Updated 2024
In order to get married - whether it's in a large-scale ceremony or at your kitchen table - the first step you’ll need to take, is to complete a “Notice of Intended Marriage” or “NOIM”.
To get married in Australia, you need to give an authorised marriage celebrant at least one month notice of your intended ceremony date. A Notice of Intended Marriage is valid for up to 18 months.
You can find information about your eligibility get married, as well as other instructions on how to complete your NOIM, on the Service NSW website:
But as a marriage celebrant, it's also my job to guide you through the process -
Therefore I proudly present, the "Becky Married Me Guide to Completing your Notice of Intended Marriage!"
PART 1: Complete NOIM and have signatures witnessed
Download a pdf of the NOIM, carefully read the instructions and fill in your details on page 3.
You can type into the PDF form, or print our the form and fill it out in block letters with pen.
Do not sign the form at page 4 when you are filling out the NOIM, wait until you are in the presence of an Authorised Witness, who will witness you signing page 4.
You will both need to sign page 4, in the presence of:
- A Justice of the Peace (list of JPs online)
- A Doctor
- A Police Officer
- Other authorised person listed on page 4.
TIP #1: It is often easiest to take the form to your local police station and ask for a Police Officer to witness your signatures. They’re available all the time!
TIP #2: You don't have to sign the form at the same time, you just have to sign the same form.
TIP #3: I've noticed a few couples writing their names under their signatures, instead of letting their witness write their full name. See the picture below for how these boxes should be filled out:
TIP #4: If you do make a mistake on your NOIM, you can cross it out, sign your initials next to the mistake, and write the correct information.
TIP #5: If you're going to be moving to a new residential address between lodging your NOIM and getting married - fill out your NOIM with your current address, and let your celebrant know your new address once you have moved in.
PART 2: Send the completed NOIM to your celebrant
You can post your NOIM to your celebrant, deliver it in person, or, send them a copy via electronic means like email or text (thank you Electronic Transactions Act!)
I recommend downloading a scanning app (like Adobe scan) to your smartphone, and scanning the NOIM in. iPhone’s allow you to scan documents using the ‘Notes’ app (Click here for instructions). But you are also able to take clear photographs with your phone.
The day your celebrant receives your email - the NOIM will be officially “lodged”.
Remember: Your celebrant needs to receive your NOIM 30 days, or one calendar month, prior to your ceremony date.
e.g if you submit the NOIM on 17 August, you can get married on 17 September.
HINT: Any celebrant can receive and lodge a NOIM. NOIM's can be transferred to another celebrant all the way up to your ceremony. However - the celebrant who performs your ceremony needs to complete the information on pages four and five (see Part 3):
Part 3: Provide evidence of date and place of birth (as well as the end of any previous marriages, or official changes of name if applicable).
Your celebrant will need to see copies of the following documents to complete page four of the NOIM.
- A passport (which also acts as photo ID)
OR
- A birth certificate + photo identification (drivers licence/photo card etc.).
If these are in another language, they must be translated into English by an authorised interpreter/translation service.
If you have any questions about your identification documents, contact your marriage celebrant.
If you, for example, don't have access to your ID documents right now, or need to order a replacement, you can still lodge your NOIM.
A celebrant can sight your ID documents all the way up to the ceremony (i.e. a replacement celebrant on the day can see your ID on the day).
The same goes for divorce/death/annulment/change of name certificates.
If either party has been previously married, you must provide the marriage celebrant with evidence of the termination with either a divorce certificate or a full death certificate. Certificates in a foreign language must be translated into English by an authorised interpreter/translation service.
For more information on obtaining proof of divorce, see the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia Website.
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