WELCOME to

WEDDINGS  & CELEBRATIONS 

with

JANET  in  CANBERRA

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

As a marriage celebrant my wish is to assist you when making one of the most important commitments of your lives.   Let me help you ensure that your individuality  creates a truely memorable, once-in-a-life-time,  ceremony which represents who you are as individuals and your  wish to commit to each other  as a couple.   Let me help you create the most memorable ceremony of your life.

What is a Wedding Celebrant?

Wedding Celebrants are authorised and registered by the Registrar of Celebrants in the Australian Attorney General's Department.  They are also called marriage celebrants.  A professional wedding celebrant conducts wedding ceremonies and attends to all the necessary legal paperwork . 

 

There was a time when marriages could only be solemnised by religious officials.  Nowadays, thanks to Australia's   cultural and religious diversity  over 55% of marriages are solemnised by wedding celebrants.

Why do I need a Wedding Celebrant?

You’ll need the presence of a wedding  celebrant (or religious official)  when you recite your wedding vows for your marriage to be legal.

When should I begin finding a Wedding Celebrant?

Wedding celebrants are generally booked up months in advance.  I recommend that you start looking as soon as you have decided on the date, time and place of your wedding ceremony.  You must find your  wedding celebrant at least one full month before your wedding date  because you must have lodged a Notice of Intended Marriage with the Australian Attorney General's Department by then.

Who is the best Wedding Celebrant for my ceremony?

That depends on you.

 

You should feel comfortable with your chosen wedding celebrant and have a great rapport with them.  The celebrant should be articulate, eloquent and confident yet gentle and sensitive enough to calm any pre-wedding nerves.

 

The ideal wedding celebrant should be flexible enough to conduct both traditional and contemporary weddings and to accommodate any cultural, religious or personal practices you may wish.  This might be for example  a candle-lighting ceremony, the Celtic hand holding ritual or the writing and reciting of your own vows  (provided the necessary legal  wording from the Marriage Act is also be included in order for the marriage to be legal).

 

WEDDINGS - CIVIL CEREMONIES may be conducted at any time, day and venue.  Civil Ceremonies can personalise the occasion by combining elements of religious ceremony and tradition according to your individual preferences.  Civil Celebrants are authorised and registered by the Registrar of Marriage Celebrants in the Attorney General’s Department.

The completion of the official ‘Notice of Intended Marriage’ requires the processing of a number of documents. Couples intending marriage are required to provide a range of personal documentation to verify their identity and eligibility to marry. This is completed when you have your first visit with your Marriage Celebrant.

Legal Requirements -

Under the Marriage Act 1961 there are certain obligations that you, as a couple intending to get married, must meet prior to a marriage ceremony being solemnised.

A Notice of Intended Marriage (NIM) must be lodged with your chosen Marriage Celebrant no less than one month and one day and no more than eighteen months prior to the marriage being solemnised. It is not a requirement to lodge the NIM with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM).

Under normal circumstances the Notice of Intended Marriage would be completed at your first meeting with your Civil Marriage Celebrant. The required documentation should be produced to the Celebrant at that time, or certainly before the marriage can take place. Both parties are required to give a minimum month and a day notice. There are some exceptions; for instance if a partner is overseas or interstate and only one can sign that is acceptable

You are required to produce your original Birth Certificate, or authorised extract of such certificate. If you were born in Australia the Marriage Act 1961 insists that there is no exception to producing your birth certificate.

Although Birth Certificates are preferred, in the case of persons born outside of Australia a Marriage Celebrant can accept an overseas passport in lieu of the birth certificate. If that person cannot produce their birth certificate or overseas passport the Celebrant will take a Statutory Declaration with details of birth date, place and parents' names together with an explanation as to why the birth certificate is not available. IMPORTANT: An Australian passport cannot be accepted under any circumstances and statutory declarations only apply to persons born overseas.

In the case of persons previously married, the original copy of your Decree Absolute or, in the case of widowhood, the original copy of the Death Certificate must be produced. These documents MUST be produced before the marriage can take place so it is essential that you give yourself adequate time to acquire them if you have misplaced them. There are occasions when a marriage has been "annulled", and where this occurs documentary evidence must be produced.

Prior to your wedding, both partners will be required to sign a specific declaration, under the Marriage Act 1961, stating that you believe there is no legal impediment to the marriage between yourself and your partner. This is a legal document and must be true and correct in all respects.

 

To make a booking please refer to the Contact Us/Links' page.

Email - info@janetincanberra.com.au or phone 02 6287 7250 or mobile 0410 439 031