Frequently
asked questions
Q.
How old do I have to be to get married?
A.
Both couples must be over the age of 18, or one person must
be over the age of 18
and the other over the age of 16 and has approval from the Family
Court. (Seek legal advice if unsure.)
Q.
How long does a Wedding Ceremony
take?
A. It
can be as long or short as you choose. As a general rule, about
25minutes
by the time the documents are signed. However, the shortest
possible legal
Ceremony can be done in 5 minutes.
Q.
How many people need to be at the Wedding Ceremony to make it legal?
A.
Two witnesses are required
at the wedding that are over the age of 18 years,
that can hear the vows and witness the signatures.
Q.
Why use a Celebrant, rather than a Minister of Religion or the Registry
Office?
A. Some religions forbid a second marriage and it is also about
choice.
Some couples may want more than the legal procedure of the
Registry Office,
and therefore want the choice that Authorised Celebrants
offer , that is a choice of
location. Ie. parks and
gardens, beaches, the hills
or even your own backyard.
Q.
How do we get a Marriage Certificate?
A.
I will give you one on the day of the wedding, after the Ceremony
is completed.
Q.
Is there any more paperwork to fill out after we get married?
A.
No, after you are legally married no further paperwork is required.
I arrange all of the paperwork prior to the Wedding Ceremony
as part of my service.
Q. Does the bride have
to be given away?
A. This
is the choice of the bride. Choices range from not giving the bride
away to
the mothers, brothers, sisters, best friends, and even children
giving the bride away.
Q.
How soon can we get married?
A.
You need to complete a Notice of Intending Marriage (NOIM) form
and present it to me,
then the Ceremony can take place after 1 Calender month.
Q.
What if we can’t wait a month plus 1 day to get married?
A.
You can get married sooner by presenting a case to a Court, but
the circumstances must
be either employment related to travel, medical reasons,
legal proceedings, error giving
notice or wedding or celebrations arrangements or religious
considerations.
Q.
Where can I get the NOIM from?
A.
You can access an download a form in electronic format from the
Attorney Generals
Website
or
on this link: NOIM
Form
Q.
What if I don’t have access to a computer to access the NOIM?
A. I
can provide a form for you.
Q.
When we complete the
NOIM form how do we lodge the form?
A.
I will arrange for the form to be sent to the appropriate authorities.
Q.
Is assistance given to compile
the words and vows for the wedding ceremony?
A.
Yes, part of my service is to assist you with the words until you
are completely satisfied.
Q. Can we make
up our own wedding vows?
A. Yes,
however there are minimum prescribed vows that must be used to make
the wedding lawful. You may add to these words. My job is
to assist you with this.
Q.
Where or how do we start the process?
A.
1.Make
an appointment to see me.
2.
Set a date to get married
3.
Book the reception centre or ceremony site.
4.
Fill in the NOIM.
5.
Dependant on your situation, arrange appropriate Certified copies
of :
Birth Certificates- if born in Australia
If born outside Australia, a current Passport or Naturalisation
Certificate
If it isn't your first marriage, you need also a Decree Absolute
of Divorce,
Ie Certificate of Divorce
Death Certificate if your previous partner is deceased.
Note: All documents need to be in English or have an official
translation
of the document in English. Please discuss this with me.
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