As your Marriage Celebrant I am bound by the Laws of Australia to

Discuss the values of marriage & your perspective and Marriage and how it is seen under Australian legislation;

Provide you with a brochure entitled Happily Ever …Before and After and remind you of the solemness of Marriage;

I will complete a Marriage Ceremony Worksheet. This sheet will assist me in understanding how you want your Ceremony to run and whom you wish to be involved.

I will also offer

A P.A. system (if required);

A small table and chair to sign the register (if required);

A document of some 29 pages as well as a selection of actual Ceremonies (no personal details) . This document will allow you to build your own Ceremony.

At this meeting the following will occur

• We will sign a Service Agreement detailing;
  1. the services the Celebrant will provide and
  2. the “responsibilities” of the Bride & Groom ” through out the process. We will each have a copy.
• We will complete the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM). This form must be completed not later than 1 month before the wedding date and not longer than 18 months before the wedding. The sooner the NOIM is completed the better.
• You will each also be required to sign a (Form 14) Declaration form which declares that there is no legal impediment to your Marriage. This may be signed at this meeting or a later meeting, depending on how many weeks away the Ceremony is.

You will need to bring to this meeting

Your Birth Certificates. Not a copy or an extract – an “original” is required. Photo ID e.g. A current Passport or Drivers Licence

Court issued papers which evidence of a divorce if, either or both of you have been previously married

A death certificate if either or both of you have been previously married and your spouse has passed away.

Residents of other Countries will need a birth certificate and/or a current passport.

Should you be under the age of 18 you will need to provide signed parental proof or a Magistrates order allowing the Marriage to proceed. A sworn Statutory Declaration if you were not born in Australia and cannot get or do not have a Birth Certificate.or a Passport..

Your Ceremony to Remember – Your Way

REMEMBER This will be your ceremony and apart from the mandatory requirements
you are limited only by your imagination in designing your very own unique “Ceremony To Remember”. There is nothing “you have to do or that must be done” other than the mandatory components .

You may choose to include music pre recorded or live, cultural components etc.

You might find ways to involve family members and friends.

If you have children from a previous relationship or this relationship , there are ways to involve them in the ceremony, if this is something you would like.

As I said limited only by your imagination.

MANDATORY COMPONENTS OF A WEDDING CEREMONY

Monitum from the Marriage Act

“I Christopher Breen am duly authorised by law to solemnize marriages according to law. Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”.

The couples declaration

“I call upon the persons here present to witness that I…..(full name)……take thee….(full name)…..,to be my lawful wedded wife (or husband)”.

This must be said by both the bride and the groom one to the other using relevant names

Declaration of Marriage

“By the power invested in me by The Government of Australia I now pronounce you man and wife – Husband and wife-wife and husband Your preference

Signing of the register and certificates

Wedding Rehearsal

The law dictates that where the parties to be married request a rehearsal then one must be held.

The fees you pay for your wedding ceremony include the rehearsal as a standard item. There is no cheaper price available for choosing not to have a rehearsal.

If you do not require a rehearsal , that is acceptable . I do, though, recommend a rehearsal.

The Ceremony

You may have definite ideas on your ceremony structure, If you are unsure of how you want the ceremony to proceed , I am here to assist you put together your own Unique “Ceremony To Remember”

The fees you pay for your wedding ceremony include the rehearsal as a standard item. There is no cheaper price available for choosing not to have a rehearsal.

I will supply you with a document of some 29 pages as well as a selection of actual Ceremonies (no personal details) . This document will allow you to build your own Ceremony.

You are required by The Laws of Australia, to have 2 witnesses 18 years of age or older. Gender is not important nor is their place of residence or their citizenship. These witnesses along with Bride and Groom will need to sign the relevant legal papers. If you haven’t already thought who this ,now is your opportunity to do so. These witnesses can be anyone attending your ceremony. It does not have to be members of the Bridal Party.

Think about whom you would like to hold and present the wedding rings.

If you have children from a previous relationship or this relationship , there are ways to involve them in the ceremony, if this is something you would like.

Finally the Ceremony will go very quickly so remember this and really just take in and enjoy every moment.

Wedding Fee Structure

The fee will vary depending on where the ceremony is to be held and what is required.

My basic fee includes

• Up to 3 face to face meetings
• A Rehearsal, if you require one.
• Completion and lodgement of all Statutory Forms
• Provision of information that will assist you to craft your ceremony.
• My assistance / guidance in writing the ceremony
• On the day I will be in place a minimum of 20 minutes before the planned start.

When we complete the Notice Of Intended Marriage, I will require a non-refundable deposit of $150 .

The balance of the fee is payable 10 working days prior to the wedding date and is preferably paid by direct deposit.