What are the legal requirements of a wedding under current Australian Law?
Not as much as you might have thought. For your wedding to be legal the following must occur during your ceremony:
- The celebrant must be introduced using their full name and as a wedding celebrant.
- The couples’ full names must be said in full at least once at any point during the ceremony. This commonly happens during the vows but it does not have to.
- The celebrant must read ‘The Monitum’ from the Marriage Act 1961. That’s the “Marriage is between two people to the exclusion of all others…” bit.
- The couple must exchange legal marriage vows. There is a lot of flexibility in the extended wording however it must include ‘I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, [e.g. Ryan Thomas Gosling], take you, [e.g. Lara Louise Williams], to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/partner in marriage.
- Two witnesses over the age of 18 must be present and sign the relevant legal documentation.
How much does a celebrant cost?
This is entirely up to the individual celebrant who may wish to tailor their fees to the type of ceremony, scale and location. For me for example, an elopement in the park with a guest list of 5 would be a different fee than a wedding in the country.
I believe a great celebrant should well and truly earn their fee, beginning long before the actual ceremony, with impeccable service and communication. Please be in touch with me to find out more about what I charge for the service you require and what you are guaranteed from me in return.
Is ‘Married at First Sight’ legit?
Yes, and no. Believe it or not, in Australia it is legal to marry someone you have never met. It is not legal however to marry without completing the legal paperwork no later than 30 days prior to the wedding. This paperwork makes sure the parties are consenting to the wedding. So, basically if you are up for marrying a stranger – you can! HOWEVER, the weddings conducted for the show are deliberately missing some of the legal components that render them official. So NO, the couples are not actually getting married.