Eloping is defined as running away secretly with your partner to get married. That's all fine except if you are going to "run away" you've got to plan it in advance.

I have conducted "elopement" weddings for couples wanting to avoid fuss, to reduce costs, for romantic reasons, for practical reasons, to avoid family conflict, or for couple wanting to formalise a long-term relationship that their family and friends always thought was a marriage!

You can have a small ceremony in my home office or you can choose just about anywhere else to have your ceremony - your hotel room, on the balcony of a restaurant, in a garden, at your home.

We can do everything through email and the postal service up until the wedding day. We will need to meet up at least half an hour before the ceremony is due to start to complete the necessary paperwork.

You will need to organise two witnesses aged 18 years or over. These witnesses must be able to stay and witness the entire ceremony and the signing of the marriage documents. If you are relying on hotel or restaurant staff to perform this function, although it is preferable that the witnesses know you, you must arrange this in advance.

Please don't rely on people being available and willing to witness your wedding. Please don't expect that the celebrant or witnesses will act as photographers or video camera operators. If you want photos or video you will need to arrange someone to do this.

Even if you are eloping, and you've invited two close friends along to share the moment and act as witnesses, please advise the venue where you are planning to marry of your plans. This will enable them to accommodate you to their best ability e.g. quiet area, garden setting and you never know, you might receive a bottle of Hunter wine on the house! Most venues are happy for tiny weddings to take place onsite without charging you venue fees, but even a small wedding can cause a stir with other patrons and venue staff are best to be fully informed.

If you want complete secrecy and want your celebrant to arrange witnesses, please discuss your options with Melanie.

Step 1:

Under the Marriage Act you must lodge a notice of intended marriage with me no later than one month before the due date of the wedding - download a copy of the notice of intended marriage.

Under very limited circumstances, you can apply to the court for a shortening of the time for the notice of intended marriage to be lodged. You must demonstrate specific circumstances to the courts. Please contact Melanie to discuss this if required.

When you have printed the Notice of Intended Marriage, complete both pages. Sign the second page in front of any approved witness listed on the form. Post it together with your deposit and copies of your Birth Certificates.

If there has been a previous marriage, enclose copies of the Decree Absolute (Nisi), divorce certificate or Death Certificate, as appropriate. If you haven't got the documents on hand to copy just return the notice to me with your deposit. But note that I cannot and will not marry you without having seen the original documents prior to the wedding taking place - I could face severe penalties if I did this! Please send me a copy of each document as they become available so I can check it is in order prior to the wedding.

Step 2 - when we meet

Under Australian Law I am required to see identification, preferrably photo ID, your original birth certificates if you're born in Australia, overseas passports and if possible birth certificates if born outside Australia and final documents of dissolution of marriage (divorce papers) or death certificate.

You will need to bring these original documents with you when we meet. If we are not meeting until the day of the wedding, please be advised that under no circumstance can the wedding take place if you do not present the original documents prior to the ceremony. I cannot stress this point strongly enough - no documents means no wedding.

After the documents have been recorded, I will get you both to sign a statutory declaration on the back of the marriage certificate that states there is no legal impediment to your marrying your intended partner i.e. you or your partner are not married to anyone else, are not immediate family or adopted brother and sister etc, and are of marriageable age 18 years or over.

Once this is done, and the witnesses are present, we can proceed with your wedding ceremony.

Email Melanie to outline your particular requirements.