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How to choose a wedding celebrant in Australia

Direct answer. In Australia, only an authorised marriage celebrant can legally marry you. They take your Notice of Intended Marriage, meet each of you in person, run the ceremony and send your paperwork to the registry. Choose one you feel at ease with, book early, and ask in writing what is included and what happens if the date changes.

Written by Vereli Weddings. Last reviewed 27 September 2026.

What a celebrant does

From the Attorney-General's Department (read 26 September 2026), an authorised marriage celebrant:

  • Receives your Notice of Intended Marriage, at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before the wedding.
  • Meets separately and in person with each of you before the ceremony.
  • Must be physically present, with you and two witnesses, to marry you.
  • Gives you a ceremonial certificate on the day, and sends your paperwork to the registry within 14 days.
  • Can order your official certificate from the registry for you, generally at a cost.

The four kinds of authorised celebrant

Also from the Attorney-General's Department (read 26 September 2026):

  • Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants generally perform civil, non-religious ceremonies.
  • Commonwealth-registered religious marriage celebrants do not have to perform ceremonies that do not fit their religious beliefs, and must say they are a religious celebrant when they advertise.
  • Ministers of religion from a recognised denomination, managed by the state or territory registry of births, deaths and marriages and their religious organisation.
  • State and territory officers, regulated by the state or territory registry, who perform civil ceremonies.

The department keeps a database of all authorised celebrants, and you can search it from its Find a marriage celebrant page. You can also complain about a celebrant through the department.

Questions to ask before you book

  1. Are you an authorised marriage celebrant, and can I see your details? (Look them up through the department's Find a marriage celebrant page, linked above.)
  2. Are you free on our date, and until when will you hold it?
  3. What does your fee include: meetings, a rehearsal, writing the ceremony, the paperwork, the official certificate?
  4. When do we pay a deposit, what does it cover, and what happens if either of us cancels or the date moves? Please put it in writing.
  5. When will you need the Notice of Intended Marriage, and how will it be witnessed?
  6. Can we see or hear a sample ceremony, and how much say do we have over the wording?
  7. What happens if you are unwell on the day?

Points to weigh

Do you feel comfortable with them? Do they explain things plainly? Will they answer messages in a reasonable time? Have they worked with your kind of ceremony and venue? Comparing two or three celebrants on the same questions is easier than judging from a website.

What this page does not say

It gives no price range because we have not read a primary source for celebrant fees; the questions above are the way to compare. It does not name or rank any celebrant.

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