Legals
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Being married by a celebrant in Australia is the same simple legal procedure for everyone. Regardless of whether you are an Australian resident, citizen or an overseas visitor.
For those of you who like to understand the legal aspects, the simplest way is to see it in three parts;
Firstly, discuss your plans together, choose a date, a time and a venue, sometimes these are not quite definite, that's OK.
Contact me by email or phone advising those details, to see if I am available. We can discuss your plans. It is important that you feel at ease and comfortable with me.
To avoid being disappointed, I encourage you to contact me sooner rather than later in your planning.
If you are local or visiting we can meet, but if you are interstate or overseas the whole process is totally possible and also quite personal via email.
Secondly, the legal requirements are that you must be over 18 and free to marry. The paperwork begins with the Notice of Intended Marriage, (NIM), which you can download below. The NIM must be completed and signed by you, and witnessed by one of the prescribed persons. It is absolutely possible to do this from overseas.
In certain circumstances it can be received with the signature of only one of the parties to the marriage.
The NIM must be recieived at least one month and one day in advance of the wedding date, so it is usually completed early on. If you are in a mad rush or have missed the deadline, exceptions to this month and a day rule are sometimes granted by the Local Registrar. If this is your situation, please talk to me about it.
I can send you the NIM or you can download it from above or the NSW Attorney General's website. It is a free, simple 2 page form.
Usually when you lodge the NIM, or at some time before your wedding you will need to produce your Birth Certificates, or overseas Passports for visitors. If you have been married before, you will need to show documented evidence of the end of your previous marriage. ( Divorce decree or death certificate)
As part of the total fee a deposit is paid at this stage to cover initial administration costs and to book the time and day.
Thirdly, you would then tell me a little about yourselves, if you have children, number of guests, what style of ceremony you envisage etc...
I would then give or send you a package rather like a starter pack. This includes guidelines on the structure and possible content of the ceremony, along with options for you to consider and examples of other people ceremonies that are relevent to you.
Whatever your plans or desires, we can make it happen easily and beautifully.
If you are expecting a child, already a family, any special circumstances or surprises, just let me know.
Generally, you only get one chance to make your ceremony a perfect celebration, and it’s all in the preparation to support you to really be enjoy your day.