Melissa Soncini - Marriage Celebrant

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The 5 step process to getting married:

  • Contact me to see if I am available on your chosen wedding date, and if so we can organise an initial (obligation free) meeting where you will be able to establish whether I am the right celebrant for you. Here we can discuss the type of ceremony you want, what I can offer you and answer any queries you may have about getting married.
  • If you decide to proceed with my services, you will need to fill out a Notice of Intended Marriage form at least one month and one day ahead of your wedding date (download the form here). You will need to provide a non-refundable booking fee to lock in my services and I will send you a resource kit full of ceremony wording and ideas.
  • We then meet again and I will be obligated under law to:
    a) Identify you (I will advise what is required)
    b) Sight other necessary legal documents
    (For more detailed information, please go to The Serious Stuff section)
  • We will correspond via email and telephone several times to make sure the ceremony is just right and is a reflection of you. I will forward you a draft of the ceremony for any last amendments and a rehearsal will be conducted should you request it.
  • You get married and I will register your marriage the next working day after the wedding.

Things you need to know before getting married:

  • You will need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage (N.I.M.) form giving notice of at least one month and one day prior to the date of your ceremony. This must be signed in my presence. This form can be found here.
  • You must also produce evidence of identification. A Birth Certificate for those born in Australia is the only form of identification that is acceptable. If born overseas, your birth certificate (translated into English if necessary) or a foreign passport is required. Your original identification will need to be sighted by Myself before the marriage can take place.
  • Where there has been a previous marriage, a Divorce or Death certificate must be sighted.
  • If under 18 years of age, a parent's consent on the required form and court order under section 12 of the Marriage Act must be presented.
  • You must sign a declaration before me stating that there is no reason why you shouldn’t be married. This must be done before the marriage takes place. Questions? Please call or email me.

If it's your dream to be married in Australia...

  • The first thing you will need to do is contact me to see whether I am available on your chosen wedding ceremony date.
  • You will then need to fill in a Notice of Intended Marriage form and your signatures on this form must be witnessed by an Australian Consulate official who will stamp the form. I must receive this form at least one month and one day before your wedding day. You can email it to me and then bring the original with you to hand to me when you arrive in Australia.
  • Once I have received the Notice of Intended Marriage form, I will confirm that everything is okay and I will then post you some example ceremonies and a resource kit to help you prepare the ceremony. From here we can communicate via email or Skype back and forth until we have a ceremony that you are happy with.

Once you arrive in Australia:

  • Contact me to arrange a suitable time to meet and finalise documentation and all ceremony details. At this meeting you will need to bring:
    • Your foreign passport (Australian Passports are unacceptable)
    • If previously married, produce a copy of the divorce or death certificate if widowed.
  • You will be given a presentation marriage certificate on your wedding day. However, you will need to obtain a stamped registered copy of your full legal marriage certificate from the registry office before leaving Australia. In some cases you will need to obtain an Apostille Stamp on your certificate making your marriage legal in your country. Please check if this is necessary with your own Consulate before leaving the country.
  • Please remember that all documents must be original and in English or have been officially translated into English. In Australia please contact the National Accreditation Authority for Translators. They can be found at www.naati.com.au