Author Belinda Letts (Wedding Belle).
How do I legally get married in Victoria, Australia? A great question but firstly, congratulations on your engagement! What are you feeling? Excitement, joy, happiness, nervousness, where the hell do I even start? You’re not alone. Most couples are in the same boat and feel quite anxious. This article will explain the insights to how to legally get married in Victoria, Australia. As your Yarra Valley or Dandenong Ranges Marriage Celebrant, I am here to assist you with this process to become a married couple.
Close your eyes, imagine it’s finally your big day. You’ve been planning this day which feels like forever working tirelessly to make sure everything is in place and absolutely perfect. You look up and the smile of your soulmate has you at complete ease seeing you for the first time on your wedding day. Always remember the end game!
The main things you need to work out is:
- Roughly when you and your fiancé want to get married (season and year).
- Write a guestlist (to work out rough guest numbers).
- Work out a budget.
- What location you would like to get married.
Only then you can start the planning. Good news there’s a free Australian wedding app “Easy Weddings” you can plan this all in which includes a “to do list” “budget calculator” and “guestlist” just to name a few features.
The first big things to book in is a wedding venue (so you can lock in a date with all your guests and suppliers). As well as a celebrant, as this is the legal person who can make your ceremony a marriage. Don’t worry, I’ll take you through the legalities and help fill out all the paperwork to make your wedding legal.
What do we need?
- We complete a Notice of Intended Marriage here: https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-08/notice-of-intended-marriage.PDF We need to complete this a minimum of 31 days prior to our wedding and up to 18 months before your wedding. I can help you with this.
- I need to see verified identification prior to the wedding. If an Australian resident, I need to sight evidence of your date and place of birth. Either a passport or a Birth Certificate + another form of photo evidence. The most popular choices are either 2 of the 3 following a passport or a Birth Certificate or drivers licence. If you’re not an Australian resident I need to sight a passport. I also need to sight another form of photo evidence, like a driver’s licence or age card to sight your place of residence too.
- We need to identify the end of any previous marriages (if applicable). I oversight any of the relevant paperwork that you are no longer married, either divorced, widowed or annulled.
- I need give you access to relationship support services and legally need to give you the mandatory brochure “Happily Before and Ever After” which is available from the Australian government https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/happily-ever-before-and-after.pdf. Please open this link.
- I would recommend looking at a “relationship help checklist” before committing to forever on www.gottman.com . This will give an understanding of personality differences, lifestyle expectations, communication skills, conflict management, interests, family backgrounds, sexuality and attitudes towards money and parenting.
- Couples know that marriages require time and effort to maintain ongoing and here are some local service providers: http://www.familyrelationships.gov.au/ or www.relationships.com.au (find a local service). Investing in your relationship is important. The nature of love changes over the years and pre-marriage counselling recognises this and provides a couple with a toolbox of strategies to accommodate these changes how your relationship might change later in life. You may even talk about differences you discovered in the quiz. This isn’t compulsory to get married, however I have provided some links where to go based on living in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne (anything from psychologists, couples counselling, family relationship centres ect). Here are some local service providers:
- Prior to your wedding we will also complete a Declaration of no Legal Impediment: https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/Declaration%20of%20no%20legal%20impediment%20to%20marriage.PDF
- On the day we need pre select two witnesses (over the age of 18 years old, that is able to read and speak English fluently). They must be present the entire time of your ceremony. You (the couple), me (the Authorised Marriage Celebrant) and the two witnesses, We will sign 3 documents: one for me, one for you and one I send to Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, but I’ll help you through this!
Providing you this information is not to overwhelm you. I am here to help you with this. So, when planning your East Melbourne Wedding, Yarra Valley Wedding, Dandenong Ranges Wedding please get in touch: send me a message in the contact form, send me a text or give me a call.
What’s next?
We’ll meet: for an obligation free consult, after work on Zoom / video chat (maybe have a wine or 2) or for a coffee in person on the weekend. We’ll discuss all the legal process and bounce ideas around about bringing your dream wedding visions to life.
We’ll create: A celebrant doesn’t just turn up at your wedding, so book one you enjoy the company of. There is a huge amount of preparation, texts and chats in the leadup to your big day. We will work together on a customised ceremony; I’ll provide inspiration and ideas creating a very unique ceremony and together I will help you work through the legalities.
We’ll wed: Well not me personally – you and your fiancé. When the big day comes, I will have you at ease, directing your wedding guests where to sit. The ceremony you envisioned, that’s what I’ll be there to deliver.
Now queue “signed, sealed, delivered – I’m yours” Stevie Wonder music!