Can I get married online?
No. A marriage must be solemnised in the physical presence of a celebrant and two witnesses.
To get married in Victoria, you need to:
- Meet eligibility requirements
- Lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)
- Be married by a registered civil marriage celebrant or an authorised minister of religion
- Have 2 witnesses attend your wedding ceremony.
If you wish to get married at the Victorian Marriage Registry:
Same sex marriage
In Australia, the law allows marriage between both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.
Eligibility
You can marry in Victoria if you're:
- Aged 18 years or older, or
- Between 16 and 18 years old, marrying someone who's at least 18 years old.
If you're 16 or 17 years old, before you marry you need to get:
- A court order from a judge or magistrate allowing the marriage, and
- Written consent from your parents.
You can't:
- Be already married to someone else
- Marry a close relative (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister).
Lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage
You need to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) at least one month before your wedding date.
Celebrants and ministers
Marriages in Victoria must be performed by an authorised celebrant, such as:
- One of our celebrants at the Victorian Marriage Registry
- Territory officers at some regional courts (contact your local court for details)
- Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants (see Australian Government Attorney-General's Department website (External link) for a list)
- Ministers of religion of recognised denominations.
Ceremony
The Marriage Act 1961 and the Marriage Regulations regulate marriage in Australia. They specify the requirements that a marriage ceremony must meet.
The style and length of the ceremony is up to you. You may opt for:
- A simple ceremony that includes only the legal requirements
- A longer ceremony.
Your celebrant or minister will tell you the wording that your ceremony must include.
Cost
There's no set fee for a wedding ceremony in Victoria. Confirm costs with your celebrant or minister before booking your wedding.
Witnesses at your wedding
You need two witnesses at your wedding ceremony, to:
- Witness the ceremony
- Sign the marriage certificates.
Witnesses can be any family member or friend who is at least 18 years old.
Proof of marriage
On your wedding day, you'll get a commemorative marriage certificate. It's not the same as a legal marriage certificate and generally can't be used for official purposes as proof of your marriage.
Once your marriage is registered (your celebrant or minister will do this), you can apply for a legal marriage certificate.
Changing your name
In most cases, you don't need to apply for a change of name to take on your spouse's family name. See Changing your name after marriage, separation or divorce.
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