When should I book a wedding?
By law, you must give at least one months notice to be married, and that waiting period starts when we get the Notice of Intended Marriage form, duly witnessed by a police officer, a doctor, lawyer, JP or us as your celebrant. You do not need a wedding date straight away, you can submit the NOIM form and then advise us of a wedding date later….it helps to get the waiting period started now.
Who can the witnesses be?
The two required witnesses DO NOT have to be Australian citizens or residents. Anyone, even 2 strangers we can hire in for you, can be the witnesses. They just need to be over 18, and understand English. We do not need identification from them.
What documents do we need to supply?
It is very important that the correct documents are supplied before the wedding or the marriage cannot be conducted. We must sight Australian or International passports (expired is okay), OR Birth Certificates, (translated into English by NAATI) and drivers licences or photo ID, as well as the certificate showing how the previous marriage ended, if previously married. The Divorce or Death certificate for example.
How many guests can we have?
For the Legals only ceremony, 2 witnesses, for the Legals Only PLUS ceremony, 6 guests or for an additional fee, up to 12 guests, and for the Registry Wedding, 20 guests.
My fiancé is coming on the Partner Visa.
If your fiancé is based overseas and you require the “Letter for Immigration”, please contact me so I can explain the requirements to ensure that your fiancé has the letter from us for immigration to apply for their visa.
Permits for a park wedding.
There are many parks where you do not need a permit to hold a small wedding. If you are having rows of chairs, red carpet etc then generally you will always require a permit. Please contact me to discuss the requirements.
How do I pay?
We send an invoice which allows to pay by credit/debit card, but do not worry, you can make a booking and then pay the $150 booking fee within 7 days, or please discuss with us any financial issues and we can work with you. I prefer we get the NOIM form completed and then worry about the payment.
How long does the ceremony go for?
Generally a legals only ceremony with the 2 witnesses will be completed within 15 minutes. A Legals Only Plus ceremony will go for about 12 minutes and you have a 30 minute booking in the chapel to allow plenty of time with your guests for photos. A longer Registry Style Wedding, with up to 20 guests allows you a 60 minute booking so that if you wanted, we can tell a story about how you met, the proposal etc.
Can a religious component be included in the ceremony even if the ceremony is not held in a church?
Of course, this is one of the beauties of a civil ceremony, you can tailor it to your needs, and you can have as much or as little religious component as you wish. Remember there will no religious component if you do not want any.
Can we say personal vows?
Of course, just bring them with you on the wedding day.