Phone me (or book online) for a no-obligation initial meeting, at either my office (North Ringwood) or your house.

If you decide not to book me as your celebrant, there's no obligation and no fee.

What should you have ready for the initial meeting?

It will be useful if you've decided on WHEN and WHERE you will be married. (This information is required for the Notice of Intended Marriage, and your celebrant needs to know these details before he/she can be booked for your ceremony.)

To enable me to pre-fill a Notice of Intended Marriage which you can sign at our initial meeting, you can either fill out this checklist form OR bring along the NOIM already filled out. You can download, fill out and print the NOIM. It means we'll be able to concentrate on the design and elements of your marriage ceremony at our meeting, rather than spend time filling out forms.

You may want to think about what sort of ceremony ideas will suit you. If you're not sure, don't worry – I will be providing you with resource booklets that give you ideas for ceremony style, vows, additional elements, poetry and prose for readings, and more. I have a wealth of experience with music, literature and cultures of various traditions, and these can all be options for you to consider.

ESSENTIAL: You should have all the paperwork ready to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage, as this is the ideal time to lodge this Notice with the celebrant.

What is the required paperwork for couples over 18?

  If the bride and groom were BOTH BORN IN AUSTRALIA, and have not been previously married, each of you will need your original birth certificates (or official extracts) with you at this initial meeting. That's it. You need nothing else. (These documents MUST be originals, not photocopies.)

  If the bride and/or groom was NOT BORN IN AUSTRALIA, and neither was previously married, you must show me your birth certificate. If you cannot produce your birth certificate, you must show me a statutory declaration (in which you or your parent state why you can't produce your birth certificate, and also state when and where you were born, to the best of your knowledge). Alternatively, you can show me your official passport as issued by the overseas country in which you were born.
I must see this documentation (birth certificate, statutory declaration OR passport) for both bride AND groom if both of you were born overseas. If only one of you was born overseas, then I must see the birth certificate for the person born in Australia, and the birth certificate or statutory declaration or overseas passport for the person not born in Australia.
That's all you need to bring. (These documents MUST be originals, not photocopies.)

  WHEREVER you were born, if one or both of you were previously married, in addition to your birth certificates (or statutory declarations or passports, for overseas couples) you will also need evidence of how the marriage(s) ended.
  For a marriage that ended in divorce, you must show me your court evidence of the decree for your divorce.
  For a marriage that ended because of the spouse's death, you must show me the death certificate of the previous spouse.
  For a marriage that was annulled, you must show me the nullity order.
That's it - birth certificates and evidence of how the previous marriage(s) of the bride and/or groom ended. (These documents MUST be originals, not photocopies.)

What is the additional required paperwork if EITHER the bride OR the groom is under 18?

  If either the bride or groom to the marriage is a minor, you must show me an effective court order issued by a Judge or Magistrate, and either a consent form signed by your parent(s)/guardian(s) or a dispensation of consent issued by a Judge or Magistrate.
This is in addition to showing me your birth certificates and any required documentation concerning previous marriages.
NOTE: Court order and consent not required if minor was previously married.

What paperwork is required for couples marrying sooner than one month away?

  If you wish to be married sooner than one calendar month away and haven't yet lodged the Notice of Intended Marriage, you must give me an authority to solemnise the marriage, given by a prescribed authority.
This is in addition to showing me all other required paperwork (birth certificates, required documentation concerning any previous marriages, and court order and consent form for a minor).

All documentation must be original, not photocopies.

Remember, a Notice of Intended Marriage must be given to your celebrant no earlier than 18 months and no later than one month before your wedding (unless exceptional circumstances apply). The documentation listed above is absolutely necessary so that the Notice of Intended Marriage can be filled out and signed.

 www.marriagescelebrant.com