Legal Requirements

Documents you WILL need

Your marriage will be Solemnised according to the marriage act 1961 which requires the following:

  • You must be at least 18 years of age to marry is Australia.
  • In accordance with the Australian marriage act 1961, the Notice of Intended Marriage form (NIM) must be lodged one month and one day prior to the wedding and no more than eighteen months before.
  • You must each sign a declaration before your marriage stating that you are free to marry and are not aware of any legal impediment to your marriage.
  • If born in Australia you must show an original copy of your birth certificate.
  • You are required to have two witnesses both must be over 18 years of age. (I can organize this if required).
  • If you have been married before you will need decree absolute (final divorce papers) or a death certificate In English. Please note that you cannot be married in Australia unless you have these original papers with you.
  • If you are born overseas you will need an Overseas passport or a birth certificate translated in English (an Australian passport is not acceptable).
  • There are a few legal words that need to be said in the actual wedding ceremony, it is called the Monitum which we can easily write into your ceremony

Over Seas couples

  • A Notice of intended Marriage form must be completed and sent to be received at least one month before the wedding date, this can be downloaded from the Attorney general‘s website @ www.ag.gov.au/celebrants Download the 4 of 4 pages but only post pages 3 and 4. You must have your signatures witnessed by an official of An Australian Embassy, an Australian Consular officer or a Notary Public; The official must stamp the document and date it. One signature is sufficient if you both cannot do it together, and then the other can sign it before the wedding, naturally the document must be completed in English.
  • You must also post copies of your current passports and if either of you have been married before, you will also need to post copies of divorce papers or death certificates, If these are not in English, then they will need to be translated.
  • When you come to Australia for the wedding you must show your current passports and bring all the originals of any documents of which you have sent copies. If they need translating please let me know and I will inform you of the correct procedure.
  • There are a few legal words that need to be said in the actual wedding ceremony, it is called the Monitum which we can easily write into your ceremony.
  • You  will need two witnesses over 18 years of age ( I can organize this if needed)
  • Once the ceremony is complete we will need to sign the legal papers
  • The official marriage certificate 9 which is sent to the registrar of births deaths and marriages
  • The copy for the register ( I keep)
  • And a presentation certificate that you keep

Diane Caratozzolo – Waddington
1 Cadbury Street
Warnbro WA 6169
0417 181 493
Email Me