Visitors to Australia

If your vision of a romantic wedding conjures up a sandy beach, blue skies, a warm breeze, palm trees and the sound of the sea gently lapping on the shore, then getting married in an exotic location is for you... Maybe you prefer the notion of marrying in a vineyard, a wedding with a diving theme, or take your vows on the deck of a cruising yacht... Whatever you want will be available somewhere in Australia and we can help you arrange it.

Marrying abroad can bypass the headaches of invitation lists, booking venues, flowers, transport and so on... Either Holidays Allover will take care of plans with a wedding package we can organise, or you organise your own day on a much smaller scale than a traditional wedding at home.

Wedding packages are available in many Australian hotels and resorts with some offering a free ceremony if you stay a certain number of nights. The service is nearly always civil although religious ceremonies and blessings can be arranged in most destinations. All resorts and hotels listed in this section have a wedding chapel specially set aside for conducting wedding ceremonies... But there are some wonderful alternatives including the beach. Packages tend to include just your basic requirements: the service, marriage licence, certificate and legal fees but these differ from hotel to hotel. If you want extras such as a video, photographs, flowers or cake then expect to pay more. Remember that any extras will generally more basic than what you might expect if marrying at home... Contact us for details.

You are bound to disappoint some members of your family and friends who cannot be with you on the day, especially grandparents who may feel unable to undertake such a trip... To appease objections, you could arrange to have a blessing service or reception when you return home... but at the very least have a video made of the day so that you can share your special moments with those unable to be with you.

You need to be aware that some island resorts in the Great Barrier Reef are popular and could be booked for more than one ceremony on the day. If you want to be certain of a private ceremony, discuss your wishes with us... Contact us. If necessary, we will suggest a quieter or more unusual destination.

Where to start

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 every possible eventualities (like the loss of your wedding dress to a cyclone) preventing your wedding from taking place.

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 be more administration to be completed once you arrive at your destination, which can take up to three days. As you will have to comply with Australian residency requirements of 2 working days, it is best to stay for at least a fortnight. This will allow you enough time to make the final arrangements and to have plenty of time after the ceremony to relax and enjoy your 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 traveling 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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Residency and legal requirements

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 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 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 (name of statutory declaration act). Declared by (name) at (address) and (date) signed by (solicitor’s name and official stamp).

Notice of intended marriage

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.

Will an Australian marriage be legal?

As long as your marriage is legally recognised (validly contracted), it is deemed to be valid in England and Wales. However, we 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 the Australian Registry Office to be doubly sure. On your return home, you do 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 very 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.

Passports and visas

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 is 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 Embassy or Consulate at the earliest opportunity for the most up-to-date information.

Marriage blessings

If you are already married, be it recently or 25 years ago, many Australian resort or hotel venues offer tropical blessings and renewal of vows services to celebrate your union. The only legal requirement is that you take along your original Marriage Certificate for authentication, although some destinations will require that a photocopy of your certificate is sent at least 4 weeks before you travel. Most of the services that are provided for weddings can be requested for your blessing service.

What do I wear?

Of course 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.

However, if you have arranged for 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 tropical climate, you should 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 have to contend with your dress dragging in the sand and heeled shoes could be a real disaster as your heels sink into the sand and you find yourself leaning backwards.

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.

Transporting and caring for your outfits

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 your other hand luggage to a minimum.

As soon as you arrive at your destination, unpack your wedding outfits and hang your wedding outfits up. A warm and often humid tropical climate should allow creases to fall out naturally. Otherwise, your hotel or your 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

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

Do beware 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 mayonnaise dressing! Pace your sunbathing on the run-up to your wedding to ensure the glow of a blushing bride or help nature with a good quality fake tan.

The wedding cake

Expect the wedding cake to be of relatively simple design with white or pink icing if it is being catered by the hotel. There are Australian baking companies, who make cakes especially for weddings and have them delivered to your reception... Again, this could be arranged through your wedding representative at the hotel and this would certainly be the case if they were catering.

Flowers

If you have booked your wedding ceremony as part of a package, you may be asked to choose your wedding flowers before you come to Australia. As many flowers are seasonal it will be necessary to discuss your requirements at an early stage... If possible wait until you arrive at your destination to decide what you want so that you can have a clear idea of what is available... Alternatively, you may like to consider taking a bouquet and headdress of silk that have been made up overseas. (Note: Avoid bringing in dried flowers, as you would be sure to have problems with Australian customs.)

Photography and videos

Photographers and videographers would normally be booked through your hotel or even your marriage celebrant, and will almost certainly be an optional extra, but don’t cut costs here. It is your big day and it is important to have a record to show your friends and family who could not be with you.

Music

At most hotels, it is possible for you to have your own choice of music played at your wedding, but if you want a live band or other form of entertainment, you can expect to pay extra.