Legals Only Wedding Ceremony
Looking for a cost-effective legals-only ceremony? I can help you with that!
- Completion and lodgement of all legal paperwork.
- One pre-wedding meeting (Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp or face-to-face).
- Delivery of a brief, legal wedding ceremony with up to 20 guests*.
- Opportunity for personal vows and ring exchange to be included, if you wish
- Printed marriage certificate presented to you on the day
- Notification when your marriage has been registered.
- My fees AUD$649.
Optional extras:
- Copy of registered (legal) marriage certificate ordered by me on your behalf and sent from the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages to your home address – within Australia an extra $100; outside Australia, an extra $140.
- Use of my professional sound system for the ceremony – $175.
- Rehearsal in the week leading up to your wedding – $400.
- Letter of support for migration application or visa application – $175.
*Note: Each round trip by me in excess of 100km from my home office in Pascoe Vale for meetings, for a rehearsal or for the ceremony will incur an additional fee of $330.
Legals Only Wedding Plan Journey
Our First Meeting – If You’re In Melbourne
I’ll meet with you, so I can explain the legal requirements for getting married in Australia. We’ll fill out and sign the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM), and I’ll witness your signatures so that you can lodge it with me. That means one month from that date, I can marry you. I’ll confirm your wedding day in my diary and send you the first of two invoices. The second one is due one week before your wedding.
Our First Meeting – If You’re Not In Melbourne
I’ll meet with you by FaceTime, Zoom or Whatsup, so I can explain the legal requirements for getting married in Australia. We’ll fill out the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) and I’ll sight your photo ID (eg passport). If you’re in Australia, you can get your signatures witnessed by a police officer, a JP, a barrister or solicitor, or a legally qualified medical practitioner. If you’re outside Australia, you can get your signatures witnessed by a notary public or an official from the Australian Embassy or Consulate. You can lodge the NOIM with me by emailing it to me. One month from the date I receive it, I can marry you. I’ll confirm your wedding day in my diary and send you the first of two invoices. The second one is due one week before your wedding.
First Draft Sent
I’ll send you a draft ceremony that includes a brief welcome, legal vows, a ring exchange and a declaration of you as a legally married couple. I’ll leave space for you to include some personal vows, if you wish. And I’ll happily send you some samples of personal vows, to give you an idea of what they can look like, and to help you write your own.
Re-drafting The First Draft
I’ll ask you to go through the first draft and make any changes you want, before you send it back to me.
Checking the Paperwork
In the week before your wedding, I’ll send you a copy of the legal forms, to sure that all the necessary details are correct.
Wedding Ceremony
On your wedding day, I’ll arrive in time for both of you and me to sign the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage, just prior to your ceremony. Then I’ll deliver your ceremony – and you’ll leave as a married couple!
Registration of Your Marriage
I’ll submit all the necessary documents to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 48 hours of your marriage. And I’ll notify you when your marriage has been registered so that you can apply for a copy of your registered marriage certificate.
Let’s plan your wedding your way.
Apart from the legal words we each have to say during your marriage ceremony, there are no rules about what needs to go into a wedding ceremony.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get married without a ceremony?
You can’t get married in Australia without a marriage ceremony. All you need is your partner, two witnesses over the age of 18 years and a celebrant to marry you. As a registered celebrant, I can help you get married – and will take care of all the legal requirements. Such a legals only marriage can take place anywhere in Australia at any time on any day of the week, including public holidays. It can even occur in my driveway, during these Covid-19 times, in a Vegas-style wedding: you drive up, we sign some paperwork, I marry you in front of your two witnesses, we all sign some more paperwork, and you leave, married.
There’s a difference between a wedding and a marriage ceremony. A wedding generally refers to ceremony, as well as the entire celebration and the preparations that are involved in getting married in a larger, more extravagant event. But having a larger wedding is a choice.
What are the requirements for a Legals only ceremony?
For a legals only ceremony, all you need are two witnesses over the age of 18 years, and me, to conduct the wedding. I’ll take care of the paperwork and other legalities. Your legals only ceremony will include the legal aspects, as well as some personal wedding vows – you can also exchange rings if you wish, although both the personal vows and exchange of rings are optional. I will arrange for a copy of your registered (legal) marriage certificate to be posted to your home address.
What differentiates you from other wedding celebrants?
I’ve conducted hundreds of weddings. I know my stuff – in fact, I train other celebrants. It’s taken me lots of hard work and experience to get to this point. I love working with all sorts of people, irrespective of their cultural background or sexual orientation to deliver a wedding that’s enjoyable, memorable, professional and polished. My aim is to make the wedding as stress-free for my clients and their guests as possible.
When can we set up an appointment with you?
You can set up an appointment with me at any time. You can call me, or email me or set up a day and time for an appointment via the calendar on my website, or have a video-chat via FaceTime, Zoom or WhatsApp (+61410456327). There’s no charge for that first appointment.
Where can we get married?
I can marry you anywhere in Australia. I’m based in Pascoe Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, but I travel all over Melbourne and regional Victoria, as well as interstate, to plan and deliver ceremonies. You can choose to get married at a traditional wedding venue, or in a park or in a public or private garden, or your backyard or hotel room or on a beach or so on. The choice is yours. Let’s meet up and talk over a cup of coffee about the pros and cons of getting married in some of these locations.
How can we reach you?
You can reach me via phone (+61410456327), an email (), by simply filling out the contact form on my website, or by having a live chat with me on my website, or by having a video-chat with me via FaceTime, Zoom or WhatsApp (+61410456327). I will get back to you as soon as I can, to arrange a meeting.
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