Frequently Asked Questions
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Marriage legals in Australia
FAQ
Who can get married in Australia?
To be legally married in Australia, a person must:
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not be married to someone else
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not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild or sibling
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be at least eighteen years old
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understand what marriage means and freely consent to marrying
You don't have to be an Australian citizen, and there is no minimum residency requirement to get married in Australia.
Read more at this blog post: Who can get married in Australia?
What are legal witnesses?
Whether you're having a big wedding or a tiny elopement, the Marriage Act legislation states that a marriage must have the couple, a celebrant, plus two persons present at the ceremony as legally-required witnesses who sign the marriage certificates.
Witnesses need to be over 18 years of age and be present at and able to understand the marriage ceremony. After the ceremony, they sign the Marriage Certificates to confirm that the marriage took place.
Read more about legal witnesses at this blog post: Who can witness a wedding?
How many people have to be at a marriage ceremony?
Legally, the minimum number of people who must be at any marriage is five - that is, the marrying couple, the celebrant, and two legally-required witnesses.
Of course you can have as many people as you like, but for couples wanting an intimate elopement, the great news is - you only have to have five people in total at your ceremony - and two of those people are you!
Do you prepare the legal paperwork as part of your package, or is there an additional fee?
I make the marriage process easy and stress-free for my couples.
My packages are all-inclusive as per your quote - and yes, that includes preparing and submitting all your legal paperwork, as well as making sure that all the other legal aspects are covered.
While legal marriage paperwork might not seem like the most exciting part of planning your wedding, it's important that everything is completed accurately and within the legal timeframes and parameters - otherwise your marriage might not actually be legal. You can trust me, as a Registered Authorised Marriage Celebrant since 2020, to get it right and guide you every step of the way.
Take a deep-dive into the marriage paperwork at this blog post: What are the legal marriage documents in Australia?
What is needed to get married in Australia?
You'll need:
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an eligible partner
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a celebrant
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two witnesses
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some legal paperwork.
That's all you need to get married!
What documents will we need to get married?
I need to see photo ID plus official document/s that are proof of your place and date of birth, so
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either your Passport OR
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your Driver’s Licence/Proof of age Card PLUS
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the original, not an extract or certified copy of, your Birth Certificate.
In addition, if you have been married previously, you will need to provide evidence of the dissolution of your most recent marriage -
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a divorce order
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certificate of divorce
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decree absolute, or
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death certificate.
If your passport doesn’t show your date or place of birth, you’ll need to provide another official document (usually a Birth Certificate) that does.
If the document/s you present is in another language, you will need to provide a formal translation of it.
More details at this blog post: What do you need to get married in Perth?
Elopements & Eloping
FAQ
What is an elopement?
An elopement used to mean 'running away to get married'.
It can still mean that, and I've married many couples in Perth who don't live in Perth.
But more and more couples are eloping in their hometown. What are they running away from? Outdated traditions, and all the expectations and 'rules' that can surround a 'wedding'.
To elope is to really free yourself from doing anything for anyone else, and really focussing on the two of you and your relationship. And yes, it is legal to elope.
Most of the Perth elopements I've done have had only the couple, the two-legally required witnesses, me as the celebrant and perhaps a photographer (who can also be one of the witnesses). However, some couples have wanted a few of their very best people with them as they tie the knot, which is why The Elopement Package includes up to ten guests.
Tiny wedding / micro-wedding / elopement?
There has been a lot of discussion around trying to define words like this lately. I like to keep things simple and only offer two packages - The Elopement Package and The Wedding Package.
Many of my couples are now choosing to elope and have a party later.
If you're not sure how your ceremony fits into these categories, let's talk about it!
How is The Wedding Package different to The Elopement Package?
If you're planning on having more than 10 guests at your marriage ceremony, you'll be looking at The Wedding Package. We still have the laid-back, relaxed vibes of an elopement, but once there's a crowd, there's a bit more to organise.
For starters, with more than 10 guests we'll need a microphone and sound system to make sure everyone can hear. (Don't worry, use of my excellent wireless PA system is part of The Wedding Package.) You may want to have an extra catch-up where we talk through the ceremony so everyone knows where it's at. And on the day, I'll need to be onsite for more time than at an elopement.
All of this is included in The Wedding Package, along with the opportunity to have a longer ceremony with a few extra bits - like me telling your love story - if you wish.
FAQs about
eco-weddings
What is an Earth-friendly / conscious / eco - wedding?
A conscious, Earth-friendly eco-wedding is designed by making considered choices about every element of the event. It’s choosing the best option that serves both you and the planet.
As consumers, every time we spend money we are actively supporting something and the ethics behind it. Planning your wedding or elopement is an awesome opportunity to use your buying power to support businesses, companies, products and people who are helping, rather than hurting, our planet.
On my About page, you can read more about how I aim to tread lightly on our planet with my business.
What happens if you get sick on the wedding day?
In the event that I am unable to marry you, I will do my absolute best to find an awesome replacement celebrant to conduct your ceremony, and pass all legal documentation and the ceremony on to them. I'm part of local celebrant networks and have lots of connections with people I can call on.
Blog post: When a celebrant is sick on the wedding day
How can we make our wedding more eco-friendly?
You can use this Wedding Footprint Calculator - a free resource from Polka Dot Wedding & Mindfully Wed - to calculate your wedding's footprint and get ideas of how to reduce and offset any impact.
Some examples of eco-conscious, Earth friendly ceremony choices include:
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reducing waste by only including the people, elements and things that really matter to the two of you
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hiring your outfit, or buying one vintage or second-hand
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choosing not to have balloons (which may end up choking wildlife in our waterways)
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using locally-grown, spray-free flowers instead of flowers that have been grown on the other side of the world
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including a tree-planting ritual in your home ceremony
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choosing a caterer that uses local organic produce and composts food scraps
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consider a vegan or vegetarian menu or less meat in your catering
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decorating with reusable, non-harmful items such as local flowers and cotton bunting
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reminding guests to bring their own water bottle or hiring a reusable water dispenser and glasses, to avoid single-use plastic water bottles and cups
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repurposing items you already have instead of buying new, eg clean jam jars instead of vases
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giving your guests a packet of seeds, a plant or a charity donation as a gift
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offset your wedding by planting trees, eg through Greenfleet
Blog post: Sustainable weddings: how to make your wedding or elopement more eco-friendly
Planning an elopement
or non-traditional wedding
FAQ
Where should we elope?
In Perth, or south-west WA of course!
Seriously, whether you live in Perth or want to come here to elope, it's an awesome place for elopements. There are loads of options whether you're thinking bush, beach or the city.
You could elope in a public park, like central city parks Kings Park, Hyde Park and Stirling Gardens.
You could elope in Fremantle or head down south to elope in Margaret River or elope in Dunsborough.
I've done elopement ceremonies in backyards and AirBnbs and I'm happy to work with you to find the best option for you as a couple.
Blog post - How to elope in Perth when you don't live in Perth
Can we have dogs at weddings?
For me, the answer is always YES! Dogs are family and should be there if it's important to you. The only exception is if your pup would be stressed by the event, or you're marrying in a National Park or venue where dogs are prohibited.
If you have concerns about your pup's behaviour at the wedding, consider involving a dog trainer in the leadup to the event. And always make sure there is a person who the dog is comfortable with who will be the pup's caretaker, and that they have water for pup to drink - and poo bags!
If you're eloping, then it's not so much of an 'event' and doggo can just be around you as you say your vows, perhaps at the park or your backyard.
Of course, you know your dog best, and if being at the wedding would be stressful for them, you can always show them the photos later.
Blog post - How to include dogs in a ceremony
FAQs about
Sally Bruce Celebrant
How long have you been a wedding celebrant?
I've been a Commonwealth-registered Marriage Celebrant since May 2020. It's such an honour to be welcomed into my couples' lives at this special time of their lives.
Everything I've done up til now feeds into my unique celebrancy practice.
My love of people means I'm genuinely interested in you - you're never just another couple to me. And because I also love our beautiful planet, in everything I do, including by business, I do my best to help, rather than harm, the environment.
With a background as a professional actor trained in improv, I'm used to carefully planning yet being able to quickly think on my feet if needed.
As a writer with communications experience, I want to hear and tell your story and would love to help you craft your own vows.
And I'm a super-organised admin queen with great attention to detail so the legal side of things is all taken care of with ease.
Click to read more about me, Sally Bruce Celebrant
When should we book you as our celebrant?
My bookings are open up to one year ahead.
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For weddings, about 6-8 months before the day gives us time to plan everything without getting stressed.
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For elopements, 2-5 months before the day is enough.
Don't have a date yet? We can still meet up and chat about your plans.
Ready to get me locked in before someone else books me for your date? Enquire now
What are your ceremonies like?
Each ceremony is unique. I work with each couple to co-create the ceremony that 100% reflects you and your relationship.
Warm, authentic, relaxed, personal, and fun are some of the words I use to describe my ceremonies, and this is reflected in reviews from my couples.
You might like to check out these blog posts about some of my couples' real wedding and elopement ceremonies.
Do you travel for ceremonies?
I focus on Perth weddings to minimise my carbon footprint, and there are awesome local celebrants in pretty much every location.
However, I do love exploring our beautiful country, so if you're getting hitched further afield and think I'm the celebrant for you, please get in touch and I'll see if I can make it work.
If your ceremony is outside of Perth metro, or more than one hour's drive from East Victoria Park, additional travel costs will apply which I'll include in your quote.
What happens if you get sick on the wedding day?
In the event that I am unable to marry you, I will do my absolute best to find an awesome replacement celebrant to conduct your ceremony, and pass all legal documentation and the ceremony on to them. I'm part of local celebrant networks and have lots of connections with people I can call on.
Blog post: When a celebrant is sick on the wedding day