• In accordance with the Marriage Act 1961, the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) must be lodged with the Celebrant no less than one calendar month and no more than 18 calendar months prior to the marriage date.
• Evidence of place and date of birth (birth certificates or passports) must be presented to the Celebrant for documentation prior to the marriage.
• Evidence of the dissolution of a previous marriage (divorce certificates) or death of previous spouse (death certificates) must be presented for documentation to the Celebrant prior to marriage.
• Identity with photograph must also be sighted by the Celebrant for each party to the marriage (e.g. driver’s licence, passport or University ID card).
• Both parties to the marriage must be 18 years of age or older (otherwise consent must be obtained).
• Two witnesses are required to sign the marriage certificate, they may be related to the couple, or just friends, however both witnesses must be 18 years of age or older.

Registration of Marriage

Your celebrant will forward necessary paperwork for Registration of marriage to occur in the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages, (BDM), 595 Collins Street, Melbourne.

www.bdm.vic.gov.au

A Registered copy of the Certificate of Marriage is available for a small fee and it is recommended that all couples apply for this. Margaret Barwell provides all her clients with a copy of the form required to apply for this registered copy. It takes approx.. 6 weeks for this to become available from BDM.

Changing the Brides name to her husbands name

Margaret can provide her clients with a Name Change Kit with all the relevant forms to change the bride’s name after marriage. You will be eligible for a new passport, free of charge, if application is made within 12 months of marriage.