Can A Marriage Celebrant Legally Marry You In Sydney, Australia?

The short answer is yes, a marriage celebrant can legally marry you in Sydney and all other places in Australia. In fact, Australia is one of the few countries in the world where you can get married with the blessings of a registered marriage celebrant. However, they still need to be registered with the Attorney General to perform weddings legally across Australia. Now that means they can perform wedding ceremonies on the ground, in the water, and in the sky.

Registered marriage celebrants are responsible for completing all the mandatory paperwork before the wedding ceremony and ensuring that your marriage is duly registered with the authorities after the ceremony. As with anything with the term “legal” in it, you need to be trained and have the required certification since it is a significant responsibility. Fortunately, most celebrants in Australia are qualified and are happy to help couples through all the formalities associated with getting married in Australia, as well as other stuff they may need in their home countries.

What If You Are Planning A Religious Ceremony

A marriage celebrant will also be able to marry you if it is a religious ceremony in addition to ministers of religion. However, religious marriage celebrants and ministers have the choice to refuse if their beliefs do not align with yours. For instance, some may refuse to marry off same-sex couples.

Like marriage celebrants, ministers of religion can perform marriage ceremonies anywhere in the country for their recognized religion and as per the rites of the religion. These factors are managed by:

 

  • The religious organization they belong to
  • The registry of marriages, births, and deaths in their respective state

 

It is worth noting that a nominated recognized religion in Australia is one that is proclaimed under the Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961. However, this isn’t an endorsement of any religion by the government of Australia.

 

Getting Married In Australia

Now, if you are outside of Australia and are getting married in the country, you might want to tick the following off your list:

  • Start by choosing a celebrant for your wedding.
  • Marriage celebrants will help you complete the mandatory Notice of Intended Marriage, which needs to be lodged with the celebrant a month before the wedding date, and it shouldn’t be longer than 18 months. This step can also be handled from overseas.
  • The celebrant will ask to see your ID to ensure that you are 18 and above. A valid passport, birth certificate, and driver’s license will do. If you were previously married, you would want to prove that you are no longer legally in that relationship.

The remainder of the paperwork will be completed a few days before and then on the wedding day. This means you can arrive a day before the wedding and head to your honeymoon destination soon after.

Final Word

While a marriage celebrant can legally marry you in Australia, some may choose not to for the reasons mentioned above. However, same-sex marriages are legal in the country so finding a celebrant willing to marry you off isn’t difficult.