A wonderful ceremony we will cherish forever

Posted on by Anita Revel CMC
wedding ceremony at Laurance Wines Margaret River

Celebrant Margaret River Anita Revel marries a Russian couple in an Australian civil ceremonyDear Anita,

Hello from Russia!

We would like to say thank you one more time for everything you have done for us…

❤

…. for being nice and attentive,

…. for taking care of us,

…. for your efforts and support with the document session, and of course

…. for the wonderful ceremony that we will cherish forever!!!

Alexei and Svetlana
(Married at Laurance Wines, Wilyabrup)

This couple's first kiss during their wedding ceremony in Margaret River
Photo by Yoram Conradt

Organising your Apostille Stamp from outside Australia

Before the wedding…

As I outline in this article (Can I Get Married in Australia?), organising your marriage documents before the wedding is relatively easy.

Just follow the steps, remember to pack your original paperwork, and I can sort out the rest.

As Alexei and Svetlana discovered, however, you might need some assistance for paperwork after the wedding…

After the wedding…

Normally when marrying international couples, they are staying in Australia long enough to order and collect their marriage certificate from the department of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

But in cases like Alexei’s and Svetlana’s (above), they needed to have their marriage certificate stamped with an Apostille, and time was not on their side.

That’s where I volunteered to help.

From my desk in Australia I was able to coordinate the issue of their original marriage certificate, arrange for it to get an Apostille stamp, and ensure the certificate made it safely onto a DHL courier to Russia.

It took some time and fiddling about while I learned the process, but now I’ve done it once (and I know what I’m doing!), I would be happy to offer it as an optional service to international couples.

Fees and Steps

  1. Apply for a Marriage Certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages WA using this application form. Make your postal address the following: C/- Anita Revel, PO Box 555, Cowaramup WA 6284. Fee $44 (payable to BDM by credit card).
  2. Fill out this credit card authority form and leave it with me. Fee $60 + postage (payable to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

And that’s it! My fee for coordinating the paperwork, and actual costs for secure postage and the phone calls to each department, is an additional $50. (This will appear on your invoice.)

Letting me do your Apostille Stamp process frees you up to enjoy your holiday, and arrive home to the stamped marriage certificate safely in your letterbox.

Shine on!
Anita Revel