How do I go about officiating my Hindu wedding if the priest is not recognised as a marriage celebrant?

As long as you have a registered Marriage celebrant to include the required legal wording there is no rule to say that you cannot also include some Hindu elements presented by your Hindu priest, your ceremony can be an infusion of both Hindu and a ceremony according to Australian law. 

'Blended' weddings can be remarkably beautiful.  The requirements for a legal wedding in Australia are very straight forward.  The real beauty of the Austrlain Legalities is that you can have ANY ceremony surrounding it as long as a Registered Austrlain Celebrant is performing the legal requirements as dictated under Australian Marriage Law.  As part of a 'practice wedding' I was part of an Indian/Australian 'blended' wedding.  It was marvelous!!  Most celebrants look forward to blended weddings to see what they can do to make it that much better for you.

There are two easy ways of doing this.

1/ legal Ceremony can be before or after the Hindu ceremony either added to the Hindu Ceremony or as a separate event

2/ Blend them in and so you have the one ceremony with the Authorised Celebrant stepping in just for the legal bits. 

Samples:

• one Hindu couple who had already completed their huge Hindu ceremony overseas, I performed a lovely Ceremony by the river with just witnesses present
• A Prassard conducted the Hindu rituals and after the  7 steps, the couple walked in an arc to come to me for the Civil component
• I incorporated a ribbon ceremony similar to a handfasting but disti9nctly different and the couple were able to take those ribbons with them overseas so that the two Ceremonies could be linked by the ribbons

You'll find answers to many more questions on my webpage

www.alifecelebrant.com.au

You can definately do both, have your Hindu ceremony first then the celebrant can do the official ceremony making this legal in Australia

A lot of celebrant like myself will ensure we are dressed respectfully for your culture and also assist with any Hindu readings to ensure your culture is not lost in the ceremony.

You can go ahead and have your Hindu ceremony and arrange with a marriage celebrant to perform the legal marriage immediatley following the Hindu one. This can take place at the same venue or elsewhere. You will still need to fulfill the legal requirements with the marriage celebrant - the Notice of Intended Marriage one month before, the Declaration of No Impediment before the legal ceremony and the three certificates on the day.

I love the variety that my job as a celebrant brings me.  Yes a good celebrant will allow all your hindu customs and involve your own priest in the service and complete all the necessary paperwork. 

Your Priest can perform your religious ceremony in a traditional Hindu wedding, but it will not be recognised as a legal marriage in Australia.

An Authorised Marriage Celebrant will have to perform a civil ceremony and lodge this with the Births, Deaths and Marriages office in the state where the ceremony will be performed. You will have to get in touch with the Marriage Celebrant and complete the Notice of Intended Marriage form 1 month before the actual marriage date (at the latest).

You would need to have a 'legals only' ceremony with a Registered Civil Celebrant prior to the Hindu wedding rites. Otherwise, the marriage will not be legal in Australia.

The priest may attend and perform part of the ceremony, in fact mostof the ceremony, bu a Commonwealth-registered Marriage Celebrant must be present and then perform the legal parts.  Where are you located.  You can call me to discuss on 0418654525