Getting Organised

Ok, now, having you happy news shared with your parents, relatives and friends, you need to think about the wedding date. Doing this you and your fiancé have to think about the following things:

• 
  What time of the year you want to be married
• How much time you will need for planning and organization
• How much money you want to spend on your wedding
• When are the cheapest flights for overseas guests
• Where and when do you want to go for a honeymoon
• Will it be inside or outside wedding
• If someone within your family or close friends has a big birthday, pregnant or getting married.

Planning your wedding is a long way from hearing these magical words “Will you marry me?” to saying “I do”.

There are two options you need to choose from: to plan everything yourself or if you just don’t have time to plan your wedding, a special event planner can help you to plan either parts or all of your happy day.

If you choose the first way, the best thing to help you is a wedding planner timeline. This will be a more complex way to go but you are going to love every moment of it!

Wedding planning ideas:

• Communicate with wedding supplier by email and this will save lots of your phone time
• Ask for help – especially for last minute pickups
• Ask if vendors can come to your place, which will save your driving time
• Be realistic and try not to get too emotional about decisions you will have to make.
• Always try to negotiate the prices
• Do all your quotes and bookings in writing
• Keep all your paperwork in a well organized folder

Legal aspects of your marriage to think about:

There are a few more things that will keep you closer to earth before you fly away to the heaven of your dreams and beautiful wedding things. It is the legal aspects of your marraige, because marriage is still the signing of a legal document at the end of the day.

There is some paperwork to be done:  

First of all you will need to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage form. It should be done between 6 months and 6 weeks prior to your wedding.

How do you do this:

 you can get this from from your church, officiant, or from the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages as well as download it from the internet.

 fill this from out

 sign it before a witness

 give it to your authorized officiant (you can be married one calendar month after this day - but not more than 18 motnhs)

Once you are married, the officiant will send your notice to the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages to make your marriage official.

What other information you will need to provide:

Birth sertificates/evidence of where you were born - if you don't have one - bring your passport

 Your mother's maiden name

 Evidence of divorce (if you've had one)

Another not very romantic thing for you to consider is Prenuptial agreement. It is ment to be an agreement made between two people who live together and intend to get married to help them decide how to deal with financial matters in case of separation in the future. Since most of us do not get married with a view to divorce, we do not consider the benefits of such agreement. It is absolutely understndable and normal to feel that it's a bit weird to discuss outcomes should your marriage fail at a time of great optimism and excitement about the future, a time where you beleive: "our marriage will last till death do us apart". There are lots of information and discussions about it around. It is worth to be considered. 

This is not it. You should also decide about your future name: whether you take your future husband's name or leave your own. Today you have a choice and any one you make will be absolutely ok. Just keep in mind that if you change your name you will need a list of places, organisations and documents where your name will need to be added. 

For example, something like this:

. drivers licence

. vehicle registration

. bank accounts

. credit card

. insurance polices

. will

. membership cards

. taxes

. property titles

. medical cards

. passport

. your super

. emploer's records

. study

. bills

. other personal documents

For more information about the change of your name contact the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages on 1300 655 236, or visit www.bdm.nsw.gov.au