Camille Abbott - Marriage Celebrant

Camille Abbott - Marriage Celebrant

Hi, that's a really good question and thank you for looking out for your friend. 

In general, a couple getting married in Australia must sign and lodge their Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with an Authorised celebrant or minister at least 1 month prior to the ceremony date. It's at the time of lodgement that it's best practice for the parties getting married to identify themselves to the celebrant/minister via birth certificate and photo ID or a non-cancelled passport. 

There is a caveat to this requirement in The Marriage Act 1961 (https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ma196185/) which allows only 1 party to the marriage to lodge the NOIM with 1 months notice and the second party to sign at a later date, but before the ceremony commences. 

(3)  However, if the signature of a party to an intended marriage cannot conveniently be obtained at the time when it is desired to give notice under this section, a notice duly signed by the other party and otherwise complying with the provisions of this section shall, if it is signed by the first-mentioned party under the observation (whether or not by means of a facility that enables audio and visual communication between persons in different places) of an authorised celebrant in Australia before the marriage is solemnised, be deemed to have been a sufficient notice.

If your friend wants to claim nullity, there are specific requirements set out by the Family Circuit and Family Law Court of Australia: https://www.fcfcoa.gov.au/fl/divorce/nullity#:~:text=Also%20known%20as%20an%20annulment,already%20married%20at%20the%20time

Being pressured to enter into a marriage is illegal in Australia and I would advise your friend to seek independent legal advice as soon as possible. Good luck. 

Camille Abbott - Marriage Celebrant

Hi Mate, 

First off, I applaud you for thinking about this in advance and putting some effort into writing your own vows. I'm certain your fiance will appreciate the time you're taking. 

Secondly, you are wanting to make sure that you're both on the same page in regards to how long both of your vows are going to be (word number not minutes) and the tone that you're both wanting them to have (they should complement each other). 

Once you've got the basics of length and tone sorted, the next part is to get your thoughts and feelings down on paper or in a notes app. Some simple prompts include: 

• When did you realise that you wanted to get married? 
• Can you share a short story (just a sentence or two) when you started to understand how special your fiance is? 
• What are their strengths and best qualities? 
• What do you want to promise them? 

Your goal is to make them feel amazing, loved and understood. And if you've done that, you've written excellent vows. 

If you need any extra help, my ebook: 'How To Write Wedding Vows That Don't Suck' that all my couples use to write their vows, is available here: https://payhip.com/b/W3yoe

Best of luck!

Camille Abbott

Marriage Celebrant

Camille Abbott - Marriage Celebrant

Hi Bride! :)  (and groom and anyone else planning their wedding..)

I get it. 

Trying to choose the perfect marriage celebrant to stand with you on your wedding day is one of the hardest suppliers to pick mainly because: 

1. it is such a personal decision - the celebrant that one couple loves may be the celebrant another couple can't stand
2. it is almost impossible for a celebrant to demonstrate to you exactly what they are going to be like or going to say on the day because every ceremony and circumstance is different, and
3. you probably haven't ever booked a celebrant before and (touch wood) will never need to again. 

But first, the essentials.

The short answer is that every registered marriage celebrant in Australia is required to operate their business in accordance with the Code of Practice for Marriage Celebrants released by the Attorney-General: https://www.ag.gov.au/FamiliesAndMarriage/Marriage/marriagecelebrants/Documents/Code_of_practice_for_marriage_celebrants.pdf but as far as process goes almost every celebrant I know works according to what works best for them and their couples. 

I wrote a post about what I think makes a good celebrant, which you can check out here: https://www.ceremoniesbycamille.com.au/blog/2016/5/13/great-celebrant and another post about what I do here: https://www.ceremoniesbycamille.com.au/blog/2016/4/17/what-does-a-celebrant-do

That said (written!) put very simply, once you have completed your due diligence (check that the celebrant is registered, have a look at their testimonials/reviews, ask family and friends), the best advice I can give is to make sure that you have a chat with your celebrant before you book them. If you are interstate or overseas, make the time to tee up a Facetime or Skype chat - it's fabulous and it's free!

You will have a gut feeling, an instinct, just from chatting with them.

Trust that feeling and book them in ASAP because the great celebrants are booked a long way in advance (sometimes up to 18 months for the popular months of March, October and November in Australia).

And if you don't feel good, just keep looking and asking questions - your perfect celebrant is out there somewhere.

Best of luck! xx