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| Australian Civil
Weddings |
What must a civil wedding contain in
Australia?
Australian law defines marriage as "the
union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others,
voluntarily entered into for life." The law says that:
1. Your
marriage may take place on any day, at any time and at any
place in Australia, or within Australian territorial waters.
(Marriage on aeroplanes and ships at sea should be avoided.)
2. At least two people, over the age of 18 years must
be present at the marriage ceremony and act as witnesses.
3. You, your
partner and your celebrant must sign and lodge The Notice of
Intended Marriage form, one calendar month and a day before
the wedding date. The notice requires proof of birth - a birth
certificate, passport or naturalisation certificates will do.
If you or your partner has been married before, evidence of
how it ended will be needed -either a Decree Absolute in the
case of divorce, or if previous partner has died - a death
certificate.
4. You and your partner must sign a
statutory declaration that you believe that there is no legal
impediment to your marriage.
5. You and your partner
must be given a form called 14a that explains that pre
Marriage education is available to you.
6. During
the ceremony the authorised celebrant must say to the parties,
in the presence of the witnesses, the words,
"I am
duly authorised by law to solemnise this, your marriage,
according to the law in Australia. Before (bride-to-be) and
(groom-to-be) are joined together in marriage in my presence
and in the presence of those your family and friends, I am
bound as you know to remind you publicly of the solemn, the
serious and binding nature of the relationship to which you
are about to enter. Marriage as most of us understand it is
voluntary and is a full commitment of a man to a woman and a
woman to a man. It is made in the deepest sense to the
exclusion of all others and is entered into with the desire,
hope and firm intention that it will last for life."
7. The ceremony must take place in the presence of an
authorised civil celebrant. This means that the celebrant is
registered with the federal Attorney General's office.
8. Both parties, the two witnesses and the celebrant
must all sign each of the three marriage certificates.
9. During the ceremony each party must say, " I call
upon the persons here present to witness that I
(bride-to-be/groom-to-be) take thee (bride-to-be/groom-to-be)
to be my lawful wedded husband/wife" and or words to that
effect.
*Section 46(1) of the Marriage Act 1961
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