Who Can Be a Legal Witness for Your Wedding Ceremony?

Whether you're having a big wedding or a tiny elopement, the Marriage Act legislation states that a marriage must have the couple, a celebrant, plus two persons present at the ceremony as legally-required witnesses who sign the marriage certificates.

Common Witness Myths - that are NOT TRUE

• witnesses have to have known you for a certain period of time.

• witnesses can't be related to you.

• witnesses have to be related to you.

• witnesses have to be in the 'wedding party'.

• you need to have one witness each.

• witnesses have to be Australian Citizens.

Your legal witnesses:

• don't have to be Australian Citizens.

• They don't have to be related to you, or even know you!

• They don't have to be in the 'wedding party'

• and there is no need to have 'one witness each'.

  
  

So who can witness a wedding?

The only rules are that the legal marriage witnesses need to

• be, or appear to be, over 18 and

• be able to understand the ceremony.

What does a witness to a marriage actually do?

• They have to be present at and able to understand the entire ceremony.

• During or after the ceremony, they will need to sign some marriage paperwork as guided by the celebrant.

• They will need to provide their full names for the marriage documentation.

Trouble choosing?

• Older family members make great witnesses, as they often see it as an honour.

• Asking someone important to you to be a witness can be a way of including them in your ceremony in a low-key way.

• Witnesses must be present to watch the entire ceremony.

• Many couples to have their mums as witnesses.

But we're eloping in secret?!

• To help keep your elopement private, you could ask vendors like a your photographer or musicians to be your witnesses.