Legals only weddings · Shepparton & the Goulburn Valley – Get legally married. Celebrate your way.
A legals-only wedding is exactly what it sounds like: what the law requires, done properly and without fuss. No scripted ceremony, no performance – just you, your two witnesses, me, and a marriage that’s legally yours.
From $600 · Legal paperwork, legal words and vows, signing and registration. At my office, or a location of your choice.
A legals-only wedding isn’t a small ceremony
They’re easy to mix up, so let’s be clear. Legals Only is for couples who want to get legally married without a personalised ceremony. It isn’t a micro-wedding, a mini ceremony or a shortened version of my full service.
If you’d love a short, personal ceremony for a few people you love, that’s an intimate wedding – a different (and wonderful) thing. See elopements & intimate weddings.
Married, minus the production
- The big party is later, or overseas, and you want the legal part done first.
- You want it done before a holiday.
- You’d rather keep your legal marriage simple and private.
- You don’t want a ceremony at all – just to be married, then to celebrate your own way.
Then go and celebrate
Plenty of couples head somewhere afterwards to mark the moment: a favourite pub, a bar, a long lunch at a restaurant. That part is entirely yours to choose and book. I’m there for the legal side, and then I’ll happily send you on your way.
What’s included, and what isn’t
Included
- Guidance on your Notice of Intended Marriage, and lodging it
- Checking your documents
- The legal words I’m required to say, and the legal vows you each say
- Signing the marriage certificates with your two witnesses
- Registering your marriage with Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria
- At my office, or a location of your choice
Not included
- A personalised ceremony or your love story
- A scripted ceremony or readings
- Guests beyond your two witnesses – that becomes a micro ceremony
- Legal support for a ceremony led by someone else (see the FAQ below)
- A venue, a booking or a reception – you choose where you celebrate
- Your registered marriage certificate (I can order it for you for $80)
Why “from” $600?
The $600 covers the legal essentials. Add a handful of guests, a ring exchange, a few words of love or a thank-you to the people who came, and it becomes a micro ceremony – I’ll quote it when you enquire.
Want a ceremony written around your story? That’s a micro wedding or full ceremony, part of The Ceremony ($1,500). Not sure which is you? Take the four-question quiz.
Getting legally married, step by step
Australian marriage law sets the same requirements whether you’re having a legals-only wedding or a huge celebration. Here’s how it works.
Check you’re eligible
You can marry in Victoria if you’re 18 or over (16 or 17 only with a court order and parental consent), not already married, and not closely related. Same-sex and opposite-sex couples can both marry.
Give one month’s notice
Your Notice of Intended Marriage must be with me at least one month and no more than 18 months before the wedding. Lodge it on 1 March, and you can marry from 1 April.
Bring your documents
Originals of evidence of your date and place of birth (a birth certificate or passport), photo ID, and proof that any previous marriage has ended, such as a divorce order or death certificate.
Marry in person
You, two witnesses aged 18 or over, and me, together in person. You sign a declaration that there’s no legal impediment, I say the words the law requires, you each say your legal vows, and everyone signs.
Registration
I lodge your marriage with Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria within 14 days. The keepsake certificate from the day generally isn’t accepted as official proof, so order your registered certificate from BDM (or I can do it for $80).
Need to marry in less than a month?
The one-month notice period can only be shortened by a prescribed authority, and only in limited circumstances set out in law – such as employment or travel commitments, wedding arrangements, medical reasons, legal proceedings, or an error by the celebrant. It isn’t guaranteed, so talk to me as early as you can.
Legal information current as at October 2026, based on Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, BDM Victoria’s requirements for celebrants and the Attorney-General’s Department guidelines on the Marriage Act 1961. This is general information, not legal advice – I’ll confirm exactly what applies to you when you book.
Legals only or a full ceremony?
Two very different things, both done properly. Here’s how they compare – or answer four quick questions to find your best fit.
| Legals Onlyfrom $600 | The Ceremony$1,500 · includes elopements | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Getting legally married simply, with no ceremony | Couples who want a personal ceremony, from an elopement to a big celebration |
| What happens on the day | The legal words, your legal vows and the signing – that’s it | A ceremony written and led by me, with the legal part woven in |
| Notice of Intended Marriage & document checks | Included | Included |
| Personalised story & script | No | Yes |
| Readings, rituals, music cues | No | Yes |
| PA system & mic | Not needed | Yes |
| Ring exchange, personal vows or a welcome | Optional add-on, quoted when you enquire | Included |
| Who’s there | You two and your two witnesses – no other guests | Any number of guests |
| Where | My office, or a location of your choice | Your venue or location |
| Registration with BDM Victoria | Included | Included |
| Price | from $600 | $1,500 |
Good to know
Is a legals-only wedding a “real” marriage?
Completely. Legally, it’s exactly the same marriage – same requirements, same registration, same certificate. You’re no less married than a couple who said “I do” in front of 1,000 people.
Can we still have a celebration later?
Yes, and lots of couples do – a party, a family lunch, a celebration overseas. Because you’ll already be married, anything afterwards is a celebration rather than a legal marriage.
Can a friend lead our ceremony and you just do the legal part?
It’s not really how I like to work. Writing and leading ceremonies is what I do best, and by your wedding day we’ll have spent enough time together that I won’t feel like a stranger up the front – I’ll feel like someone who knows you. If you’ve got your heart set on a friend-led ceremony with a celebrant as co-pilot, there are lovely celebrants who love doing exactly that.
If you’d still like me there, I will in the right circumstances. Just know it’s priced the same as The Ceremony ($1,500), because the preparation, the paperwork and the responsibility on the day are the same.
Can we bring guests?
Legals Only is just the two of you and your two witnesses. Once other guests come along, it becomes a small ceremony rather than a legal formality – that’s a micro ceremony or micro wedding, and you’ll find both under elopements and intimate weddings.
Where does it happen?
Either at my office, or at a location of your choice. Travel within the Goulburn Valley is included; further afield, I’ll quote travel upfront.
Can we add a ring exchange or personal vows?
Yes – a ring exchange, personal vows or a few words of welcome can be added. Tell me what you’d like when you enquire and I’ll quote it. With a handful of guests, that becomes a micro ceremony; if you’d like a ceremony written around your story, that’s a micro wedding. See elopements and intimate weddings.
How long does it take?
The legal part itself is short and simple. We’ll go through timings when you book, so you know exactly what to expect.
Do we have to live in Australia?
No. You don’t need to be an Australian citizen or resident to marry here, but the same notice period and documents apply. Documents that aren’t in English need an official translation.
Ready to make it official?
Tell me your preferred date and I’ll reply within 24 hours to confirm availability and explain the next steps.
No date yet? Enquire anyway – tell me roughly when you’re thinking.