Electronic registration of marriages

Electronic marriage registers have replaced paper marriage registers.

Electronic marriage registers have replaced paper marriage registers. This applies to all marriages, both civil ceremonies and ceremonies taking place at churches and places of worship.

What this means for your ceremony

The change was made to provide a more secure system for keeping marriage records. There are a number of changes that you need to be aware of:

  • you can now include more than one person, as mother, father or parent, to be recorded in the marriage entry and on marriage certificates, instead of only fathers' names, as was previously the case
  • you and your partner will sign a schedule, along with your witnesses and the superintendent registrar and registrar, replacing the handwritten marriage registers
  • you won't be handed a certificate at the ceremony 

After your ceremony

After you sign the schedule:

  • we will input the details from it into the electronic register as a record of the event

If your ceremony took place in the Register Office or at an approved venue:

  • we will post a copy of your certificate to you

If your ceremony took place at a religious venue:

  • the clergy or approved person will return the schedule to us
  • you must contact us to request and pay for a certificate.

How to buy copies of the official certificates of marriage

After your ceremony you can order certificates online.