| 13 January, 2010 |
Just a quick post to let you know that if you wish to marry on St Valentine’s Day this year – which happens to be a Sunday – you must lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage with your celebrant by next Wednesday, January 13.
Please note here that the ACT Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages no longer has a celebrant service. You must find a private civil celebrant or a religious celebrant to officiate for you.
My congratulations and best wishes to you both
what about civil partnerships, michelle the celebrant?
Thanks for reminding me, now I have exactly 8 days to find a girl to marry. Anyone know any cute single girls <30 years?
I once got married.
Good times.
Thanks toriness, I do need to give more information.
If you want to have your wedding on Valentine’s day, and it’s according to the Civil Partnerships Act and not the Marriage Act, you’ve got till Tuesday February 9 to give your Notice of Intention to Enter into a Civil Partnership to the Registrar-General.
The Deputy Registrar-General conducts commitment ceremonies, so you have a choice about finding a government or private civil partnership notary.
Although I’ve conducted commitment ceremonies before the Civil Partnerships Act came into effect, I’m not a registered notary so I can only post blogs as a celebrant at this stage. Of course, any couple wishing to have a commitment ceremony or vow renewal ceremony on Valentine’s Day with no legal component can simply do so on the day.
Sorry I can’t help bd84. There’s always Valentine’s 2011 – better luck next time!
Why would you get married Valentines’s Day? How about having your own day instead of a crappy hallmark holiday?
bd84 said :
Hahah +1, but I need to find a dude.
…what’s the Valentines Day equivalent of ‘bah humbug’?!!
motleychick said :
Free on February 14? hahaha
omg you two should totally hook up!
bd84 and motleychick sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g!
misshelly said :
Can we watch?
Can I be best man?
bd84 said :
Hahahaha surprisingly yes. Haha.
motleychick said :
I wonder if Michele the Celebrant does online ceremonies for people who met on the RiotACT the week before the deadline.. lol
Well in this age of technology you’d think that there would be someone who does that. Hmmm an online relationship must be so much easier than a normal one.
Coming to an Australian town near you: Arranged Marriages, courtesy of the Internet
At least go out on a date, just so the rest of us can live our misspent youths vicariously through the two of you.
sloppery said :
Mrs Snarky and I got married on Valentine’s Day. Her idea, not mine – any date was fine with me.
It does have one tremendous advantage – you’ll never forget your anniversary’s coming up with every media outlet in the country honking it at you months in advance! Plenty of advance warning to get a decent gift and/or evening out. Pays for itself in no time!
Snarky said :
Only problem is that the flowers you buy her will cost 4 times more than it would on most other days of the year.
Grail said :
Knowing each other’s real name isn’t a condition of marriage is it?? lol
sloppery said :
Appreciate your Ancient History, not the current cultural spin.
Its far older than you think.
Lupercalia (February 13 or 14, the Ides of February, where naked priests and politicians ran through the streets whipping young girls and women with blooded goatskins, apparently giving them a divine blessing of fertility) and the Februa (The ritual purification occuring on that day, where February derives its name).
Both were of the “Traditions so old nobody remembers quite why we do it” variety even in the days Roman Republic (way up there with celebrating Quirinalia), but was in decline throughout the Roman Empire, when Pope Gelasius I re-spun it into a Christian church feast day, noting both that it was previously about purity and female fertility, while at the same time naming it as a feast day “in honour of those whose names men remember, but nobody can say exactly what they did that was memorable”.
That’s great, Skid, and thanks for the history lesson, but it’s still a crappy hallmark holiday to most people.
bd84 said :
LOL! I much prefer my online name to my real name. Although if my mother had named me motleychick I’d be slightly worried. Haha.
motleychick said :
haha maybe not motleychick.. but I’m sure someone in the world has named their child motley, I’d think it would be a boys name though. Your real name is better
Sure, getting married on Valentines day sounds like a good idea right, its arguably the most romantic day of the year, and the symbolism will be special right?
WRONG! Think about it a little more, do you really want your wedding anniversary to be on Valentines day every year, for the rest of your married life? Sure it will be romantic for the first 5 to maybe even 10 years of the marriage, but think of the hidden costs and frustrations you are setting yourself up for.
1. The pressure of Valentines day to be ultra-romantic will certainly wear off 20, 30, 40 years plusn into the marriage, are you still going to feel so sweet about it down the track, with the pressure year after year to live up the ultimate romance fairytale every time?
2. Good luck getting a restaurant booking on your anniversary for the rest of your lives unless you always book 6 months plus in advance.
3. Flowers, chocolates, etc.. will always be more expensive to buy if your anniversary is on Valentines day, and these you can’t buy in advance.
4. Thinking of a romantic trip away for your anniversary instead? Expect to pay double to triple prices for those romantic getaway locations during Valentines day every year.
Trying to impress on Valentines day is hard enough as it is, do you really want the added pressure of having your wedding anniversary on the same day every year? Play it smart, and pick a different date. Why compete with all that extra hassle year after year, do the right thing, don’t get married on Valentines Day!
This message brought to you as a Public Service announcement with tongue held firmly in cheek.
Mordd said :
Thanks for scaring her off! haha
bd84 said :
HAHAHAHAHAH!
Maybe next valentine’s day..