Quick Answer
What is a Notice of Intended Marriage in Australia?
A Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) is the legal form every couple must lodge with their marriage celebrant under the Marriage Act 1961, at least one calendar month — and no more than 18 months — before the wedding date. Without a validly lodged NOIM, an Australian celebrant cannot legally solemnise the marriage.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What is a Notice of Intended Marriage in Australia?
Also called: NOIM, giving notice.
Long before the flowers or the seating chart, an Australian wedding has a legal clock running: the Notice of Intended Marriage. Section 42 of the Marriage Act 1961 requires it lodged with the celebrant at least one full calendar month before the ceremony, and couples who leave booking a celebrant until a month before the date can find themselves legally unable to marry on schedule — a scheduling constraint with no direct equivalent in how quickly a British or American couple can arrange to marry.
What the notice period requires
The NOIM is a Commonwealth form, not a state one, so the rule is identical everywhere in Australia. It has to be signed in front of an authorised witness — a celebrant, Justice of the Peace, solicitor, or one of a handful of other approved witnesses — and lodged with the specific celebrant who will conduct the ceremony, not just any celebrant.
- •The one-month minimum is strict: only a narrow set of circumstances, approved by a prescribed authority, let a couple marry sooner — a terminal illness or an unavoidable overseas posting are the kinds of situations that qualify.
- •The notice cannot be lodged more than 18 months before the wedding date, so couples who book a celebrant very far in advance still need to formally re-lodge closer to the date.
- •Since June 2024, the NOIM can be witnessed remotely by audio-visual call instead of only in person, which has made it easier for couples marrying somewhere other than where they lodge their notice.
Planning notes
- •Lodge the NOIM the moment a date and celebrant are locked in, not closer to the wedding — the one-month floor has caught out couples who assumed booking a venue was the only deadline that mattered.
- •Both partners need original identity documents — passport or birth certificate, plus photo ID — sighted by the celebrant when signing the NOIM.
- •If either partner has been married before, the celebrant will also need to see the decree absolute or a death certificate from the prior marriage before the wedding can proceed.
Legal deadlines are easy to track — so are RSVPs
If you're already keeping a spreadsheet for celebrant paperwork deadlines, don't do the same by hand for guest replies. Weddingkart tracks RSVPs in one shared view for the whole family.
See RSVP tracking →Frequently Asked Questions
Can we get married in Australia with less than a month's notice?
Only in narrow circumstances approved by a prescribed authority — a serious illness, an overseas posting, or another exceptional situation. Outside those, one calendar month is a hard legal floor, so it's worth lodging the notice as soon as your date is confirmed.
Who do we lodge the Notice of Intended Marriage with?
The specific marriage celebrant who will conduct your ceremony — not a government office directly. It has to be signed in front of an authorised witness, either in person or by approved remote video link.
Does the Notice of Intended Marriage expire?
Yes — it's valid for up to 18 months from when it's signed. If your wedding date moves further out than that, you'll need to lodge a fresh notice.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated