On the day of the Ceremony three Marriage Certificates will be issued and all parties will be required to sign all three. They are:

• the certificate retained by the marriage celebrant for their records;
• the certificate that will be forwarded to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the registration of your marriage; and
• the certificate that will be given to you as a record of your marriage.

The certificate presented on the day is an official document. You will see that it bears the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and a pattern on the front, and a number on the back that is unique to each certificate (and is traceable), but the security features of the new certificate will not be visible. These features make your marriage certificate significantly more secure as an official document because they protect it against alteration and reproduction.

While a certificate of marriage is not a proof of identity document, it is evidence of your change in marital status and in some situations (e.g. when applying for an Australian passport or drivers license) you may be asked to produce a registered copy of it.

To receive a copy of the registered document you will need to complete a form from Births Deaths and Marriages (BDM) requesting a copy and there is a small fee involved payable to BDM for this certificate. I give couples a copy of this form on the day along with the certificate and a copy of their ceremony.

Overseas couples from the UK, USA and New Zealand will require a stamped registered version from Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Other countries sometimes require different authentication methods and so you should consult your own country for its requirements. I would suggest that you obtain a copy of the registered certificate before leaving the county but if you are leaving Australia immediately after the wedding and time does not allow for this please contact me and we can work together to organise for the certificate to be sent to you at your overseas address.