Want to come to get Married in Australia?

As long as you are eligible for marriage, once you are in Australia, you can marry here.
You do not need a special Australian Visa to get married here. You just have to be in the country.
There is some paperwork we have to do beforehand, but basically, you just prove who you are, that you are eligible for marriage, and you submit a completed Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) 1-18 months before the wedding, and we are about set to go!
I’ll email the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) to you for completion with instructions.

A Life Celebrant – Lou Szymkow

Friendly, professional, reliable, helpful, and approachable.

Civil, Marriage, Commitment, Name Giving & Funeral Celebrant
Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant
Manyana NSW. Australia – covering the Shoalhaven, South Coast to Sydney, and out to Canberra & Goulburn
I can travel anywhere within Australia but extra fees may apply

+61 (0) 457 00 1922 lou@alifecelebrant.com.au

A celebrant for all special occasions in your journey of life.

Your Life Events: Weddings, Unions & Commitments; Naming Ceremonies; Funerals, & More

A celebrant for all special occasions in your journey of life.
Your Life Events:

Weddings, Renewals & Commitments; Naming Ceremonies; Funerals, & More

Let your day be one of the most joyous occasions in your entire life.

It should be. You deserve it; Your love deserves it.

Lou was the best celebrant we could have asked for. He was enthusiastic, fun and made our elopement utterly memorable and special. He went above and beyond for us, even making a little video of our day as a keepsake. Can’t recommend him highly enough, we were so lucky to find him, he’s one of a kind. Thanks for everything Lou, we will pop in and say hello next time we are in Manyana!

Sarah & Adam Sarah Izon

______________________

A Ceremony created by Lou Szymkow, A Life Celebrant; with over 43 years of experience in public life, and married for 45 years, will ensure that it is uniquely and authentically your own; an enriching, memorable experience.

I am a Commonwealth, Nationally Registered, and Authorised Marriage Celebrant

Feel free to call me or email me at any time. We can even speak via zoom, skype or facetime to discuss and plan.

Send me an email with your names, and dates of the planned marriage, and I’ll send you a Zoom link for our meeting. Just click on the link and we meet.
I’ll offer guidance where I can but more importantly, I will listen.
I will also ask questions looking for words, phrases, stories, images, and experiences that will offer me guidance in designing a ceremony that will define this wonderful occasion to be celebrated… and to make certain it is FUN.

I am at your service and will travel as needed.

Lots of great information below:

Where To Begin?
Who may witness a NOIM signed outside Australia?
Who may witness a NOIM signed within Australia?
What is a Notary Public?
Australian Embassies & High Commissioner or Consulates
Legal Requirements for Marriage in Australia
Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)
My Services Include
Designing your Ceremony
International Recognition Of Marriage
Apostille Seal
Questions?

Where To Begin?

Did you know you must give at least one month’s notice to get married in Australia?

You do that by submitting a completed Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) i to a Celebrant and fortunately, I am one. ?

Who may witness a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) signed outside Australia?

A NOIM signed outside Australia must be signed in the presence of one of the following:

an Australian Diplomatic Officer
an Australian Consular Officer
a notary public
an employee of the Commonwealth authorised under paragraph 3(c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955, or
an employee of the Australian Trade Commission authorised under paragraph 3(d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955.

Please note that the witness to each signature MUST add their credentials.

Who may witness a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) signed within Australia?

A NOIM signed in Australia must be signed in the presence of one of the following:

- an authorised celebrant and I am one of course
- a justice of the peace
- a barrister or solicitor
- a legally qualified medical practitioner, or
- a member of the Australian Federal Police or the police force of a State or Territory.

Until the end of 2022, we can do that via video link.

If one party to an intended marriage is unable to sign the NOIM for the purpose of complying with the timeframe for giving notice to the celebrant, then the NOIM may be signed by the other party in the presence of a celebrant and notice will be deemed sufficient.

Celebrants should note the following points in relation to signing the NOIM in Australia:

The signing of a NOIM in Australia must be in the presence of one of the categories of people listed above.
The list is not the same as the list of persons before whom a Commonwealth statutory declaration may be made.
A Commissioner for Declarations is not the same as a person before whom a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration may be made – they are specifically appointed people who will have written evidence of their appointment.
Commissioners for Declarations are appointed under state and territory laws. Only some states and territories appoint Commissioners for Declarations. If the parties to the marriage wish to use a Commissioner for Declarations, the parties should check whether Commissioners exist in the jurisdiction in which they reside. The best way to do this is by contacting the relevant state or territory government where the NOIM is to be witnessed.

What is a Notary Public?

A notary public is a legal officer with specific authority to witness legal documents, usually with an official seal. Notaries public can be found in every country and as such it is not possible for the department to provide a list of all notaries. They will usually be listed in telephone directories, or may be found through local legal channels.

Australian Embassies & High Commissioner or Consulates

You will find details of address, telephone, and fax numbers for Australian embassies, high commissions, consulates and multilateral mission offices around the world at this link: Australian embassies and consulates overseas- external site

Legal Requirements for Marriage in Australia

Completion of the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form with your celebrant, no earlier than one month prior to your wedding date, but not more than 18 months before the wedding date. (I like to add an extra day to give time to solve any discrepancies and to allow for the international dateline)
You can start the legal paperwork by following this link Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM).
You must be over 18 years of age and not married to anyone else.
You will need to provide an original Birth Certificate or Passport as proof of date and place of birth.
You must provide a photo ID such as a passport or driver’s license.
- your Passport can serve as both proof of date and place of birth as well as a photo ID.
If you are a divorced person, you will need to provide documentation of the termination of your previous marriage.
If you are widowed, you will need to provide the Death Certificate of your previous spouse.
On the day of your marriage, you will need two witnesses, preferably who know you, who are over 18 years of age.
All documents in a foreign language must have a certified English translation to be sighted by the Celebrant.
Before the ceremony, couples are required to sign a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration of ‘No Legal Impediment’ to you being married.
- the Celebrant (Me) has this document.

My Services Include:

All meetings, local phone calls, video calls, and all emails (there may be fees for international but there are lots of free apps to eliminate phone charges).
Assistance with the completion of all legal paperwork.
Lodgement and registration of all legal documentation.
My travel costs within 60 kilometres of Manyana NSW Australia.
the signing of documents and marriage register
Commemorative Marriage Certificate.
Commemorative copy of your wedding ceremony.
P.A. sound system.
signing table if needed
other benefits that remain a pleasant surprise

I work towards fun Marriage ceremonies that celebrate your individuality and choices, while carefully including the legal requirements of your wedding.

Before the marriage, you will also have to sign a declaration that there is no impediment to marriage meaning that neither of you is married to anyone else and that you are either both over 18, or if one of you is 16- 18, have a court order granting permission to marry.

Designing your Ceremony

There are ceremony samples and lots of ideas on my webpage but it is up to you how we go forward just as long we satisfy a few legal bits.

You might also find some interesting items on these pages:

International Recognition Of Marriage

Generally, Marriage in Australia is recognised by all 113 countries that are signatories to the Apostille Convention but an Apostille Seal from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), may be required. The countries (states) are listed here

Some countries require you to notify their relevant department that you plan to exit that country to marry in Australia, and/or may require you to provide a Certificate of No Impediment to exit the country and may require that you have an Apostille and Authentication of your marriage certificate on your return.

We have marriage equality in Australia along with about 30 countries but when traveling elsewhere, you might check which countries recognise the legal status of your same-sex marriage.

As of January 2018, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) fee for an Apostille and Authentication was $81 but for up-to-date information on DFAT fees for an Apostille Seal, see the external link to DFAT: How much does it cost?

For more information, see:

Apostille Seal

An Apostille is simply the name for a specialised certificate, issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs that recognizes & authenticates documents such as birth, marriages, marital status, deaths certificates, and other documents.

The word Apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) derives from the Latin post illa and then French: a marginal note).

When obtained, the Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the other countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

It is an international certification under the international Apostille Convention, (Apostille) drafted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law. It is comparable to a notarization or certification under domestic law. If the convention applies between two countries, an apostille is sufficient to certify a document’s validity, and removes the need for double-certification, by the originating country and then by the receiving country.

There are four types of documents mentioned in the convention:

court documents
administrative documents (e.g. civil status documents which will include Birth death & Marriage certificates)
notarial acts
official certificates which are placed on documents signed by persons in their private capacity, such as official certificates recording the registration of a document or the fact that it was in existence on a certain date and official and notarial authentications of signatures.

For more information, see:

Questions?

Uncertain about anything?

You may find the answer here where there are around 400 questions answered.

If you need any clarification, just email or call me.

I am here to help.

This webpage and all of its contents were written for the purposes of copyright, Created by Lou Szymkow, for A Life Celebrant–Lou Szymkow, www.alifecelebrant.com.au,
© Copyright 2017; © Copyright 2018; © Copyright 2019; © Copyright 2020; © Copyright 2021; © Copyright 2022, © Copyright 2023; © Copyright 2024

A Life Celebrant
Civil, Marriage, Naming & Funeral Celebrant

Lou Szymkow – A Life Celebrant

The Celebrant of choice

Friendly, professional, reliable, helpful, approachable.

Civil, Marriage, Commitment, Naming & Funeral Celebrant
Commonwealth- Registered Marriage Celebrant
Manyana NSW. Australia – covering the Shoalhaven, South Coast to Sydney and out to Canberra & Goulburn