As your Civil Marriage Celebrant, I have certain obligations under the Marriage Act 1961 which will be explained to you at our first meeting. Other than these obligations the contents of the marriage ceremony is totally “Your Choice”.

WHAT DO YOU WANT ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY ?

To assist you in planning your ceremony, a large selection of wording, vows, verse and prose is available, and I can support you in designing all aspects of your ceremony. Family and friends are also welcome to participate or contribute with verse or music. (Also - " Many couples request the performance of a ritual during their to ceremony as a way of assisting them to move forward in their new lives. This may represent the blending of two families, children from other relationships, closure for a bereavement in a past relationship or even allowing a member to cast out sad memories. Should you like a ritual added to your ceremony this can be accommodated - See options for these at the RITUALS page).

Some considerations to ensure that legal aspects of the marriage are met, include:

• The couple planning marriage will need to submit formal notice to the Marriage Celebrant of that intention. Prescribed forms are available from the Celebrant, the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages or online (Follow the download link). This form requires information from both applicants, showing  the dates & places of birth, previous marriages, children from previous marriages, etc.

• Two witnesses 18 years or over must be present at the ceremony. Any of the attendants, relatives or guests may act as witnesses.

• Marriage is prohibited between brother and sister, adopted siblings, half blood relationships, full blood relationships, ancestors or descendants of the applicant.

• While the minimum age for marriage is eighteen years, special circumstances can allow nuptials where one partner is over 18 years of age and the other over 16 years.

• The celebrant will need to view documentary evidence in support of the Notice of Intended Marriage including birth certificates, passports, citizenship documents, statutory declarations (as relevant) so that the Celebrant can validate the requirements under the Marriage Act 1961.

• People who have been married previously will need to produce evidence of the death of their previous spouse, or the dissolution of that marriage.

• The Notice of Intended Marriage must be submitted no earlier than 18 months, and no less than one month and one day before the date of the intended marriage ceremony.

• A declaration must be made in writing on the appropriate form shortly before the ceremony where the bride and groom state in the declaration that they are legally able to get married, and that there is no impediment to a marriage with the intended partner.

• It has for centuries been a custom for a woman to change her surname to her husband's surname on marriage, this however is a matter of choice. There is no legal requirement for the female to change surnames after marriage. In all instances, the marriage documents are signed with the Bride's maiden name.

• It is not necessary for anyone to give the Bride away, but this feature can be included with any ceremony. Although traditionally it is the Bride's father who gives her away, another person can fulfil this role if it is appropriate or this feature can be removed from the ceremony.