How to Get Legally Married in Perth

Once you have chosen an awesome Marriage Celebrant, you will need to meet with them to fill out the NOIM (Notice of Intended Marriage) This needs to be completed and lodged with your Marriage Celebrant no later than one month before your wedding date. You can fill this out up to 18 months before your wedding day, so once you have chosen a Celebrant, I recommend you meet as soon as practical to get everything organised.

Provide Proof of Date and Place of Birth - your Passport is the easiest, or your official birth certificate, or an official extract, showing the date and place of birth.

Something with your photo on it, to prove your identity - eg Your Passport, Driver's License, or Proof of Age Card.

If you have already been married, evidence of death, nullity or divorce will need to be provided (eg your Divorce Certificate).

The Declaration of Legal Impediment document is a document stating you are not already married and there is no other legal circumstance that would mean you can not get married. The Declaration is printed on the back of the official Marriage Certificate, which your Celebrant will send to the BDM following your wedding, to register your marriage.

At your Rehearsal, or at a time that is convenient, as close to the wedding date as possible, you will be asked to sign the Declaration of No Legal Impediment. Don’t stress – Your Celebrant will go through all this with you!

During your wedding ceremony, in front of your two legal witnesses (any two people over 18 years of age). 

This includes The Monitum (read by your Celebrant):

Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter.

Marriage, according to the law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

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Legal Wording for your Vows (you can also say your own personal Vows during the Ceremony):

Bride/Groom/Partner (repeating after Celebrant): I call upon the people here present to witness that I [Bride/Groom/Partner's name], take you [Bride/Groom/Partner's name] to be my lawful wedded husband/wife/spouse. I promise to love you, to care for you and to respect you for all of my life.

Both you, your partner, and your two witnesses will sign three Marriage Certificates on the day, your Celebrant will give you one to keep, they will keep one, and the other will be sent by your Celebrant to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the State or Territory where your marriage took place.

Your Celebrant will send your paperwork to register your marriage.

After a minimum of 14 days, you can apply for a Registered Marriage Certificate from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) WA (or in the State where your Marriage took place).