The one thing that must be perfect!

It is natural that you will want your wedding day to be perfect.  You've put months into planning the venue, menu, guest list, dress, flowers, hair and cake.  As we've previously discussed, almost always on the day, something won't go quite according to plan.  These things are rarely a major problem, particularly if you've planned well.  There is one thing, however, that must be perfect:  the legal details!

The Births, Deaths and Marriages section of the Department of Internal Affairs, together with the Registrar teams at your local court, provide a great service to couples in ensuring that everything is legally correct.  You can even complete much of the documentation online now.  BDM's now have all marriage records greater than 80 years old available online.  I recently decided to search the records for my grandparents.  Much to my surprise, I had great difficulty finding the record of my maternal grandparents.  Then I discovered why:  technically my grandfather had married half of my grandmother and half of one of her sisters!  The second name recorded was not that of my grandmother but that of her sister. 

It is essential that you get the details correct!  Aside from the obvious need to be legally married, you will need to use your marriage records for many things over the years including bank records and passport and visa applications.  So, what to do:

Make sure that you apply for your license in plenty of time!  The license is valid for three months so don't leave it to the last minute.

Make sure that you complete the form carefully, whether online or by hand.  If you are submitting it in person, ensure that your handwriting is legible!!  

When you pick up the documentation (License and Copies of Particulars of Marriage), check the details before you leave.  Make sure all your names are correctly spelt, the details for your celebrant are correct and that the place where you are being married is accurately recorded.  It is much easier to correct any mistakes there and then, rather than later.

This is the one thing that really does have to be perfect!