The most fuss-free way to organise a wedding abroad is to book with an agent who has consultants on staff who specialise in booking wedding venues... Holidays Allover has dedicated wedding personnel who can answer your queries and arrange the appropriate venue for you... You just need to decide whether you prefer something exotic or more cultural, a beach, mainland or outback destination, how far you want to travel after arriving in Australia, and a budget.

It is possible to arrange your own wedding abroad but you will have to research the Australian legal requirements, residency rules and the organising of the wedding venue, accommodation, and all those planning details from the ceremony to the flowers.

It would also be wise to take out an insurance policy over and above your normal holiday insurance to cover possible eventualities... like the loss of your wedding dress in transit or a cyclone on the day.

Book a minimum of 12 weeks before departure to allow enough time for arrangements to be made and necessary documentation completed... See Marriage in Australia."

There will also be administrative details to be finalised once you arrive at your destination, which can take up to three days... As you will have to comply with Australian residency requirements of two (2) working days, it is best to stay for at least a fortnight. This will allow you enough time to make the final arrangements before the ceremony, aw well as having plenty of time after the ceremony to relax and enjoy your Australian honeymoon.

Health services, hygiene and risk of disease vary throughout the world. You should take health advice as early as possible and ensure that vaccinations or preventative measures, such as malaria tablets, are taken in plenty of time to be fully effective by the date of travel (usually a month or more prior to departure)... If you are travelling directly to Australia, this will not be a concern as there is no disease risk, so vaccinations and malaria tablets are not required... This only becomes an issue if you are stopping over in another country en route to Australia or on your return home after the wedding.

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Australia has rules about residency before you can get married, but this is usually only a few days. If you are booking your venue and accommodation through Holidays Allover, the legalities of your wedding will generally be arranged by us to be dealt with by the marriage celebrant or the wedding venue. However, if you are arranging everything yourself, you will need to get accurate advice from the Australian embassy in your home country.

You will most certainly need to supply copies of the following before you travel, taking the originals with you to be produced before your Australian ceremony:

• Birth Certificates
• Valid 10-year passport
• Affidavit /statutory declaration confirming single status
• Decree Absolute (if you are divorced)
• Previous spouse’s death certificate (if you are widowed)
• Parental consent if you are under 18 (21 in some countries)

What are Affidavits/Statutory Declarations?

An affidavit or Statutory Declaration is a legal document that can be obtained from a Commissioner of Oaths (a solicitor authorised to authenticate oaths on statements etc. and can be found in the Yellow Pages under "Solicitors, notary and conveyancing".)

It is important to note that the requirements for a Single Status Statutory Declaration are per person (not a joint declaration). These must state that you are both free to marry, that you are single, divorced or widowed and must be signed and stamped by a solicitor. It should also contain your full name, address, nationality, religion, passport number and occupation. This document must be obtained within 3 months of your intended date of wedding and must also state your intent to marry in Australia.

Sample:
“ I (name, nationality, passport number and occupation) do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:

I declare that I have always been known by the name (your name).
I also declare that I understand that I am free to contract marriage according to the legal requirements for marriage in Australia, and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the (insert name of statutory declaration act in your home country).

Declared by (name) at (address) and (date)
Signed by (solicitor’s name and official stamp).

Before a marriage ceremony can be solemnised, the bride and groom must decide where the marriage will occur and whether the ceremony will be a religious or civil event. Both forms of ceremony are recognised as legal marriages by Australian law.

A 'notice of intended marriage' must be completed and lodged with the person who is going to perform the ceremony (proposed celebrant) at least one calendar month, but no more than 18 months, before the preferred date of marriage. The notice is obtained from the proposed celebrant.

As long as your marriage is legally recognised (validly contracted), most countries would accept it to be valid... However, Holidays Allover would advise that anyone getting married in Australia should contact your local embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice... Do not rely on any third party to ensure that the ceremony is valid, check it for yourself and be sure of what you are doing. If you are not completely satisfied that your marriage will be recognised in your home country then visit an Australian Embassy, consulate or registry office to be doubly sure... On your return home, you should not need to register your marriage and you should be able to use your Australian marriage certificate to change your name on your documents and with your bank, as you would if you married in your own country... It is a good idea to obtain several copies of your marriage certificate, just in case you lose the original, as it could be more difficult to get further copies at a later date.

Marriages solemnised in Australia are not normally able to be registered in your home country; however, it is possible, in some instances, for a record of your marriage to be kept at the registry office.

You should ensure that you have a valid 10-year passport and, as many countries require expiry dates on passports to be a considerable length of time after the return from holiday, it is recommended that your passport be valid for six months after your return home.

If Australia requires you to have a visa, you are responsible for obtaining these yourselves. The cost, method of obtaining a visa and time necessary to process applications vary considerably between countries and are subject to change. Contact your Australian Embassy or Consulate at the earliest opportunity for the most up-to-date information.

What you wear for your wedding is entirely up to you, and there are no real dress rules if you are marrying in the grounds of your hotel or on a beach... However, if you are having a religious service in a chapel or church, you will most likely be expected to respect local custom and cover your head and shoulders.

If you are going to marry in Australia's northern tropics, choose a dress that will give you the maximum comfort in the heat... The traditional style of wedding outfit worn in your home country may not be practicable for a beach wedding as you would need to contend with your dress dragging and high heeled shoes do not work well on sand.

However, if you particularly want a full-skirted dress, wear it without the layers of petticoats. Otherwise, choose a short dress with shoestring straps or a lightweight, loose fitting trouser suit... Even a white bikini covered by a sarong would be ok! Grooms can choose a lightweight suit, casual trousers and shirt, or even go for a swimsuit and sarong.

Check with your airline for advice on transporting your wedding outfits... Some recommend that they be boxed or packed into separate suitcases and placed into the hold... Others suggest that you use suit carriers and, space permitting, they will be hung in the cabin of the aircraft... Outfits can always be carried as hand luggage but this will mean keeping hand luggage to a minimum.

When you arrive at your destination, unpack your wedding outfits and hang them up. A warm and often humid tropical climate should allow creases to fall out naturally. Otherwise, your hotel or wedding representative can normally arrange for your outfits to be pressed... Or try hanging it in a steam-filled bathroom or use a hair dryer.

Hair and beauty treatments can be pre booked or arranged when you arrive at your hotel. Australian resorts and hotels providing facilities for weddings are used to making these arrangements... For total peace of mind, you could practice styling your own hair and make-up before leaving.

Do be aware of the Australian sun. As wonderful as you may look wearing you wedding dress with a tan, it is all too easy to end up looking like a lobster with a dressing! Restrict the time sunbathing before your wedding to ensure the glow of a blushing bride or help nature with a good quality fake tan.