If you were recently married you would have been presented with a ceremonial certificate. This is unable to be used when changing names with banks and some other organisations as it is missing some security information. You need to present the official marriage certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) in the state where your wedding took place.
Most celebrants offer to order your wedding certificate as part of their service. They may include the certificate fee as part of their charges but it’s more common to be charged separately. Once the ceremony is legally completed the celebrant usually registers your wedding via the online portal and submits your certificate request at the same time. This means you do not need to provide identification that has been certified by a third party and your certificate arrives about a week after your celebrant completes the registration.
If your celebrant has not arranged for your marriage certificate or if you need to order your own certificate for any other reason then apply to BDM directly in the state where you were married. Application fees are payable directly to BDM and are not included in our fee. Most state BDM websites have online certificate ordering services. All states except NSW and VIC have a paper form. This can be provided in your Easy Name Change kit or available to download via the BDM website. Most states require certified ID if lodging by mail. Most states process applications within 2 or 3 weeks (plus time for delivery by mail). Check your state BDM website for current processing times as these can blow out.
When you change names, almost every company wants to see your wedding certificate as proof of your new name. Take the original when applying in person at banks or for your driver’s licence. Other companies may need a photocopy or certified copy to be mailed in or uploaded.
Need certified copies?
Many other businesses need to safeguard your account and want to ensure your certificate is genuine but don’t want the responsibility of handling the original certificate by mail. Enter the certified copy! Getting certified copies is the most complained part about changing names as it’s not always easy to find a J.P. or visit a certifier during business hours.
Certified kit customers get all their name change forms, letters and the company checklist mailed to them with uniquely prepared instructions, based on the companies chosen. Simply send us the signed notifications and proof documents listed in the registered mail envelope provided in your kit. We check your forms, certify your proof documents and send them off! Your original marriage certificate is securely returned the next day by registered mail. We also send scanned JP-certified copies so you can attach them to our emails and send!
It’s free to browse our database! We have hundreds of companies and can provide you with comprehensive name change procedures, forms, letters and ready-to-forward emails. Just click the button below to get started.
What’s with the certificate issued on the wedding day?
You probably carried it your entire wedding day and stressed about it getting lost or covered in champagne. This is the ceremonial certificate which is a keepsake from your wedding. It can’t be used for any official purpose as it does not have a registration number and it’s missing a lot of personal data that’s included on official marriage certificates. It’s good for framing or tucking at the back of your filing cabinet.
