A friend cannot solemnise the legal marriage unless they are an authorised celebrant.
The simple answer
If you want a friend involved, the normal approach is:
- do the legal marriage with us
- let your friend lead a separate celebration before or after
Why couples do that
It keeps the legal part lawful and simple, while still letting someone close to you say the personal things.
What we do
We handle:
- the NOIM
- the legal appointment
- the required wording
- the signatures
- the lodgement afterwards
What your friend can do
Your friend can lead a symbolic or personal celebration.
They just cannot present themselves as the legal celebrant unless they really are one.
Want a full ceremony with more support?
If you want a bigger ceremony where a friend is involved alongside a celebrant-led service, that is outside this site’s paperwork-only scope. See Josh Withers.