Your Marriage Certificate in NSW: The One You Sign on the Day vs the Official One (and How to Get It)

On your wedding day you will sign your name more than once, and at the end of the ceremony I will hand you a beautiful certificate to take home. Couples are often surprised to learn that this is not the certificate they will need when they change their name, update a passport or prove they are married. That one comes later, from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Here is what you sign on the day, how your marriage is registered, and how to get your official NSW marriage certificate.

The certificates you sign on your wedding day

After your vows and the declaration, you, your two witnesses and your celebrant sign three certificates:

• Two copies of the Official Certificate of Marriage. One is sent to the NSW Registry so your marriage can be registered. The other stays with your celebrant as their record.
• The Certificate of Marriage (Form 15). This is the presentation certificate you take home at the end of the ceremony.

All three carry the same details: your full names, the date and place of your marriage, your witnesses and your celebrant. Those details come from your Notice of Intended Marriage, so it is worth reading them carefully when your celebrant goes through them with you before the ceremony.

Why the one you take home is not the “official” one

Your Form 15 certificate is a genuine document under the Marriage Act and it is worth keeping somewhere safe. Celebrants cannot reissue it once it has been given to you, so treat it like the keepsake it is.

What it is not is a Registry-issued certificate. The NSW Registry puts it simply: the official marriage certificate “is different to the ceremonial marriage certificate you take home on your wedding day.” When a government agency, bank or employer asks for proof of your marriage, it is the official certificate they want to see.

How your marriage gets registered

Your celebrant has up to 14 days after the wedding to lodge your marriage with the NSW Registry. Most NSW celebrants now do this online through the Registry’s eRegistry system, which is quicker than posting paper forms.

You can apply for your official certificate any time after your marriage has been registered. You cannot order it before then, because until the Registry has your details, there is nothing for it to certify.

How to get your official NSW marriage certificate

There are three ways to order it. The fees below are the Registry’s fees from 1 July 2026, and they include $11 postage and handling.

1. Through your celebrant when they register your marriage

The Registry says the quickest way to receive your certificate is for your celebrant to register your marriage online. A celebrant can apply for the certificate on your behalf within two months of the wedding. The fee is $70, processing takes up to three weeks, and there is no priority option. It is worth asking your celebrant about this when you book, so it is sorted before the big day.

2. Online, yourself

You can apply through the NSW Registry’s online forms. You will need to provide proof of identity.

• Standard service: $70, up to 3 weeks
• Priority service: $105, up to 2 weeks

3. By post or in person at Service NSW

Paper applications take longer: up to 4 weeks for the standard service and 3 weeks for priority, at the same fees.

For all three options, allow another 5 to 7 days for Australia Post delivery. Fees are reviewed each financial year, so check the Registry’s fees and processing times page before you order.

Want something to frame? Commemorative certificates

The Registry also offers commemorative marriage certificates in a choice of designs, which many couples like to frame. You can order one on its own for $44 (4 to 6 weeks, no priority service), or add it to your official certificate as a package for $100, or $135 with priority. Like your Form 15, a commemorative certificate is a keepsake rather than proof of marriage, and it is posted separately from the official one.

What you will use your official certificate for

The most common reason is a change of surname. If you are taking your partner’s name, or combining names, organisations such as the Australian Passport Office and Service NSW will ask to see your official certificate. I have written a separate guide to changing your name through marriage in Australia that walks through the order to do it in.

You may also need it for visa and immigration applications, for updating your details with your bank or employer, and whenever you need to prove your marriage overseas.

A few practical tips

• Book your honeymoon in your current name. Your official certificate will not arrive for a few weeks, and your tickets need to match the passport you travel on.
• Check your details before you sign. The spelling of your names and your birth details all flow through to the official record.
• Keep your Form 15 safe. It cannot be replaced.
• Lost your official certificate? You can order a replacement from the Registry at any time, the same way you ordered the first one.

Still choosing your celebrant?

A good celebrant takes care of the legal paperwork so you can enjoy the day, from your Notice of Intended Marriage through to registering your marriage afterwards. If you are still comparing options, Ever After Weddings has a guide to NSW wedding celebrants, with reviews, pricing and what each celebrant is known for.

And if you would like to talk about your own ceremony, I would love to hear from you.