Celebrant (Australia)
Encyclopedia
In Australia
, celebrants are people who conduct formal ceremonies in the community, particularly wedding
s, which are the main ceremony of legal import conducted by celebrants. They may also conduct extra-legal ceremonies such as naming of babies, renewal of wedding vows
and funeral
s. Officiating at a marriage requires that the celebrant be an authorised marriage celebrant under Australian law, but officiating at extra-legal ceremonies does not.
s according to the Marriage Act 1961. The celebrant may be a representative of a religious organisation
(known as a religious marriage celebrant) or someone providing secular or non-religious weddings (known as a civil marriage celebrant). Only authorised or registered marriage celebrants have the authority to perform marriages in Australia.
Since its introduction in 1973 by the Federal Government, the Marriage Celebrant Program has enabled many thousands of couples to be married in civil ceremonies. Celebrants were appointed based on geographic location and the perceived need for a celebrant in the area. This was a very restrictive system.
Thirty years later, following an extensive review and the introduction of reforms by the federal Attorney-General
, the marriage celebrant system changed. Since September 2003, prospective marriage celebrants have had to undergo Government-approved, accredited training in marriage celebrancy, and meet specific criteria set by the Attorney-General's Department to be declared a "fit and proper person" to hold the office of "marriage celebrant". Successful applicants have then joined a waiting list for registration as a marriage celebrant by the Registrar of Marriage Celebrants. Appointments are made annually in September, and through the year in particular areas as deemed necessary. On 1 September 2008 the cap on celebrant numbers will be lifted and anyone who undergoes accredited training and meets the department's criteria will be able to be immediately registered.
Registration provides the legal authority to practice as a marriage celebrant and a four-digit or five-digit alpha-numeric registration number. Once registered (or authorised as it is also known), the marriage celebrant can marry couples in virtually any location (e.g. beach, headland, boat etc.) and at any time of the day or night. The celebrant is responsible for processing and lodging all legal paperwork and registration of the marriage in accordance with defined procedures.
General celebrants perform a range of different extra-legal ceremonies including naming (namegiving) ceremonies; funerals; renewal of wedding vows; anniversaries; significant birthday
celebrations; commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples who are forbidden to marry under Australian law, or heterosexual couples who cannot marry for personal, financial, religious or legal reasons; memorials and or scattering of ashes ceremonies; boat-naming ceremonies; blessing of new home or office ceremonies; graduation
ceremonies; naturalisation (citizenship) ceremonies; and even croning or other pagan
ceremonies.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, celebrants are people who conduct formal ceremonies in the community, particularly wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s, which are the main ceremony of legal import conducted by celebrants. They may also conduct extra-legal ceremonies such as naming of babies, renewal of wedding vows
Wedding vow renewal ceremony
A wedding vow renewal ceremony is a ceremony in which a married couple renew or reaffirm their wedding vows. The ceremonies have been popular in Italy for decades, and have existed in United States since the 1950s, but only became popular there after the 1970s...
and funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s. Officiating at a marriage requires that the celebrant be an authorised marriage celebrant under Australian law, but officiating at extra-legal ceremonies does not.
Marriage celebrants
An "authorised celebrant" is a person who is authorised (registered) by the Australian Government to perform legal marriageMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
s according to the Marriage Act 1961. The celebrant may be a representative of a religious organisation
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
(known as a religious marriage celebrant) or someone providing secular or non-religious weddings (known as a civil marriage celebrant). Only authorised or registered marriage celebrants have the authority to perform marriages in Australia.
Since its introduction in 1973 by the Federal Government, the Marriage Celebrant Program has enabled many thousands of couples to be married in civil ceremonies. Celebrants were appointed based on geographic location and the perceived need for a celebrant in the area. This was a very restrictive system.
Thirty years later, following an extensive review and the introduction of reforms by the federal Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Australia
The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...
, the marriage celebrant system changed. Since September 2003, prospective marriage celebrants have had to undergo Government-approved, accredited training in marriage celebrancy, and meet specific criteria set by the Attorney-General's Department to be declared a "fit and proper person" to hold the office of "marriage celebrant". Successful applicants have then joined a waiting list for registration as a marriage celebrant by the Registrar of Marriage Celebrants. Appointments are made annually in September, and through the year in particular areas as deemed necessary. On 1 September 2008 the cap on celebrant numbers will be lifted and anyone who undergoes accredited training and meets the department's criteria will be able to be immediately registered.
Registration provides the legal authority to practice as a marriage celebrant and a four-digit or five-digit alpha-numeric registration number. Once registered (or authorised as it is also known), the marriage celebrant can marry couples in virtually any location (e.g. beach, headland, boat etc.) and at any time of the day or night. The celebrant is responsible for processing and lodging all legal paperwork and registration of the marriage in accordance with defined procedures.
General celebrants
Many celebrants who are currently awaiting appointment as marriage celebrants and who cannot perform marriage ceremonies are practising as general celebrants in the community. Authorised marriage celebrants also frequently offer general celebrant services and since they are extra-legal, may also be conducted on an ad hoc basis by untrained people.General celebrants perform a range of different extra-legal ceremonies including naming (namegiving) ceremonies; funerals; renewal of wedding vows; anniversaries; significant birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
celebrations; commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples who are forbidden to marry under Australian law, or heterosexual couples who cannot marry for personal, financial, religious or legal reasons; memorials and or scattering of ashes ceremonies; boat-naming ceremonies; blessing of new home or office ceremonies; graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremonies; naturalisation (citizenship) ceremonies; and even croning or other pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
ceremonies.