Civil Celebrants:

Below are the guidelines for civil celebrants as detailed by the the Attorney Generals Department of Australia, and is presented here unchanged as in accordance with the copyright act of 1968.

A Civil Marriage Celebrant must at all times:

maintain a standard of excellence in his or her professional conduct and practice;

demonstrate a strong commitment to marriage and families, and understand and promote the importance to Australian society of strong and respectful family relationships;

solemnise marriages according to the legal requirements of the Marriage Act 1961;

respect and abide by the laws of the Commonwealth and his or her State or Territory;

respect the dignity of couples and families from diverse backgrounds, and provide a service that does not discriminate on the basis of culture, religion, nationality, ethnicity, social or economic status, gender, age or abilities;

recognise the social, cultural and legal significance of marriage and the marriage ceremony in the Australian community, whilst assisting couples to choose the form of marriage ceremony that best suits their needs;

provide a high quality of service and, in particular:

- provide each couple with information and guidance to enable them to choose or compose their marriage ceremonies;

- maintain the privacy and confidentiality of each couple;

- maintain appropriate facilities to interview couples;

- maintain appropriate office facilities, including facilities for the secure storage of records;

- confirm all details with the couple before the marriage ceremony;

- return all personal documents, as appropriate, presented by each couple;

- sign any necessary declarations before the ceremony;

- conduct a marriage ceremony rehearsal if requested by a couple;

- arrive at the venue for the marriage ceremony sufficiently early to ensure that the ceremony begins punctually at the agreed time;

- allow sufficient time between ceremonies to ensure that each couple receives a level of service that reflects their individual requirements;

- ensure accuracy in the preparation of documents and throughout the ceremony;

- ensure that his or her presentation, including clothing, physical appearance and use of language, is of an appropriate standard for the occasion, and conforms with the expectations of the couple;

- conduct marriage ceremonies in a manner that enhances the occasion for all participants;

- seek and accept evaluative feedback from all couples; and

- provide information to each couple about the options available to them if they wish to complain about any aspect of the service provided.

perform marriage ceremonies for a fair and reasonable fee, agreed beforehand with the couples;

not limit the freedom of couples to choose any or all of the services associated with their wedding by virtue of them choosing to use a civil marriage celebrant;

advise, assist and cooperate in a professional manner with other civil marriage celebrants, particularly newly authorised civil marriage celebrants;

maintain an up-to-date knowledge about, and cooperate with, family relationships services in the community, and inform couples about the range of information and services available to them to enhance their relationships and sustain them through difficult times.

adhere to the Program Guidelines for Civil Marriage Celebrants;

understand that any failure to meet the requirements of this Code of Practice could result in the review and revocation of their authorisation as a civil marriage celebrant.