Weddings

You have made your commitment to each other and what better way to show your love then by taking the next step - getting married. I am going to step you through this process - so pull up a chair and sit down.

	Firstly, before you get married you need to organize a Celebrant to conduct your ceremony.
	Secondly, You need to give notice of your intent to marry. You must complete a Notice of Intended Marriage Form (NIM), and both sign in the presence of a qualified witness (as noted on the NIM form). You must lodge this Form with your intended Celebrant a minimum of one month and one day prior to the day you wish to marry i.e. if you lodged on the 25th June, the earliest you could get married would be 26th July. This notice is valid for 18 months; In some circumstances the NIM can be lodged less then one month and one day-contact me for more details.
	Thirdly you will also need to produce evidence of your identity to the Marriage Celebrant. To comply with all the legal requirements of the NIM your chosen Celebrant must site the following original paperwork. If you were born in Australia a Birth Certificate needs to be produced. NSW Births Deaths & Marriages QLD Births Deaths & Marriages Or just google Births, Deaths & Marriages in the State you were born in. If you were born outside of Australia a birth certificate is preferred but we can accept an Overseas Passport in lieu of a Birth Certificate. IMPORTANT: An Australian Passport cannot be accepted under any circumstances. Evidence of any previous divorce or death of any previous spouse, if applicable (eg divorce papers (decree absolute) or death certificate). If any documents are not in English, an official translation, in addition to the original, is required. For translating services contact the Australian Government Department of Immigration Translating and Interpreting Services.
	Last but Not Least - Produce evidence of your eligibility to marry. Be of marriageable age. You can get married if you are 18 years or older. If you are under 18 years of age please contact me for more information.

You will also need present at your Ceremony two witnesses over the age of 18. If either cannot speak English, you will need to have a interpreter present at the ceremony. The interpreter must sign a Statutory Declaration to certify their faithful performance of the role.

Are you feeling daunted yet? - if not read on.

You are happy with all of the above - now you ask "What Do I do Next?" - hopefully you have already decided that I'm the Celebrant for you and don't need to go any further.

Therefore please contact me if you would like to get better acquainted.

There are some great Celebrants around, both male and female so ring around before you make your final choice and be happy with that choice as you cannot wind back the hands of time after the wedding has already taken place.