Let me take care of the legal paperwork!
Before you can be married you will need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage form (NIM) no later than 1 month prior to your Wedding. This can be lodged 18 months in advance. This may be done by fax or email, followed by the hard copy in the mail. A booking fee is required at this stage with the balance of the fee due 7 days prior to the wedding.
The documents I will need to sight are:
– If born in Australia – Original Birth Certificates or Australian Passport.
– If born overseas – Original Birth Certificate or Overseas Passport.
– If either of you have been married before – Original Divorce Decree papers or Death Certificate of a previous spouse.
Witnesses
Two witnesses over the age of 18 are required to sign the Marriage Register and Certificates.
Shortening of time
It may be possible to request a shortening of time, if you are unable to wait 1 month and 1 day to marry. You will need to meet with me to fill in a Notice of Intended Marriage form (NIM). You can then apply to a prescribed authority for approval. (Your local court or Registry Officials) They are the only ones who can shorten the required period provided they are satisfied that the circumstances prescribed in the regulations are met. These circumstances are:
1. Employment related or other travel commitments.
2. Wedding or celebration arrangements, or religious considerations.
3. Medical reasons.
4. Legal proceedings.
5. Error in giving notice.
It is up to the prescribed authority to approve the application, and is not an automatic process.