You have made the momentous and wonderful decision to marry - congratulations! What are the legal requirements you must fulfil?

• You can marry virtually anywhere including on a boat or plane. A registrar, independent marriage (or civil union) celebrant or religious celebrant (e.g. priest) must conduct the ceremony.

• If you were previously married or in a civil union, your marriage/civil union must have ended (either by divorce or by the death of your spouse).

• You may not marry a close relative, e.g. your grandparent, parent, stepparent, uncle/aunt, child, sibling, etc. Nor can you currently marry someone of the same gender. Contact Births, Deaths and Marriages on 0800 225252 for more.

• You must be at least 16 years of age.  If you are under 18 you must have the consent of your parents/guardians.

• You must have a current marriage (or civil union) license, which you apply for through Births, Deaths and Marriages. This takes at least three working days to obtain.

• In the ceremony the bride and groom must say: "I Pam Elliott take you David White to be my legal husband (or civil union partner)" or words to that effect, and vice versa.

So, you can meet these legal requirements? Great! If you would like to use a non-religious (independent) celebrant for your ceremony then:

• Ask family, friends & colleagues if they have used a celebrant, and have been pleased with the service they received. Or you may have attended a wedding (or funeral etc) where you were impressed with the celebrant? Contact the family/couple concerned. Also, try searching the Internet, and check out places like the paper and Internet Yellow Pages, and the various bridal magazines.

• Expect a short, obligation-free, face-to-face interview with any good potential celebrant. Go with a list of questions, e.g. will the celebrant allow you to write your own vows? Ask yourself: 'Am I comfortable with this person? Are they flexible and professional? Do they have the style and presence required?'

• Expect to pay something in the range of $350-$600 plus, depending on your choice of ceremony, location of your venue, and the celebrant s level of training, experience, and popularity. Expect to pay a deposit to confirm your booking.

Once you have booked your celebrant, you will follow a process of meetings with him/her to choose your ceremony. A standard civil wedding ceremony might have the following Order of Service:

1. Welcome & Introduction
2. Prayer
3. Poetry/Reading
4. Declaration of Intention (the I do part)
5. Vows
6. Exchange of Rings
7. Pronouncement
8. Signing of Register
9. Blessing
10. Conclusion

Your ceremony may be simpler, or more elaborate than this; it's really up to you! Keep your ceremony at least 10-15 minutes long.  This gives you and your guests enough time to fully appreciate its significance.  Although your celebrant will have her/his own unique way of working, expect her/him to provide you with lots of ideas and examples for creating your dream ceremony.

Within three months of your big day, you ll organize your marriage license. Closer to the date of your wedding, you'll likely meet the celebrant for a rehearsal at your venue. That's it you re done! Bring on your wedding day!

Thanks to Constance Brown for this article
Constance is a trained, contemporary celebrant. Her passion is working with clients to create a ceremony that reflects their individuality, and celebrates their love. Relax into her warmth and professionalism, and enjoy her first class service.