How to complete your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM)
What’s a NOIM? It’s a legal document you must give to your celebrant at least one month (and no more than 18 months) before your marriage ceremony.
When completing your NOIM, you’ll need to enter your details (pg 3) and have your signature witnessed (pg 4), then give the document to your celebrant at least one month before your wedding. It’s a pretty simple process and to make it super easy, here’s your step-by-step guide.
Pages 1 & 2 of your NOIM
This is the official instructions to set you on your way.
Page 3 of your NOIM
Q1 Description of Party: There’s 3 options; Partner / Bride / Groom. Select how you want to describe yourself.
Q2 Family name: Also known as your ‘last name’ or ‘surname’. Write it as it appears on your identification.
Q3 Given names: This is your first name and any middle name(s). Write it as it appears on your identification. For example, my friends know me as ‘Kate’ but my name is actually ‘Kathryn’ and my middle name is ‘Ann’ - so I would need to write ‘Kathryn Ann’ in this box.
Q4 Gender: This question is optional. If you want to answer, select the option that you identify with.
Q5 Usual Occupation: Write your job title, eg ‘Marketing Manager’ (rather than general industry or expertise, eg ‘Marketing’).
Q6 Usual place of residence: Write the full address of where you currently live. If you’re planning to move, you should still write your current address.
Q7 Conjugal status: There’s 4 options. Select the one that describes your current situation.
Q8 Birthplace: This should match your passport and birth certificate. If born in Australia, write the city/town and State/Territory. If born outside Australia, write the city/town, the State/Province, and country.
Q9 Date of birth: This should match your identification.
Q10 Are the parties related? There’s 2 options; yes or no. Select the one that applies
Q11-14 Parent 1 & 2’s full names: Provide your parent’s full names (first name, middle name, family name) as you know them. If your parent had a different name at birth (eg. family name before marriage), then provide this as their ‘birth name’. You won’t need to provide evidence of their names.
Q15-16 Parent 1 & 2’s country of birth: Provide this information as you know it. You won’t need to provide evidence of their birthplace.
How to complete Page 4 of your NOIM
Signatures of Party 1 & Party 2: As your celebrant I’m a qualified witness so, if we live within a reasonable distance from each other let’s chat about meeting in person to complete your NOIM together. Otherwise, ask a Justice of the Peace or other qualified witness then send the completed NOIM to me.
Supporting Documents you’ll need
Evidence of your name, date and place of birth: a passport is sufficient, otherwise your original birth certificate together with driver license is also fine. If you genuinely cannot show identification (eg. don’t have a passport, birth certificate lost & cannot get a replacement) then talk to me about your options.
If you’ve previously been married: You’ll need to show me evidence of how the previous marriage ended, e.g. divorce certificate / death certificate
If your original documents are in a language other than English: You’ll need to provide an English translation by an accredited translator.
Other Key Points
Accuracy is important. It’s a criminal offence to give a NOIM to a celebrant if you know it contains a false statement or is defective.
Make sure to lodge your NOIM with your celebrant no later than one month before your ceremony. If you miss this deadline a special application will need to made but approval is only granted under exceptional circumstances… so best not leave it to the last minute! Ideal scenario is to submit your NOIM with plenty of time in advance.