The Attorney General's Department has issued new marriage forms, including the Notice of Intended Marriage and the Official Certificate of Marriage, in time for the changes to the Marriage Act which come into effect on Saturday 9th December. Civil Celebrants now have access to these forms which will be used for all couples. The words "Bride" and "Groom" on the old forms have been replaced by "Party 1" and "Party 2" and each person can then choose if they wish to be described on the Certificate of Marriage as a "Groom", "Bride" or "Partner".

The Australian Parliament today changed the Marriage Act with an overwhelming majority in favour enabling same sex couples to marry. According to the Attorney General, George Brandis, the law will come into effect on 9th December. The Act requires all couples to give at least one month's notice, meaning the earliest date they can marry will be 9th January. 

So what needs to be done if you plan to marry early in the new year?
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• The first thing you must do is lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage with a registered Marriage Celebrant. The Celebrant will usually help you to complete the form so it would be a good idea to find a celebrant you like now. To complete this form you will need:
  1. ​​Proof of date and place of birth. The usual documents are either a birth certificate or passport.
  2. Photo ID. The best forms of ID are current Drivers Licence or Proof of Age card.
  3. If you have been married before you will need proof that the marriage has ended in the form of either (a) your previous spouse's death certificate, or (b) divorce certificate.
  4. You will also need to provide the full names of both parents of both parties to the marriage, their place of birth, and whether they are living or deceased.
• The next thing you should do is decide on a location for your wedding and book it as soon as possible. If you plan to marry in a public place such as a beach or park you may need to book it with the local council. 
• You should bear in mind that a lot of wedding and reception venues are booked a year ahead, so if marrying soon is important for you think about a Monday-Friday wedding rather than a weekend. It will probably be easier to find a Celebrant for a mid-week wedding as well. 

Please call or email me with any questions you have. I'd be delighted to help your dream come true!