Sutha asks:

I used the electronic system LifeLink to complete all the forms and lodge the marriage. I received an email with the registration number. Is there anything else I need to do? Are there any payments that need to be made for the lodgement of the ceremony? I am not sure how useful this would be as a post idea, but I tried to look this up and couldn’t find any information about it. Even with my course, it had detailed everything up until lodging the marriage, but no information about the email receipt etc.

Each state BDM has its own way of dealing with ordering marriage certificates after marriage registration.

NSW’s online system, Lifelink, gives celebrants registering a marriage the opportunity to order a marriage certificate for the couple being married before the marriage is submitted, and for a short number of weeks after, you can order and pay for the certificate.

Is the registration ok?

Lifelink was a controversial project, first proposed in 2002, it cost almost $50 million to bring it to life, but one of the small blessings it brought was surety to celebrants that the marriage was registered properly, and then we could order certificates for our couples.

If you’ve received that confirmation email with the registration number and it says it’s fine, then it’s fine, they’ll let you know if it’s not.

Who pays for the certificate?

The text I’ve always been looking for is who is “allowed” to order a marriage certificate for the couple, like in Queensland for example the BDM is asking the couple to order and pay for their certificate, however in NSW and Victoria (sharing similar system code) the celebrant can order the certificate and then pay for it.

New South Wales Births, Deaths, and Marriages says “it’s much quicker for marriages registered online by your marriage celebrant. Check with your celebrant if they can apply for a marriage certificate for you.” Further on the website they continue their vague messaging with a “Celebrants may apply for certificates on behalf of the couple after they perform the ceremony. To apply for a marriage certificate order online when using eRegistry’s online portal, or mail the application form and fee to the Registry along with marriage paperwork to be lodged for registration.”

In a December 2015 email the NSW BDM says of Lifelink: “You can order a registered marriage certificate online for your couples, which will be posted the next business day after registration.”

So to read between the lines here the BDM in NSW is

  • fine with us ordering it and paying for it, and
  • they don’t say we can’t, so I charge my clients to cover the fee.
  • You also do not have to order your couple’s Official Certificate of Marriage, and there’s no advantage to shit-talking other celebrants that do or don’t order the OCM for people, and do or don’t charge, in case you were wondering 🙂