Mostlife-changing moments aren't complete without paperwork and the Government Department that registers these life moments is aptly named - Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Irrespective of where you decide to marry in Australia you will need to complete and lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NoIM) and have it witnessed in front of a Justice of the Peace.

Along with the Noim you need to supply evidence that you are who you say you are, so a birth certificate from the country of your birth is sufficient. (And if you've been married before a Divorce or Death certificate will be required) There's a heap of rules so if you're not sure, ring me and I'll clarify what paperwork you'll need to supply.

When you've completed the paperwork it needs to be lodged to a Celebrant at least one calendar month prior to your wedding. So if your wedding is 09 November 2009, then the latest you can lodge your paperwork (or, in other words, give it to me) is 07 October 2009. There's only a few ways to reduce the waiting time and I can help you with this if necessary.

WHERE CAN I GET MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?

If you were born in Australia, go to the Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) website from the State/Territory you were born and apply for your birth certificate. Costs may vary and it usually takes about six weeks for the certificates to be posted to you, although if you need it faster, there will be an additional fee.

SOME COMMON QUESTIONS

I've been married before - what about divorce papers? You'll need to approach the Family Court of the State/Court your Divorce became final.

I'm a widow/widower, what do I need to provide? The same rules apply as for getting a birth certificate but this will be the State where your former spouse died. See the list of Births Deaths Marriages in each State.

I WAS BORN OVERSEAS?

You can supply either your overseas birth certificate or the passport from your country of birth (it doesn't have to be current.) Even if you're an Australian Citizen, you'll still have to supply either of these documents because an Aussie passport or your citizenship papers aren't acceptable.

If you supply your birth certificate from your country of birth, it must be officially transcribed if it's not understandable to us purely English speakers (most are though).