For couples
The marriage process
Seven steps. One meaningful beginning.
From choosing your celebrant to signing the paperwork, here’s what to prepare for your wedding.
Under the Marriage Act 1961 there are certain obligations that you, as a couple intending to get married, must meet prior to a marriage ceremony being solemnised. It’s essential for couples to be aware of these obligations to ensure a smooth and legally recognised marriage ceremony.
Visit the Attorney General’s Department website for comprehensive information on the rules and requirements for getting married in Australia. You can find all the details you need on their official website.
Step 01
Choose your celebrant
Find someone who can guide you through the legalities and help create a meaningful ceremony.
What you need to know
The AMC Association and its celebrants can provide all the support and guidance throughout your wedding planning process. We can assist with understanding the legalities, navigating challenges specific to international couples, and ensuring a meaningful wedding ceremony.
Step 02
Give notice of your intended marriage
Give your celebrant a completed, signed Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) at least one calendar month and no more than 18 months before your ceremony.
What you need to know
Couples must submit a completed and signed Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) to their chosen Marriage Celebrant at least one calendar month and no more than eighteen months before the marriage ceremony. This form is usually completed during the initial meeting with the celebrant and covers:
Your and your partner's details including address
Your and your partner's parent's names and birthplaces
Any prior marriage death or divorce certificate
An intended date of the wedding
At the bottom of all our CELEBRANT pages you'll see the questions from a NOIM that you can submit directly
Step 03
Meet your celebrant and show ID
Both of you need evidence of your date and place of birth, and documents that establish your identity.
What you need to know
As well as the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM), before the marriage can take place both parties must provide the authorised celebrant evidence of their date and place of birth. This can be a birth certificate, an official extract from a birth register or an Australian or overseas passport that has not been cancelled.
Before the marriage can take place, the authorised celebrant must also be satisfied that you are one of the people named in the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM). Photographic evidence of identity such as a passport, a driver’s licence, a proof of age card or an official identity card will assist the authorised celebrant in meeting this requirement.
The document numbers are recorded on the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)
A driver's licence and photo ID each
A Birth Certificate or Passport Each
Step 04
Tell them about any past marriages
If either of you has been married before, provide evidence of how your last marriage ended.
What you need to know
If either party has been legally married previously, evidence of how the last marriage ended must also be supplied.
This can be in the form of a Divorce Decree, Death Certificate or Declaration of Nullity (Court Annulment Certificate) or a CeNoMar (Certificate of No Marriage) if you are from the Philippines; or a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage issued by a relevant authority.
Death Certificate
Divorce Certificate
Step 05
Confirm your consent
Your celebrant must meet each of you privately and separately before the ceremony to confirm free, informed consent.
What you need to know
Before the ceremony can take place, the Celebrant must meet each party to the marriage, privately and separately to confirm or clarify that consent to marry is voluntary, informed and active, without coercion from others
Step 06
Sign your declaration
Before the ceremony, both of you must sign the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage in your celebrant’s presence.
What you need to know
Before the ceremony can proceed, both parties to the marriage must, in the presence of the celebrant, sign a Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage (DONLIM). This confirms there are no legal grounds preventing the marriage from taking place.
The celebrant will have this form ready for you.
It can be signed during the consent meeting, a rehearsal, or any other meeting as close as possible to the ceremony.
Step 07
Make it official
Bring two adult witnesses who will be physically present, say the required legal vows, and sign the marriage certificates with your celebrant. You receive the presentation certificate on the day; the registry-issued certificate is ordered separately.
International Couples
What do you have to do if you're not Australian?
International couples don't need to do anything other than what is outlined on this page for locally born couples, so feel free to head to the top of this page to understand the process for all.
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