Can a Friend Marry Us?
What a friend can and cannot do at a marriage in Australia, and how a friend-led celebration can still work alongside the legal marriage.
Perth Marriage Office is a private celebrant service for low-cost, paperwork-only marriages in Perth. Ready to get started? Click Get Married. Need help with your Notice of Intended Marriage? Use NOIM Easy.
If your friend is not an authorised celebrant, they cannot legally marry you in Australia.
The Usual Workaround
Many couples do this instead:
- complete the legal marriage with us through a short paperwork-only appointment
- have a friend lead a symbolic celebration before or after
Why Couples Like This Option
It lets you:
- keep the legal side simple
- keep the personal side personal
- avoid having someone become a celebrant just for one ceremony
Best Fit
This works well if your real goal is:
- legal marriage done properly by a celebrant
- friend-led celebration separately
If you want us to handle the legal side, click Get Married.