As a registered Religious Marriage Celebrant, I desire to help the bride and groom have the wedding day they desire. But I must also ensure that all of the legal requirements of your marriage have been correctly attended to and recorded. Therefore, I require your assistance in gathering relevant information so that the information on necessary documents is accurate. The following information will show you what is required and why it is needed.
Leading Up to the Ceremony:
Commonwealth Registered Religious Marriage Celebrants must follow certain procedures to ensure that your marriage will be valid. Even though you are planning to become husband and wife, both persons must provide individual evidence of their date and place of birth, evidence of identity with photo ID and whether you have been previously married etc. So Birth Certificates, Passports, Certificates of Divorce are examples of documents to be provided so that I can sight and record the details. The Issue of consent may also need to be addressed e.g. if either party is under the age of 18. Once we have established that there is no legal obstacle to prevent you being married, I’ll proceed with preparing the necessary documents. There will also be information about marriage education and counselling for you to keep and look at. If either one or both parties are not able to clearly speak or understand the English language, an Interpreter will be required.
The Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM):
This NOIM is the first form that I must receive from couples no earlier than 18 months, and no later than 30 days before your ceremony is to take place. You would normally lodge the NOIM at our first or subsequent meeting once you have decided that I am to be your celebrant. All the information that you provide about your birth details, identity and if you have been married before is recorded on this form. Of course there are situations whereas you are waiting to have documents sent to you, or you may live interstate. In these cases, I will advise you of the measures we need to take to ensure that we are undertaking everything that is legally required of all parties, myself included.
Details of Your Wedding Day:
During our first meeting, I will start gathering details about your wedding day. Things such as –
- The date and time?
- The venue….is it an outdoor or indoor wedding?
- If it’s outdoor, do you have a “Plan B” in case it rains?
- Is there a Public Address system supplied, or do I need to provide one?
- Do you have any special requests?
This information will greatly assist my preparation for your special day!
The Composing of the Ceremony:
It’s great when people get involved in the composing of their wedding ceremony to personalise it. To assist with this, I have a number of sample ceremonies for you to look at. There is no set length of time that a ceremony needs to go for. They can be short and sweet, or longer if you prefer. The samples I provide are for the purpose of giving some ideas. You may in fact find that one of the samples is perfect, or you may gather ideas from two or more and blend them together. Or you may have written your own.
Ultimately, the aim is to compose a ceremony that is reflective of who you are! But keep in mind that there are some things required by Australian Commonwealth Law to be included.
- There must be at least 2 witnesses over the age of 18 in addition to yourselves and the celebrant. The usual choice is relations or friends.
- The ceremony must include the Monitum which is the celebrant’s duty to explain the nature of the marriage relationship and their authorised role in the marriage.
- The ceremony must include the minimum vows which are the words a couple say to each other in front of witnesses when they publicly declare that they are taking the other person as their lawful wedded spouse.
- I will need to state the full names of each party at least once in the ceremony before the vows are said.
But don’t worry, because I will guide and advise you along the way.
The Wedding Day:
By now, everything should be ready to go. If you are planning an outdoor wedding, then I can’t emphasise more to have a Plan B in case of poor weather. Most Reception/Function Rooms are very helpful and will usually set up an area for you that is under cover. For Beach Weddings, keep in mind that flat shoes for the ladies in the wedding party will be very appreciated for walking on the sand. Then high heeled shoes can be put on after the ceremony for photos if desired! If you are requiring a Bridal Arch and seating etc. you will need to contact a Wedding Hire business to arrange that. Remember also that it is your call whether you do or don’t want the guests taking photos or filming the ceremony. I can announce that for you before your wedding commences. It is your choice whether you would like me to stand in front of you or beside you, so let me know at the Wedding Rehearsal (if you choose to have one) or beforehand. For the signing of the Marriage Certificates, I can provide a signing table, but not chairs. Celebrants have been advised not to due to insurance and possible legal reasons. So if you want chairs, you will need to provide them.
Some major and helpful information I can give you is why it is important that Brides arrive at the ceremony on time. I have seen guests who are all dressed up in suits and gowns struggle in the heat of the sun whilst waiting for a fashionably late bride. Many a time, photographers have been the cause of the brides late arrival, so don’t be afraid to let them know when it is time to leave for the ceremony, even if they haven’t finished taking their photos yet. Ultimately, you want your wedding to be remembered for all of the good things.
The Marriage Certificates:
There are 3 Marriage certificates that need to be prepared for your wedding day. The first is the Official Certificate of Marriage which I send to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) in the state of Australia where the wedding ceremony took place. The second is the official Certificate of Marriage that remains my copy and is in the Marriage Register book. The third is the ceremonial copy (the pretty one) that you keep and are able to take home with you.
All 3 certificates must be signed by 5 parties i.e. the Bride and Groom, the 2 witnesses you have chosen, and myself.
After the Ceremony:
Being a Registered Religious Marriage Celebrant, it is my responsibility to send the Official Marriage Certificate along with the NOIM and any other relevant paperwork to BDM in the state that you are married within 14 days of the ceremony. Soon after, you will be able to apply for an official Copy of your Marriage Certificate either in person at the office of the BDM in the state you were married in, or on-line. Marriage Celebrants have been advised and requested by the Attorney General’s Department to no longer arrange this for couples.