport or original overseas birth certificate (not laminated). If either of you have been previously married, the marriage celebrant is also required to see your Divorce Decree Absolute, Divorce Certificate, Nullity Documents or a Death Certificate of your previous spouse. If your documents were not issued in English, an officially sourced English translation of your documents will also need to be shown to your celebrant.
To be married in Australia you must be 18 years of age. The law requires you to have two witnesses, both 18 years or older, to witness your marriage. This can be organized for you if do not have family or friends attending your wedding.
On the completion of your wedding ceremony, you will be presented with your Marriage Certificate. You will need to check with your local authorities on what documentation they will require to have your Australian marriage recognized in your home country.
Many countries require you to obtain a Certified Copy of the your Marriage Certificate. This is issued by the 'Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages' in the State or Territory in which your marriage took place and in which your marriage has been registered by your celebrant. Some countries require you to have an Apostile Stamp attached to this certificate. (See the links on our 'Links' page.)
