Before you can say ‘I do’ and pop the bubbly, there’s some essential legal paperwork to sort out. Don’t worry, though! Your celebrant will guide you through this process. First up is the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM). This is the legal document that declares your intention to get hitched. You can download this form online, but it’s super important that it’s signed by both of you and witnessed by your chosen celebrant. This needs to happen between 18 months and one month before your wedding day. Getting this done ensures you’ve ticked all the legal boxes well in advance, which helps reduce pre-wedding stress significantly. On your wedding day, your celebrant will handle all the legal bits and pieces during the ceremony. This includes the ‘Monitum,’ which is a legal statement explaining the nature of marriage, and those all-important declarative and contractual statements where you and your partner officially say ‘I do.’ After the ceremony, your celebrant will lodge all the necessary paperwork with the Births, Deaths & Marriages registry to register your marriage legally. This includes your signed NOIM, the official marriage certificate, and any other relevant documents. They’ll also make sure you receive a commemorative certificate as a lovely keepsake of your special day.