By law, you must give me at least one month’s notice before you can get married.

This is done by completing a “Notice of Intended Marriage” form (NOIM) which I will prepare on your behalf, ready for you to sign.

In very exceptional circumstances, such as serious illness, you can apply for a shortening of time to allow you to marry more quickly. However, that decision is made by a special legal authority and is decided on a case by case basis. You must inform me immediately if you feel you have a special case.

Good news, the sky is the limit! The Marriage Act 1961 states:

A Marriage occurring in Australia may be solemnised on any day, at any time, and at any place.

That means you can get married absolutely anywhere in Australia, including at sea or in the air.

I will ask you to provide me with the required details to complete your “Notice of Intended Marriage” form. This includes:

• Name
• Address
• Occupation
• Marital Status
• Date and place of birth
• Details of your parents
• Details of any previous marriages 

The Marriage Act 1961 stipulates you must show evidence of your date and place or birth, and of your identity, when we sign the Notice of Intended Marriage.

Passport

The easiest way is to show me your passport.

If you are an Australian citizen, you can show me your Australian passport. If you are not an Australian citizen, you can show me your overseas passport.

Expired passports up to two years out of date remain acceptable.

Birth Certificate

 If you don’t have a passport, or it is more than two years out of date, you can show me your birth certificate.

This is a sample birth certificate from NSW but yours may look different depending in which state you were born.

If you can’t find your original certificate, you can order a new one from the Births, Deaths and Marriages office in the state in which you were born. I can help you do this. Photocopies and scans cannot be accepted.

If you have an overseas birth certificate which is not in English, it will need to be translated.

Photo ID

If you are providing a birth certificate instead of a passport, you will also need to show photo identification, such as your Driving Licence or Proof of Age card.

Previous Marriages

If you are divorced, you will need to show the original copy of your (most recent) final divorce certificate. This may be a PDF emailed to you and not an actual piece of paper!

If you have been widowed, you must show me the official death certificate of your husband or wife.

If either document is not in English, it will need to be translated.

At least one of you must be 18. If one of you is between 16 and 18 you need legal permission. Under no circumstance can two people under the age of 18 marry. There's no upper limit!

There is no residency requirement to marry in Australia, so if you live overseas and want to come on holiday and get married, get in touch with me!