Notice Of Intended Marriage
(NIM or Notice)
This is the first legal document that couples need to attend to.
A “Notice of Intended Marriage” is required to be completed and received by me as your celebrant at least one month from your wedding date. The day that I receive it and endorse it means that you have officially ‘lodged’ or ‘given notice’. Your form is valid up to eighteen months from the date of receipt.
You can download a Notice of Intended Marriage form from me or if you are overseas you obtain one at an Australian Embassy or the Australian High Commission.
Signing and Witnessing your signatures
After completing your Notice, please do not sign it. In Australia, your signatures need to be witnessed by either myself as your celebrant, a Justice of the Peace, a legally qualified medical practitioner, a barrister or solicitor or a member of the Australian Federal Police or the police force of a State or Territory.
If you are overseas, there are different signatories required to witness you signing your Notice. These can be either *an Australian Diplomatic officer, an *Australian Consular Officer or a Notary Public.
*Australian citizens living, or in transit overseas with these qualifications are the only acceptable authorised persons.
Lodgement of your Notice
Your Notice must be given to your celebrant no later than one month before the date of your marriage. Once received by me as your celebrant, it is valid for up to 18 months from the date of receipt.
Please remember, the same rule still applies – that is your faxed or emailed Notice must be received by the celebrant at least one month prior to your wedding date. So by faxing or emailing your Notice to me will satisfy this requirement. The date that I receive and endorse on your faxed or emailed Notice will be classified as the ‘date of receipt’.
You do not have to be in Sydney or Australia to ‘lodge’ your Notice with me, especially for interstate or overseas couples. Once your signatures have been witnessed as required, couples can fax or scan and email their signed Notice to me, provided the original Notice is sighted by the celebrant before the marriage is solemnised. The couple then post the original to me after they have sent through a copy.
