At least a month before your wedding, you need to lodge with your celebrant a "Notice of Intended Marriage". This is a fundamental requirement which can only be waived in exceptional circumstances (such as serious illness) by applying for a special order.

The Notice of Intended Marriage must be carefully completed - ideally in the presence of your celebrant - and the supporting documents (your birth certificates and, if you have been married before, original evidence of the termination of the marriage) must be produced to your celebrant.

If you are overseas at the time of signing the Notice of Intended Marriage, it must be witnessed by either a notary public, or an authorised consular official. If you are interstate it may be witnessed by a J.P. It will need the signatures of both the bride and groom, but if one is overseas or otherwise unavailable, one of you may sign it within the required timeframe, and the other may sign it later. It may be faxed to your celebrant within the required timeframe, but the original will also be required by your celebrant.
Notice of Intended Marriage