Absolutely! I’d love to help you fill out the NOIM. We can schedule a Zoom meeting or a WhatsApp video call to do that. All I ask is that you let me know a couple of preferred days and times – then we can make the appointment and get it done.  That way, you can also ask me as many questions as you wish. No charge, of course.

On the day of your wedding, I will present you with a “presentation marriage certificate” – it has no legal standing. As part of my service, I also send your legal certificate that we and your two witnesses sign at the end of your marriage ceremony, to the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. They register your marriage and I order a copy of that legal marriage certificate to be sent to wherever you like – eg your home address. There is no extra charge for that – it is part of my service to you.

If the NOIM expires before I can marry you, then I will simply ask you to complete another one, sign it in front of an authorised witness and send a copy of it to me. That NOIM will have a life span of 18 months. I do not charge any extra fees for receiving and processing a new NOIM. And there are no charges from me for rescheduling, if we need to.

No matter what sort of wedding you want or how many people you will invite, one of the hardest things you’ll decide is who to have as your marriage celebrant. Your celebrant is someone you want to be able to relate to – in a safe way – and trust. They’re the centre-point of your ceremony – one of the most important parts of your wedding. You want someone who you can talk to, easily. They need to know their stuff. They need to be well-connected to other wedding suppliers. And they need to know how to be a calming presence on what can be a stressful day.

Yes, you absolutely can. A friend can certainly write and deliver all parts of your wedding ceremony, apart from the legal aspects. You will need to engage a marriage celebrant or religious celebrant to take care of the legal requirements. They and your friend will need to work closely together both in the preparation of your ceremony and in its delivery.

All Australians of marriageable age are able to choose the sort of wedding they’d like. That’s the great thing about the wedding industry in this country. If you want a religious ceremony, head to your local church, synagogue or mosque. If you want a simple civil marriage, then the Registry is something you may wish to consider. But if you’re after something a little more personalised in a location that means something more to you, for around the same price, or if you’re looking for a mid-sized or more complex wedding, then a civil marriage celebrant is probably your solution. Let’s catch up over a coffee, to explore your options.

You can hold your wedding at any location you want at any time of the day you want. It could be in a cafe or a park, at your home or on a beach, at a traditional “wedding venue” or in a smaller venue that matches your personalities. Choose a venue that means something to you – it’ll help make your special day even more memorable, not only for you but also for your guests.