Marriage Documents
Notice of Intended Marriage
If you and your partner have decided to get married you will need to give an authorised marriage celebrant at least one month's notice of your intended date. This notice is via a completed Notice of Intended Marriage form, signed (by at least one of the parties) and witnessed (by an authorised witness*).
A Notice of Intended Marriage is valid for up to 18 months.
Along with the Notice of Intended Marriage, you need to provide the celebrant with:
proof of birth (Birth Certificate or Passport)
photo ID (Passport or Drivers Licence or Photo ID Card)
evidence of Divorce or Death Certificate if you have been previously married
*Authorised witness:
if a party signs the Notice in Australia—an authorised celebrant, a justice of the peace, a barrister or solicitor, a medical practitioner, or a member of the Australian Federal Police or the police force of a State or Territory.
if a party signs the Notice outside Australia—an Australian Consular Officer, an Australian Diplomatic Officer, a notary public, an employee of the Commonwealth authorised under paragraph 3(c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955, or an employee of the Australian Trade Commission authorised under paragraph 3(d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955.
Note: For the definitions of Australian Consular Officer and Australian Diplomatic Officer, see section 2 of the Consular Fees Act 1955.
Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage
The Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage is to be completed and signed in the presence of an authorised marriage celebrant prior to the wedding ceremony.
Official Certificate of Marriage
There will be two Official Certificates of Marriage that will be filled out by the celebrant before the wedding ceremony and signed during the ceremony by the two parties, two witnesses (over the age of 18) and the celebrant. One copy is for the celebrants records and the other copy is to be submitted to the NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages.
If one of the parties would like to change their name after getting married then a separate official Marriage Certificate needs to be ordered from the registry in the state or territory where you were married. The cost of this certificate in NSW is $65, if I am your celebrant I can order this on your behalf at the same price as charged by NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages with a quicker turnaround than if you ordered it yourself post-wedding. More information can be found here.
Commemorative Certificate of Marriage
The third Certificate of Marriage is a commemorative certificate that will be filled out by the celebrant prior to the wedding ceremony and signed during the ceremony by the two parties, two witnesses (over the age of 18) and the celebrant. This copy will be presented to the parties on the day of the ceremony after signing.
