Budget for your wedding

After the decision to marry your loved one is made, one of the big decisions is how much money you have or are willing to spend on your wedding.

It is critical you discuss this and decide upon a figure early in your planning, as your decision will affect the rest of your wedding plans, so decide early.

As social changes have resulted in families living in different countries, people with more than 2 parents, the cost of living increases, changes in attitudes, etc. a lot of the traditions associated with weddings no longer apply. One of these is who pays for the wedding, so discussions with your family is important.

A budget planner is available here to help you plan and keep a record of your costs.

Be True

How to get married in Australia

It can be a bit daunting trying to navigate a wedding, or even knowing where to start, so let me assist you.

There are some requirements in Australia which must be met so that you become legally wed, and once these conditions are met, the rest of your wedding can be organised around your likes, interests, dreams and your personal style.

For an Australian the minimum wedding requirements are:

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Lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage with your celebrant at least one calendar month prior to the wedding. This can be lodged up to 18 months in advance of the wedding. Can be sent by mail, fax or email.
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Show your celebrant your birth certificate, or if born overseas your passport issued by your country of birth.
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You must be at least 18 years of age
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You need to have two witnesses to the ceremony and they must be at least 18 years of age.
If either of you have been previously married, you need to show your Divorce Decree Absolute or a death certificate of a previous spouse.
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The Ceremony
While the ceremony can be designed by the couple, the following are required to be included:
For the Celebrant:-
At the beginning of the ceremony the celebrant must introduce themselves
Before the exchange of vows the celebrant is required to say:
“Before you are joined in marriage, in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses,I am bound to remind you of the serious and binding nature of the relationship into which you are about to enter. Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”.
Bride and Groom must say:
“I, (groom), take you (bride) to be my (wife)” &
“I, (bride), take you (groom) to be my (husband)” – or words to that effect.

For international visitors there are a couple more requirements, follow the links below.

Link 1

Link 2

Your wedding celebrant will be able to help you with the finer details of filling out the forms etc, and as mentioned earlier, after these conditions are met you can plan to host your wedding as you choose.

Good luck!

"Yes" now plan your wedding.

You've said 'yes' now what?

If you do not know where to turn now, and organising a wedding seems to be too complicated; I am hoping the information, tools, suggestions provided here will help you navigate the roller coaster you will encounter during the wedding planning; leaving you to shout for joy at the end of the ride.

Link for more tips and tools for planning your wedding and wedding service providers in your area.