STEPHEN COOK MARRIAGE CELEBRANT
  • Home
  • About Me
  • IDEAS
    • Ideas and trends (blog)
    • Vows
    • Hand fasting
  • Contact
  • Other Celebrations
  • Testimonials
  • Prices

4 years of Marriage Equality in Australia

9/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
It is 4 years today since the Australian Parliament changed the Marriage Act (on 9 December, 2017) to allow any adult person to marry any other adult person, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, after 61.6% of Australians voted YES to marriage equality. I thought it would be interesting to look at some statistics about the number of marriages since the law changed, but as Covid-19 changed everything over the last two years these statistics don't tell us a great deal.
As well as restrictions on numbers of people attending weddings there was also a total ban on weddings (at least in NSW) during the second lockdown. Many couples postponed their weddings, sometimes indefinitely until there is more certainty about restrictions, while others opted for small weddings or elopements.

So while the latest data doesn't give us an accurate picture of marriage trends in Australia, I will share some key figures just for interest, from the recently released numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  • There were 78,989 marriages registered in Australia in 2020 compared with 113,815 in 2019. This was a decrease of 30.6%.
  • The decrease of 30.6% from 2019 to 2020 is the largest annual decrease in marriages ever reported by the ABS (since 1901) and annual marriage registrations are the lowest reported since 1961 (76,686).
  • In 2020 there were 2,902 same-sex marriages - a decrease of 2,605 (47.3%) compared with 2019. Same-sex marriages represented 3.7% of all marriages registered in Australia in 2020. This is down from 2019, when same-sex marriages accounted for 4.8% of all marriages.
  • Nationally, more female same-sex couples married (61.4% of all same-sex marriages) than male same-sex couples (38.5%). This was the case across all states and territories.
  • For couples in same-sex marriages the median age for males was 37.2 years, and for females it was 35.3 years. Median age for both males and females in same-sex marriages has decreased since 2018.

The ABS noted that "while the number of people marrying in 2020 was lower, characteristics such as median age at marriage and the proportion of civil versus religious ceremonies remained comparable with previous years." Civil Celebrants are still performing the vast majority of marriages. In 1902, almost all marriages (97%) were performed by ministers of religion. However, by 2010, more than 80% of marriages were performed by civil celebrants and this trend has been maintained.
0 Comments

New marriage documents

8/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
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".

0 Comments

What next? How do same-sex couples go about getting married now the law has changed?

7/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
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?
​
  • 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!

0 Comments

How do civil celebrants feel about same-sex marriage?

22/11/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Attorney-General George Brandis is proposing an amendment to the Dean Smith Bill which would give civil celebrants the right to refuse to marry gay couples. But are celebrants asking for this? Civil celebrant associations say they don't want the right to discriminate against same-sex couples. There are approximately 8,500 civil celebrants in Australia, and most are members of an Association. These associations have surveyed their members from time to time to ask how we all feel about marrying same-sex couples. Dorothy Harrison, chair of the Coalition of Celebrant Associations, was quoted in The Age newspaper as saying that the majority of celebrants don't want an exemption, and don't approve of them. "A survey of 1500 civil celebrants conducted by the Coalition of Celebrant Associations found just 3 per cent would resign if compelled to perform same-sex weddings. Eighty per cent said they would happily marry same-sex couples".

The Dean Smith Bill already has a provision for a new category of religious marriage celebrants who would be given the same rights currently given to ministers of recognised denominations to refuse to marry anyone, for any reason. In my view, and in the view of most civil celebrants, it is unnecessary to give the same right to disciminate to all civil celebrants. We're not exactly "public servants" but we do have an obligation to perform marriages according to the Marriage Act, without discrimination. 


0 Comments

What is the earliest date a same-sex couple can marry?

18/11/2017

1 Comment

 
Gay Wedding
I've seen some announcements in the media about same-sex couples who are planning to marry in January or February 2018, and have also been asked by several people about the earliest date they can have a wedding. Under the existing Marriage Act couples intending to marry must give at least one month's notice to an authorised marriage celebrant. According to the Prime Minister, the necessary changes to the Act will be made before Christmas. Assuming the Parliament passes the amendments this year, will same-sex couples be able to marry from 1st January,  and can they give notice of their intended marriage now? Here is the latest information available from the Attorney General's department.
  • The Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 (‘Dean Smith Bill’) was introduced into the Senate on 15 November 2017. The requirements set out in the Marriage Act 1961 remain in place until such time as an Act of Parliament changes them. As such, celebrants are currently not able to accept a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) from same-sex couples.
  • The date from which same-sex weddings could occur in Australia will depend on the date the Australian law is changed to allow same-sex marriage.
  • The final form of amendments to the Marriage Act 1961 is a matter for the Parliament. The department is unable to provide advice on the likely form of any legislative amendments, including amendments in relation to religious freedoms and protections.
  • The department will communicate advice to celebrants and the public about changes to the Marriage Act 1961 as soon as possible after the passage of any amendments.
So, if you are hoping to marry early next year what, if anything, can you start doing now?
  1. ​Expect that the requirement to give a month's notice will probably remain unchanged, and that the earliest date for giving notice will probably be specified in the amendments to the Act and is likely to be the date the amendments come into effect (i.e. some time after it passes through both Houses of Parliament and receives Royal Assent by the Governor General). So expect early January to be the earliest date to give notice, and February as the earliest date for a wedding.
  2. Summer is a very popular time for weddings so many wedding and reception venues will already be booked out. Even public places like parks and beaches generally have to be booked with local councils. You may not be able to book your preferred venue so think about what is most important to you: an early date or the venue?
  3. This is a busy time for celebrants too, so find a celebrant whose style you like (not all celebrants are the same!) and call them soon to discuss your options.
  4. If either party has been married before you will need proof that the marriage has ended (e.g. divorce papers, or death certificate for previous partner), so make sure you have them or apply for them now. This will also apply to anyone who has been in a same-sex marriage previously, having been married in another jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is legal. If the marriage has ended you will need the required papers.
  5. Currently both parties to a marriage must show their Celebrant original birth certificates or passports. If you don't have either then order them now. A celebrant will be able to tell you exactly what paperwork you need, so start getting it together immediately.
  6. If  a same-sex couple has been married lawfully overseas and want to marry again in Australia they are unlikely to be allowed to do so, if the current legislation is a guide. Currently, a straight couple can't be married in Australia if they have already been married overseas, and this same rule is likely to apply to same-sex couples under the new rules as well.
As a Marriage Celebrant I am keeping a close eye on the changes and the passage of the legislation, and am in communication with the marriage celebrants' associations and the Attorney General's Department in order to have the correct information as soon as it becomes available. Don't hesitate to contact me with questions or simply to have a chat about your options.

1 Comment

    Author

    Stephen Cook is an authorised Marriage Celebrant and a celebrant for all life's special occasions

    Archives

    December 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    Categories

    All
    Elopement
    Married Surnames
    Same Sex Marriage
    Statistics
    Wedding-music
    Wedding Trends
    What To Wear

    RSS Feed

    GET A FREE QUOTE
(c) 2020 Stephen Cook
Images on this website used under license from Shutterstock.com, unless otherwise stated.