Weddings - FAQ
Can we get married sooner than one month?
In some circumstances this is allowed, read more at your local BDM website.
What do I need to get legally married in Australia?
Partner 1 (you) & Partner 2 (your person)
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You must be of marriageable age (over 18 or one party may be 16 if they have consent from a judge and parent/guardian)
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You must not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild or sibling
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You must not be already married
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You must understand what marriage means and freely consent to marrying
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You must lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage form with an authorised marriage celebrant or minister of religion at least one month prior to the intended date of marriage, but no more than 18 months in advance.
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You must provide two witnesses over the age of 18 years to witness their marriage ceremony, or ask Emma to provide witnesses for a small charge.
Marriage Equality
You obviously support marriage equality, do you marry straight couples too?
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Abso-BLOODY-lutely! Emma is also committed to an intersectional awareness of gender and race inequality, and donates 2% of her annual profit to Indigenous and Domestic Violence Organisations.
I.D.
What I.D documents do we need to provide when lodging our notice?
I need to confirm both your identities with a photo ID, so please bring copies of EITHER:
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current or expired passport
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birth certificate combined with your drivers licence or other photo ID.
If applicable:
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​Evidence of any prior marriages ending Divorce certificate (Decree Absolute) showing the Court name and date or Death certificate ​
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Other documentation e.g. change of name certificate, previous marriage certificate, stat dec or certificate of translation for foreign documents etc.
Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)
We don't live near you, are we able to email our notice of intended marriage (NOIM) and I.D documents?
Yes, you can email scanned copies of your NOIM as well as I.D documents within the legally required time. You must also have your signatures on the NOIM witnessed in person by a JP (or equivalent) or via Zoom by me.
In-person catch-ups are excellent, but we can also hold meetings virtually or over the phone too - we can actually do the whole thing without meeting face-to-face before the ceremony.
What happens after the wedding?
The certificate you receive on on the day is not a legal identification document. Apply for your Official Certificate here. (A small administration fee of around $53 will be charged by BDM).
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If you’d like to change your name after the wedding then simply take certified copies of the Official Certificate of Marriage directly to the relevant establishments such as DoT, your bank, Medicare etc.
Note: don’t travel on your new name until you’ve received your new ID documents