Wedding Legal FAQs in Australia for Celebrants and Officiants

If you want to know about the legal side of getting married in Australia? Good. It’s not as complicated as it seems, but there are a few things you need to know to avoid your “I do” turning into “you can’t.”

Here’s what couples ask me all the time:

Do You Need a Celebrant to Get Married in Australia?

Short answer: yes. If you’re having a civil wedding (that’s most weddings in Australia), you need a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant. Or if it’s a religious ceremony, you need a registered religious minister.

Your mate can’t just hop up and declare you married because they’re funny and have a loud voice. Under Australian law, only authorised people who have

completed the Certificate IV in Celebrancy,
have been authorised by the government,
who have recieved one month’s notice of your desire to wed,

can legally marry you.

Can a Friend Be a Wedding Celebrant (or Officiant)?

Only if your friend goes through the process to become an authorised celebrant. That involves a Certificate IV in Celebrancy (12–18 months of study), a government application, fees, and ongoing registration requirements.

In other words: it’s not something people do just for your wedding and then forget about. But your friend can do a reading or even “MC” parts of your ceremony while I handle the legal bits in the background if you want them involved.

Can I Officiate a Wedding in Australia?

You can if you’re an authorised celebrant. If you’re not, then you can’t. Becoming a celebrant is a proper process (study, government registration, ongoing obligations). It’s great work, but it’s not practical just for one wedding.

Can I Get Married Online in Australia?

Nope. As of 2025, Australia does not allow fully online weddings where everyone is remote. You, your partner, your celebrant, and your two witnesses all need to be physically together when you say your legal vows and sign the paperwork.

If you want to stream your ceremony to guests who can’t attend, you can absolutely do that. But the legal part can’t happen over Zoom.

Can Weddings Be on a Sunday?

Yes, you can get married any day of the week, including Sundays, public holidays, New Year’s Eve, or whenever your celebrant is available. There’s no law about which days you can marry in Australia.

The only rule is that you need to give at least one month’s notice by lodging your Notice of Intended Marriage, and you need an authorised celebrant on the day. The location can be anywhere in Australia.

What Happens if Someone Objects During the Ceremony?

You’ve seen it in movies: “If anyone knows a reason why these two should not be joined…” and a dramatic objection follows.

Here’s the reality: If someone objects with a real legal impediment (like, you’re already married to someone else or you’re closely related), the celebrant is legally bound to pause and address it.

But if someone objects with “I don’t approve!”, that’s not a legal reason, and the ceremony can continue. Objections almost never happen, and if they do, they’re usually handled calmly and privately.

What Are the Legal Wedding Vows in Australia?

There’s a specific legal vow you must basically say:

“I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse.”

Your celebrant also has to say the Monitum, a short statement about Australian marriage laws, before your vows.

Aside from these, you can add personal vows, letters, or promises however you like.

And if you’ve said those words you are married. Me pronouncing you don’t make you married. Signing a marriage cetificate does not make you married. Exchanging vows is the thing that makes you married.

Australian marriage laws are pretty straightforward: