Marriage Equality

On 9 December 2017, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 commenced. The Act changed the definition of marriage and provides for marriage equality in Australia. The right to marry in Australia is no longer determined by sex or gender.

 

Getting Married in Australia

To be legally married in Australia, a person must:

• not be married to someone else
• not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
• be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where one party is aged between 16 and 18 years old
• understand what marriage means and freely consent to marrying
• use specific words during the ceremony
• give written notice of their intention to marry to their authorised celebrant, within the required time frame.

 

Important paperwork - Notice of Intended Marriage

• A completed Notice of Intended Marriage form must be given to me at least one month before the wedding. (Note: You can give it to your celebrant up to 18 months beforehand.)
• I can help you complete the form. The notice may be completed and witnessed either by myself or a JP.
• You will need to provide evidence of date and place of birth, identity and the end of any previous marriages for each party. Under certain circumstances I may also ask you to complete a statutory declaration to support your evidence.

Download the Notice Of Intended Marriage form here >>

 

After you are married

On the day of your wedding, you will sign three marriage certificates. Each certificate should be signed by you, myself (as your celebrant) and two witnesses. I will give you one of the certificates as a record of your marriage.

I will then provide your marriage paperwork to the registry of births, deaths and marriages in the state or territory in which the marriage took place within 14 days.

The certificate issued by the registry of births, deaths and marriages is required for many official purposes. You should apply for a copy of this certificate from the registry after your wedding through the relevant registry of births, deaths and marriages.