frequently asked questions
frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book a marriage celebrant?
As a popular Sydney marriage celebrant, my diary tends to fill up faster than the d-floor, but I can usually squeeze elopements and microweddings in more easily than larger weddings. Most couples planning a big bash book me 6 or more months in advance to secure their preferred date. Remember that legally, we need to lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) at least one month before your wedding date, but at least it's valid for up to 18 months so we can get that done well in advance. As a general rule though, as soon as you've got a date in mind, let's chat!
How long does a wedding ceremony go for?
A typical Cellebrate civil marriage ceremony for a larger, fully customised wedding usually runs for about 20 to 25 minutes. This includes all the important legal declarations, your vows, any special inclusions or rituals, and of course, the signing of the paperwork. I find it’s the perfect amount of time to be meaningful without being boring - people ain’t paying attention beyond 30 minutes, trust me!
For simpler or smaller weddings, we’ll work together on a ceremony that’s around 15-20 minutes total - a few personal touches and inclusions, and the legal bits.
For elopements, YMMV babe - a proper legals only is literally less than 3 minutes! Remember though that small or private doesn’t have to mean impersonal - we can take 10 minutes and say some nice shit too if you like. It is your wedding, after all!
My packages don’t include formal on-site rehearsals for a few reasons:
Y’all gonna forget things on the day anyway, so don’t add to the mental load with menial things like who stands where unless you really want to - I’m happy to direct you during the ceremony
Your wedding is something to experience and feel, not perform - don’t get hung up on the logistics, trust me and your other vendors and we’ll sort it while you soak it up.
If you’re super keen on a rehearsal, I’ll suggest a virtual one where we chat through the run sheet and what happens when. This can help ease your minds, and is included in your package at no extra charge.
Do we need a rehearsal?
Where can you get married in Australia?
We are SO lucky in Australia - you can get married in any location your heart desires! Sydney and surrounding areas have so many incredible places and spaces to suit whatever type of wedding you’re wanting to have. Whether it's a traditional wedding venue, your own backyard, a beautiful beach, a harbourside park, or even a hotel, pub, bar or restaurant, I'm ready to make it happen.
Just a friendly heads-up: if you're dreaming of an outdoor ceremony, it's always a good idea to check with the local council about any fees or permits and, of course, have a Plan B for weird weather (which in this case means rain, storms, and extreme temperatures, none of which make for a safe outdoor ceremony unfortunately). For evening ceremonies, we'll also consider sunset times and daylight savings to ensure there's enough natural light for those all-important moments and photos!
The legal requirements for marriage in Australia are:
Single Status: Neither of you can currently be married to someone else
No Close Relatives: You can't be marrying an immediate family member (i.e. a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling)
Age: Both parties must be at least 18 years old. If one person is between 16 and 18, there are specific court approvals and parental consents required
Consent: You both need to understand what marriage means and freely and enthusiastically consent to marry your partner
Authorised Celebrant: Your marriage must be performed by an authorised marriage celebrant (that's me!) or a minister of religion (definitely not me).
Who can get married in Australia?
Do you have to be a citizen or a resident of Australia to get married in Australia?
Nope! You are not required to be a citizen or to be a permanent or temporary resident of Australia in order to be married here. Theoretically, as long as you meet you the legal requirements and you’ve completed all the required notices and bits of paperwork, you can hop off the plane here, get married, then leave again! Australia is a popular destination for weddings, particularly for elopements and as a safe haven for couples from less progressive countries who do not recognise or allow their relationships
What is a Notice of Intended Marriage and why do we have to do it?
The Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) is an important legal form that we must lodge together at least one month and no more than 18 months before your wedding date. It's basically your official declaration that you intend to marry each other - think of it as putting the Australian Government on notice of your upcoming nuptials.
I make the completion of the NOIM as smooth as I can and guide you through it all with custom processes and remote witnessing (Australia-based couples only) as standard. I will never tell you to do it yourself then trot off into the wild to find a random JP to witness your signature - my service includes my help and guidance at every step, and I exist to make it as easy as possible for you. This helps you save time, effort and money, but it also helps to reduce the potential for errors on all the other paperwork and ensures we’re sending only accurate information through for your registration of marriage.
What documents do you need to get married in Australia?
To complete your NOIM and conduct your identity and date/place of birth checks, you'll need to show me:
Your passport
If you don't have a passport, other current photo identification AND your birth certificate
If either of you has been previously married, a divorce certificate (if divorced) or a death certificate (if widowed).
Important: Any foreign language certificates or documents must be officially translated into English by a NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) accredited translator - you can locate one near you here.
What are the witness requirements for getting married?
All ceremonies in Australia must be witnessed by two people who were present for the legal parts of your ceremony - they observe me, watch you exchange your vows, and also sign your marriage certificates. Your witnesses need to be 18 years or older and able to speak and understand English. They can be family members or friends – whoever you choose to share that special moment with! They do not need to be Australian citizens or residents. They are not required to produce any identification documents. Make sure they’re comfortable signing legal declarations - your cousin Roger who is a bigtime sovereign citizen with trust issues is probably not going to want to sign legal paperwork that gets submitted to the government.
There are three legal elements involved in a ceremony:
I am legally obligated to identify myself and my authority to marry you, and also recite specific words mandated by law to solemnise your marriage (known as the Monitum - these are the words we changed in 2017 when we legalised same sex marriage)
You must each exchange your legal vow - a prescribed legal sentence that binds you in the eyes of the law. These can be standalone, or in conjunction with personal vows if you wish.
After steps 1 and 2, you, your two witnesses, and I will sign the official marriage certificates to confirm that everything has been done and you are legally married.
So what else happens in a ceremony? Well, we make that up between us. Sounds daunting but fear not, I gotchu - I’ll help you figure out what you want included.
What are the legal parts of getting married in Australia?
Does getting married automatically change my name?
This is a common question AND an oft misunderstood one! From the time of your marriage onwards, you are entitled to use your birth surname or a married surname in general usage. If you wish to fully change away from your birth surname, you will need to change your official identification documents - this is not the same as a legal name change process (what used to be called a deed poll), it’s something government agencies and other organisations allow you to do out of custom.
So if you want your identification documents to use your married surname, you'll need to use your registered Marriage Certificate issued directly from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (which I order for you, included as standard in all my packages) and first change your driver’s licence or photo card, then use that to change your passport, then use the two combined to change any/every other thing in your life.
Remember that married surnames can only be in certain prescribed formats, or you’ll need to pursue a legal name change. For a name change by custom, the two of you can use:
Party 1’s pre-marriage surname (let’s say Hong)
Party 2’s pre-marriage surname (let’s say Smith)
A hyphenate of the two pre-marriage surnames in whatever order you prefer (for example, Hong-Smith or Smith-Hong).
There is a LOT of nuance in name changes that can get a little sticky and confusing, so if you’ve got any questions unique to your situation, just ask and I’ll give you more specific advice.
Can we have a marriage ceremony without the legal bits, like a commitment ceremony?
You sure can! Some couples choose to have a ceremony that celebrates their relationship without legally marrying, and I can absolutely create these! Whether you've already legally married overseas, have legal impediments, or want a symbolic commitment without the legal ties, there are lots of options. I can create beautiful commitment ceremonies, vow renewals, or other symbolic celebrations that are just as meaningful and unique as any of my legal weddings. Pricing for these types of ceremonies is only available after we’ve had a proper conversation about what you want and what is possible, otherwise it’s really impossible to know how much work it’s gonna be on my part. I won’t charge for work I won’t be doing.
We’re not very traditional… Can we do things a bit differently?
Different is my bread and butter! Whether you want to include special people, incorporate unique rituals with nods to your heritage, religious or sociocultural backgrounds, invent entirely new rituals and unique ceremonial inclusions (I’m not talking sand ceremony, I’m thinking more like the time I rang a bell over my couple while chanting like that scene from Agatha All Along, or the time I administered a glittering love potion…), the sky is really the limit for your ceremony!
If it’s important to you, I can and will think of a way to include it. Whether you’re wanting a full-blown themed wedding or just a ceremony that fully reflects who you both truly are, I can do (and have done) it all. Whether there’s a price implication is something we can discuss - I strive to include as much personalisation as possible without charging extra, but if I need to dress up in a custom outfit or something, we’ll need to discuss that.
Can we have our dog in our wedding ceremony?
I mean… Of course! I’m dog obsessed and absolutely love have pooches involved in my ceremonies. I’ll even bring snacks to lure them down the aisle at the appropriate time, and make a custom certificate for them to put their paw print.