What Does A Marriage Celebrant Do?
G’day lovers, it’s Monty here from Holymatrimonty – Australia’s Cheekiest Marriage Celebrant.
I’ve been hitching couples right across Australia for the past 6 years and absolutely love what I do, though you might not have any idea what that actually is! There are many common misconceptions about civil marriage ceremonies and celebrants, largely based off American TV shows or movies, but fear not, as I’m about to myth-bust them all for you.
In Australia, you can be married in either a religious or a civil marriage ceremony, where a religious ceremony is officiated by a minister of religion and a civil marriage ceremony is officiated by someone like me, a civil marriage celebrant.
And although there are over 10,000 registered civil marriage celebrants in Australia, I can guarantee, there is no one else quite like me. I mean, does anyone else crack a whip to round up the wedding guests? I didn’t think so.
Basics of a Celebrant’s Role
A marriage celebrant is someone who is authorised by law to marry two people according to law. This differs slightly from a religious ceremony, which typically takes place in a church, whereby you’re married in line with the religion of that church and or minister.
Civil marriage ceremonies make up about 70% of all marriage ceremonies in Australia, and as a result, there are literally thousands of civil celebrants to choose from.
Civil ceremonies can be officiated anywhere within Australia’s state and territory borders, and require 5 people to be present at the ceremony to make it legal, the couple being married, the celebrant and two witnesses - it’s that easy.
Within the ceremony, a civil celebrant not only marries two people legally, they also have the opportunity to entertain you and your guests with your love story, engage and include your guests in your ceremony, and set the tone for the rest of your wedding.
Pre-wedding Responsibilities
Assistance with Notice of Intended Marriage
Before a marriage ceremony can take place, a minimum of one-month notice must be given by the parties to be married (that’s you and your partner) to the ceremony, whereby you must complete a document called the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) in the presence of an authorised witness, and submit this to an authorised marriage celebrant.
This NOIM is largely used to give consent to the marriage, which is a legal requirement whereby the celebrant cannot marry two people if they do not obtain real consent from both parties.
An authorised witness is either a marriage celebrant, a doctor, a police officer or a justice of the peace, and the NOIM must be completed in their presence. This document not only outlines your intention to marry but also provides you with information on the legalities of marriage within Australia and the requirements by law to be legally married.
Once complete and submitted with a celebrant, this starts the one-month minimum notice period, whereby you must wait one calendar month after submission before you can be legally married. This notice period is designed to highlight the importance and seriousness of the commitment you are making and avoids the possibility of “shotgun weddings” like heading to Las Vegas on a night out and getting married on the spot, which in Australia is absolutely not possible, or legal.
Aside from this, it is a legal requirement that the celebrant must provide the couple with another document, called “The Happily Ever Before & After Brochure” before they are married, which outlines the significance of marriage and the seriousness of this commitment.
Writing Your Ceremony Script
Now that we’ve got the legal stuff out of the way, let’s talk about the ceremony.
Some celebrants have a pre-written script and will offer limited customisation of this script, which will form the majority of your ceremony, but I do things very differently.
I write 100% of my ceremonies from scratch, which means no two ceremonies are ever the same. This is because no two couples are the same. I get to know you both in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding, whereby you tell me your love story, from the start to now, including all your biggest milestones, best bits, challenges and what you love most about your partner. I craft this into the most personal, heartfelt and hilarious rom-com you and your guests have ever heard. I even get you to tell me your story separately so I can mesh both versions together meaning there will be plenty of surprises, both funny and sweet from the different things you each told me.
Not only that, but I also include the other important people in your life, such as your family and even your “I do crew” (your favourite people standing beside you on the day), engaging and entertaining your guests in a ceremony that is so you, and so true, everyone will assume we’ve been mates for years.
On the Day Celebrant Duties
Legal Checks
On the day, there’s one pre-ceremony document that must be completed in the presence of the authorised celebrant called the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage (DONLIM) whereby you both declare to the celebrant that you are free and able legally to marry, not married to someone else and are of marrying age, which in Australia is 18 years old.
The celebrant must also be satisfied before the ceremony takes place that you are both giving real consent to the marriage and that neither party are marrying against their will.
Ceremony Logistics
Aside from this, a celebrant will gather your guests before the start of your ceremony, ensure all the seats are filled, assemble the wedding party (if you have one) at the front of the ceremony, ensure their P.A system is working and generally let the guests know of any housekeeping or other important information relevant to your wedding, such as a group photo after your ceremony, or that the couple wish for you to put your phones and cameras away (disconnected ceremony) which is a very common theme in today’s weddings.
They often also control the music for the entrance, signing and exit of the ceremony.
Marriage Certificate
The final piece of wedding paperwork that is completed on the day is the official marriage certificate, which is signed by both parties to the marriage (that’s you and your partner), the celebrant, and two witnesses.
This document must be signed as soon as possible after the marriage has taken place, and cannot be done before the celebrant says the Monitum (the legal wording required by law whereby the celebrant states their name, that they are an authorised marriage celebrant and the legal requirements of marriage in Australia) and the couple state their legal vows including their full legal names, which must be heard by at least the celebrant and the two witnesses, but is usually heard by all guests at the wedding.
Setting the Nerves
Of course, officiating the ceremony is the main role of a celebrant on the day, but a good celebrant often does much more than this. They’re often required to settle the nerves of the people immediately involved in the ceremony, such as those walking down the aisle if there is one, and they might even tell a few jokes before the ceremony starts to help warm up the crowd. These are all things to consider when choosing a celebrant, ensuring that you find one that is perfect for you and will make you and your guests feel relaxed, comfortable and confident in one of the biggest moments of your life.
Post-wedding Duties
After the ceremony, the celebrant will submit all the relevant marriage paperwork, including the completed NOIM, DONLIM and official marriage certificate to the Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages, whereby your marriage will be registered officially. Regardless of when this registration takes place, you are legally married once you and your partner both say the legal vows within the ceremony, which means even if the marriage paperwork is accidentally lost or destroyed, your marriage is still valid and legal. This also means that if you change your mind after the ceremony before the celebrant registers your wedding, and do not wish to be married, it is too late. This is because you’ve already given real consent via the NOIM and on the day to the celebrant prior to the commencement of the ceremony, and a change of mind in any instance does not constitute a cancellation of your marriage.
You will also receive the official marriage certificate that you signed during your ceremony on the day, as it is illegal for your celebrant to retain this document. This certificate is individually numbered and corresponds to your individual marriage registration. If this certificate is lost or destroyed, it legally cannot be replaced.
Additional Services
Apart from conducting your ceremony, a celebrant might also offer vow writing or master of ceremony services, whereby they help you craft the perfect wedding vows before your ceremony and or MC your wedding reception.
These are both options that I offer to my couples, with vow writing help included in my wedding ceremony package and the option for MC services to be added to your booking at an added expense.
This is a great way for you to continue the vibes I’ve set from the start of your day, carrying the good times and energy into your reception, whilst also helping to run things smoothly, keep the formalities on time and ensure your day is seamless and fun from start to finish.
I also order and pay for your marriage certificate from Birth, Deaths & Marriages on your behalf when registering your marriage, and get this sent directly to you, which is the legal proof you need after your wedding for things such as changing your name if this is something you’re wanting to do. The reason I include this in my package is that it is one less thing for you to think and worry about after your wedding, and is often a lot easier for me to organise on your behalf rather than for you to do this yourself.
Time To Find Your Celebrant!
There’s a celebrant out there to suit every budget, style and vibe, and finding one that you connect with is so important to ensure that your day runs smoothly, and more importantly in my opinion, one that makes you feel comfortable so that you can really enjoy one of the biggest days of your lives.
Click here to read my take on the importance of picking the perfect celebrant.
So if you’re looking for someone to take the stress out of your wedding day, from start to finish, hitch you in the most memorable and entertaining ceremony and carry those good vibes well into your reception, then hit me up and let’s get crackin’.