What
does the Celebrant do?
I attend to all your legal paperwork, assist you to write and arrange a ceremony to suit your needs and solemnise your marriage.
What are the legal obligations?
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You both
must be over the age of 18 years |
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Prior to the day of marriage, if you are born in Australia, you need to produce your Birth Certificate. If you were born outside Australia you will need to produce either your Birth Certificate or your overseas Passport.
Australian passports are not accepted by anyone whosoever. |
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You must sign your Notice of Intended Marriage with the Celebrant no less than one calendar month ( one day and one month) prior to the marriage. The Celebrant provides this form and completes this in your presence at your visit. |
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If either of you have been previously married you must produce your Divorce Decree Absolute papers and/or if either of your spouses are deceased, you will need to produce the Death Certificate |
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On the day
of your marriage you must have 2 witnesses over
the age of 18 years (I can assist you with this) |
What are our first steps?
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It is imperative that you book in your wedding date and time with the Celebrant as soon as you can – it is at this appointment you complete your Notice of Intended Marriage. Call to make an appointment on (02) 9884 7835.
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Your ‘Notice of Intended Marriage’ needs to be completed no less than a calendar month prior to marriage but it is strongly advisable to complete this with me as soon as you have decided on the date and time for your ceremony. |
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Most couples book months is advance, so it's advisable to call as soon as you can. |
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Only one person needs to visit the Celebrant to complete the Notice of Intended Marriage. The other person can sign at a later date prior to marriage |
If either of us are applying for immigration, what do we need to do?
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Make an appointment with the Celebrant where you will complete and sign the Notice of Intended Marriage. The Celebrant will then type you the necessary letter for the Department of Immigration. Only one of you need to complete the form for this to be done. Call (02) 9884 7835 to make an appointment or email wendy2@bigpond.net.au |
What does our fee include?
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GST |
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Time:
Unlimited appointments, consultation and rehearsal times at the Celebrants residence / legal paperwork preparation and typing / travelling to and from ceremony venue / presentation time |
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Ceremony Guide: Your 35 page Ceremony Guide which includes format, selections of ideas, reading and verses to assist you formulate your own personal ceremony - you are of course welcome to write your own wording and vows to include cultural, spiritual or religious wording. Your Ceremony Guide is shown to you at your obligation-free appointment and given to you after your deposit has been made. |
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Personally written ceremony with vows of your choice, to suit individual needs |
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Your beautifully printed Marriage / Renewal / Commitment / Blessing Certificate |
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Printed ceremony wording in memento presentation folder |
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Costs: Travel / stationery / postage / telephone calls within Australia only |
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Completion of all legal paperwork prior to marriage – after the marriage couples must obtain their own Registered Marriage Certificate (extra costs at Birth Deaths & Marriages $33 + $5 secure postage or $55 urgent fee if applying over the counter. Your Registered Marriage certificate is available the next working day at 8am from Births Deaths & Marriages 35 Regent Street, Chippendale.)
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Use of Celebrant's
p.a. system for larger weddings and public areas |
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Use of silver ring dish |
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Use of lectern for signing on the day of marriage |
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Celebrants apartment for the marriage ceremony (max. 10 people) |
What do I do if I can't find my documents?
If you were born in Australia, you can obtain a copy of your Birth Certificate (and if applicable, the Death Certificate of former spouse) from Births, Deaths & Marriages, in the state in which you were born.
If you have divorced and need a copy of your Divorce Certificate or Decree Absolute, then this can be obtained from the Family Law Court in the state in which the marriage was dissolved.
The Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages
35 Regent Street
Chippendale NSW 2000
Postal Address:
PO Box 30
Sydney NSW 2000
www.bdm.nsw.gov.au
What do we need to do after we are married?
British Commonwealth Residents:
After your marriage, all couples will need to obtain a registered copy of their Marriage Certificate. I can arrange all this for you, or you can obtain this yourselves the next working day from the Department of Births, Deaths & Marriages.
Residents from all other countries:
If you live in a non-British Commonwealth country, as well as obtaining your Registered Marriage Certificate, after your marriage you will also need to obtain an Apostile stamp from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Sydney, so you can register your marriage in your country of residence. I can arrange this for you.
Note: You can do all this yourselves however you must allow at least 2 working days in Sydney after your marriage to organise this.
Where can we get
married?
There are many beautiful and romantic places you can get married in Sydney – parks, gardens, beaches, historic trust homes, Sydney Opera House, universities, lighthouse areas or on Sydney Harbour . Some parks and gardens require a fee for usage – the Celebrant can advise you and assist with your booking.
If you prefer an intimate ceremony you may choose your hotel or restaurant venue, or perhaps on a beach for a sunset wedding.
Some popular wedding venues are:
(Also visit my Resources page for more venues)
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Copes Lookout Kirribilli
Gunners Barracks, Mosman
Royal Botanic Gardens
Centennial Park
Sydney Opera House
Balmoral Beach
Rocky Point - Balmoral
Observatory Hill – Millers Point
Sydney Harbour
Bondi Beach
Vaucluse House
Cronulla & Coogee Beaches
Elizabeth Bay House
Sydney Tower
Manly Beach
Oatlands House
Shelly Beach
University of Sydney
Old Government House – Parramatta
Ku-ring-gai National Park
Newport Mirage
McKell Park – Darling Point
Macquarie Lighthouse – Watsons Bay
Nielsen Park – Vaucluse
Curzon Hall – Marsfield
Taronga Function Centre
Darling Harbour – cafes/restaurants
Chinese Gardens – Darling Harbour
Swain Gardens – Lindfield
Eryldene House – Gordon |
Can we choose spiritual or religious
wording for our ceremony?
| Yes. You are welcome to include any wording you feel
reflects your beliefs or way of life. |
Do we have to attend
any pre-marital courses?
No. However,
all Celebrants have course information should you wish
to attend.
- Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
- Interrelate 1300 736 966
- Anglicare 9895 8054
When do I need to book the Celebrant?
Most professional Celebrants are busy,
so please book me as soon as you have decided on your date, time and venue.
Call today for an obligation-free appointment.
Call today for an obligation-free appointment (02) 9884 7835
From outside Australia call: 61 2 9884 7835 or email wendy2@bigpond.net.au
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