Getting married in Australia: Legal requirements
The law requires you to do a number of things before you can get married, celebrant Jennifer Cram reveals the 8 things you MUST do to get hitched. Getting married in Australia is actually quite simple. But there are a number of things you have to do. These aren’t things that your celebrant requires, they are things […]
Please note that the information in this article was based on trends from 2011 and may now be outdated.
The law requires you to do a number of things before you can get married, celebrant Jennifer Cram reveals the 8 things you MUST do to get hitched.
Getting married in Australia is actually quite simple. But there are a number of things you have to do.
These aren’t things that your celebrant requires; they are things that the Government requires and your celebrant is responsible for seeing that they are done. If you don’t comply, your celebrant can’t marry you.
1. Give a month and a day's notice
Both Bride and Groom have to sign a Notice of Intended Marriage in front of a proper witness (celebrant, JP, and police officer are the usual three) and lodge it with their chosen celebrant at least one month and one day before the wedding.
2. Prove you were born and that you are at least 18
If you were born in Australia, this must be your birth certificate. If you were born overseas, you can show a foreign passport. If one of you is under 18, you need permission from the court and your parents to get married.
3. Prove your identity
You must show a photo ID issued by a government authority (e.g., driver's licence or passport).
4. Show proof of how your previous marriage ended
If you were married before, you have to show your Divorce Certificate or the Death Certificate of your former spouse.
5. Sign Statutory Declarations that you are legally free to marry and that you are giving your consent to your marriage freely
These are instead of asking the “If anyone knows of any cause or just impediment why these two….. “ that you see in the movies. A Statutory Declaration must be the truth. Tell a lie, and you could be spending four years in jail.
6. Provide two adult witnesses
7. Make legal vows using the words required by the Marriage Act
In Australia, it is these words that marry you, so they must be said.
8. Sign the marriage papers at the end of the ceremony
The Bride signs in her maiden name, not her “new” name.
About Author Jennifer Cram
Jennifer Cram is a high-credentialed Brisbane marriage celebrant known for her creative approach to the development of unique, personal, and creative wedding and commitment ceremonies. Appreciated by couples for the meaningful simplicity of the ceremony and by photographers for her attention to the visual aspects, Jennifer devotes many hours to ensuring that each ceremony reflects the love and the values of the couple and the warmth of their relationship with family and friends. In the 2009 and 2010 she was voted one of Queensland’s top celebrants at the Australian Bridal Industry Academy Awards with a rating of 99.62% by couples she had married.