Marriage Fact Sheet

My Responsibilities as a Civil Marriage Celebrant:

Civil Celebrants are appointed by the Australian Government Attorney General’s Department and are authorized to solemnize marriages anywhere in Australia in accordance with the Marriage Act 1961.

Civil Marriage Celebrants offer couples intending to marry, an alternative to traditional marriages that are held in religious establishments, by offering them considerable freedom of choice in the structure and wording of the ceremony, apart from some wording that must be included by law in all marriage ceremonies, with the aim of providing a unique ceremony that they own and one they will always remember.

Your Legal Responsibilities:

You must both be over the age of 18 years.

A Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) must be completed and lodged with me a minimum of one month and one day prior to the ceremony, but not more that 18 months prior to the ceremony.

The Notice of Intended Marriage can be completed with me at our initial meeting and duly witnessed. Birth Certificates will need to be produced.

If born outside Australia, you are required to produce your birth certificate and/or passport from your country of birth. If these documents are in a language other than English, you will need a certified translation of the documents.

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.

In the case of persons previously married, a copy of the Decree Absolute or Death Certificate, whichever is applicable, must be produced.

At your wedding, you must have two witnesses both 18 years or older.

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Kimberley Baxmann CMC, JP
3 Belmore Street East
Oatlands NSW 2117
Home: (02) 9630 0798 or 0411 155 755
Email: Kimberley@simplythebestceremonies.com.au