Celebrant (Australia)

For other uses, see Celebrant (disambiguation).

In Australia, celebrants are people who conduct formal ceremonies in the community, particularly weddings, which are the main ceremony of legal import conducted by celebrants. They may also conduct extra-legal ceremonies such as naming of babies, renewal of wedding vows and funerals. Officiating at a marriage requires that the celebrant be an authorised marriage celebrant under Australian law, but officiating at extra-legal ceremonies does not.

Marriage celebrants

An "authorised celebrant" is a person who is authorised (registered) by the Australian Government to perform legal marriages according to the Marriage Act 1961.^[1][2] The celebrant may be a representative of a religious organisation (known as a religious marriage celebrant) or someone providing secular or non-religious weddings (known as a civil marriage celebrant). Only authorised or registered marriage celebrants have the authority to perform marriages in Australia.

Since its introduction in 1973 by the Federal Government, the Marriage Celebrant Program has enabled many thousands of couples to be married in civil ceremonies. Celebrants were appointed based on geographic location and the perceived need for a celebrant in the area. This was a very restrictive system.

Thirty years later, following an extensive review and the introduction of reforms by the federal Attorney-General, the marriage celebrant system changed. Since September 2003, prospective marriage celebrants have had to undergo Government-approved, accredited training in marriage celebrancy, and meet specific criteria set by the Attorney-General's Department to be declared a "fit and proper person" to hold the office of "marriage celebrant". Successful applicants have then joined a waiting list for registration as a marriage celebrant by the Registrar of Marriage Celebrants. Appointments are made annually in September, and through the year in particular areas as deemed necessary. On 1 September 2008 the cap on celebrant numbers will be lifted and anyone who undergoes accredited training and meets the department's criteria will be able to be immediately registered.

Registration provides the legal authority to practice as a marriage celebrant and a four-digit or five-digit alpha-numeric registration number. Once registered (or authorised as it is also known), the marriage celebrant can marry couples in virtually any location (e.g. beach, headland, boat etc.) and at any time of the day or night. The celebrant is responsible for processing and lodging all legal paperwork and registration of the marriage in accordance with defined procedures.

General celebrants

Many celebrants who are currently awaiting appointment as marriage celebrants and who cannot perform marriage ceremonies are practising as general celebrants in the community. Authorised marriage celebrants also frequently offer general celebrant services and since they are extra-legal, may also be conducted on an ad hoc basis by untrained people.

General celebrants perform a range of different extra-legal ceremonies including naming (namegiving) ceremonies; funerals; renewal of wedding vows; anniversaries; significant birthday celebrations; commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples who are forbidden to marry under Australian law, or heterosexual couples who cannot marry for personal, financial, religious or legal reasons; memorials and or scattering of ashes ceremonies; boat-naming ceremonies; blessing of new home or office ceremonies; graduation ceremonies; naturalisation (citizenship) ceremonies; and even croning or other pagan ceremonies.

See also

• Marriage officiant

References

1. ^ MARRIAGE ACT 1961
2. ^ Marriage Amendment Bill 2002 Bills Digest 112 2001-02

• Becoming a celebrant, Attorney General's Department, Australian Government.