Weddings
Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding. I am happy to accommodate your wishes, whether you prefer a short and simple ceremony or a more traditional marriage ceremony.
I have many sample ceremonies, quotes and readings and together we can work on a personalised and unique ceremony for you. I am also very willing to incorporate your cultural rituals into your marriage ceremony.
At our first consultation, I will start with the “big picture” you have in mind for your wedding and then move into details. Then I will liaise with you until you feel the ceremony has the words, music and symbols that truly express the loving bond you feel for each other. About a week before the wedding, we will have a rehearsal. And finally, there’s the “big day” with a ceremony that all will remember and enjoy!
After all, it’s your wedding and you should be able to decide on its structure and length. Email me or phone me for information on my services and to discuss your particular requirements.
Read below and browse through this site for information on legal requirements and formalities. Email me for information on overseas and interstate visitors wishing to marry in Sydney, whether you wish to marry in the city, on the beach, a National Park, the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, Northern Beaches or anywhere else in the region.
FORMALITIES / LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AUSTRALIA
- You must be at least 18 years old to marry in Australia (although under certain circumstances a Court may grant leave for a marriage where one party is at least 16 but less than 18, provided the other is 18 or more).
- To get married you need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage form. I must have the appropriately witnessed Notice at least one month and one day prior to the wedding. If your plans change you can postpone the actual ceremony, but the Notice will expire after 18 months and you will then need to complete a new Notice.
- I have copies of the Notice form in my office and I can help you complete it and witness your signatures.
- Alternatively you can download the form from the Attorney General’s website, fill it in, get it witnessed and send it to me by mail.
- Before the wedding you will need to show me both your birth certificates. If you were born outside Australia, you need to show me either your birth certificate or your overseas passport (more about overseas couples). If your documents are in a foreign language you also need to supply an English translation from a professional translator.
- If you have been previously married, you must show your Divorce Decree Absolute or a Death Certificate of a previous spouse.
- Normally you will invite two of your guests to sign the register to witness the ceremony (they must be at least 18), but if you do not have friends or family in Sydney I can arrange for appropriate witnesses to be present.
- If you are bringing your partner into Australia on a prospective spouse visa I can provide you with the necessary letter for the Immigration Department.
