Who can be your legal witnesses and how many do you need?

Now, these are the legal bits and those few signatures that officially recognise your marriage. And to make it all legal in Australia, you’ll need two people by your side to witness it.

The Legal Bit (in Plain English)

Under the Marriage Act 1961, every legal wedding in Australia must have two witnesses present at the ceremony.

They need to:

• Be 18 years or older

• Understand the ceremony (especially the legal parts), and specifically the language of the ceremony. If they don’t speak English, an interpreter may be required.

• Be physically present to see you exchange vows and sign the certificates

• Then, they’ll sign the marriage certificates alongside you and me (your celebrant!)

Who can be a Witness?

The short answer is almost anyone!

Here are some common options:

• Your parents, siblings, or besties

• Your bridal party members

• Your photographer or videographer (yep, totally allowed!)

• Even two kind strangers if you’re eloping or having a legals only ceremony.

  Like café staff, park rangers, and even a fisherman!

The key thing is that they’re over 18 years old and understand what’s happening. They can’t be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as they need to be aware and capable of understanding that they’re witnessing a legal marriage taking place.

If English isn’t their first language, we’ll just arrange for an interpreter, so everything is clear and compliant.

If you’re unsure who to choose, have a chat with your celebrant!

I’m always happy to help if you can’t decide. You can even make it to a game when you draw names out of a hat or add a note under two seats.

It's always nice way to involve parents or grandparents on your special day!