LET'S GET YOU HITCHED!

THE PROCESS

Here’s how this all goes down…

1. Call Me Maybe

First step is a quick chat (in person, over Zoom or a call) so we can get to know each other and find out if we’re the right fit.  Make the first move here.

2. The One That I Want

When we realise we’re a perfect match – hooray! – We lock it in. Contracts are signed and plans are made. It’s happy dances all round, because I get to wed another cool couple, and you’re one step closer to being married! It’s a Capital B, Capital D, Big Deal.

3. I'm So Excited

Depending on the package chosen, we’ll hang out a couple more times, usually in person over a delicious beverage (banana milkshake or pear cider for me— but never at the same time.) At these meetups I’ll arrange the paperwork, get the inside scoop on your relationship, and start planning your one-of-a-kind love party.

4. Signed, Sealed, Delivered

It’s time to get hitched! I’ll bring my A-game with a ceremony that oozes magic, heart, colour and soul. While you’re nursing hangovers and riding off into the sunset as newlyweds, I’ll be filing paperwork with the government to put your marriage on record as legally legit.

LET'S GET IT STARTED

LEGAL MARRIAGE FAQ

Firstly, to get married in Australia, you need to be two freely consenting adults of any gender (yay!) who are not directly related to one another, and who are not currently married to each other or to anybody else. You also need two witnesses over the age of 18.

There are a few legal forms, including:

  • The Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) needs to be signed and lodged with your celebrant (that’s me!) at least 1 month before your love party, but no longer than 18 months before. I’ll need to see evidence that you are who you say you are e.g. a passport or a driver’s license and a birth certificate. The NOIM form lodgement is included with all wedding packages; I won’t let you forget this one, or there won’t be a marriage.
  • The Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage (DONLIM) is a form we sign as close to the wedding as possible. It pretty much says “Yep, I am who I say I am, I know who I’m marrying, and we are allowed to marry each other.” 
  • The Certificate of Marriage is a form that you, your witnesses and I sign on the day. It’s basically proof that it happened.
  • The fancy and pretty Certificate of Marriage, which we also sign on the day, and which you get to keep to show off to your family then put in your “special things” drawer.

On the day, there are a few legal words that need to be said to make this thing legit. In a nutshell…

  • I need to say who I am
  • Either you or I have to say who you are
  • I say the Monitum, which goes like this: “I am duly authorised by law to solemnise 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 two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.”
  • You say your legal vows, which go like this: “I call upon the people here present to witness that I [Name], take you, [Name], to be my lawful wedded [wife/husband/spouse/partner in marriage].”

That’s it. That’s literally all that we have to say. Now let’s have some fun filling in the space around it to make it a spectacular event made just for YOU.

Nope! This outdated and frankly boring definition changed on December 9, 2017. Now I get to say that “Marriage is a union of two people,” and every time I say it, it feels like warm chocolate fudge sauce enveloping my heart.

To get married, the legal elements above must be included. Apart from that, I am here to give you permission to go wild and do your own thing—seriously, the only limit is your imagination (my Sundae Your Way package is the one if you want me to craft something spectacular and uniquely you). In terms of traditions, one thing I personally insist on including in ALL ceremonies, no matter how big or small, is an Acknowledgement of Country. If you don’t want to include this, then I’m not the celebrant for you.

Some people have been planning their ceremonies since the day they could scrapbook, others have never thought about it before. I will help you with suggestions of ways to build a ceremony that is meaningful to you. My Sundae Your Way and Cherry On Top! couples get my ‘Complete Guide to Rad Love Parties’ which is basically a choose your own adventure wedding builder to ignite your imagination.

You need a certificate of marriage from Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state in which you got married. You can apply for this yourself after the wedding, but the simplest thing is for me to do it for you when I register your marriage – it’s included in my Sundae Your Way or Cherry On Top! packages. When your certificate arrives, you can take it with you to the relevant authority and they can issue you a new license, passport, pony club membership, etc., with your new name. If your legal marriage took place overseas, you cannot change your name by marriage and will have to change it by change of name process. More information can be found here.

If you got legally married overseas, sorry, you are already married and can’t get legally hitched again in Australia. While overseas marriages may be recognised in Australia, they cannot actually be registered with Births Deaths and Marriages in Australia as they were not solemnised under our laws. I am, however,  happy to work with you on a non-legal, commitment-ceremony-style Love Party! We just have to make it clear on the day that you already got hitched and it’s not a legal marriage taking place.