Getting married at the Melbourne registry: the complete guide

Everything in one place for a Victorian Marriage Registry wedding: the two ceremonies and prices, rooms, booking and paperwork, what to bring, getting there, and photographs.

Vicky and David burst through the doors after their Registry ceremony, his orange suit bright against the dark timber.

The Victorian Marriage Registry holds ceremonies at the Old Treasury Building, 20 Spring Street, East Melbourne. There are two ceremonies: a classic ceremony from $500 and a legal-only ceremony for $400. Book at least a month ahead, bring two witnesses, and bring your original signed Notice of Intended Marriage.

This guide is about the government Victorian Marriage Registry, not the private “registry-style” wedding businesses with similar names. The Registry spreads its information across several pages. This guide puts it on one, with a checklist at the end. Every fact here was checked against the Registry’s own website on 21/09/2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the Registry before you book.

The two ceremonies

	Classic ceremony	Legal-only ceremony
Booking slot	30 minutes	15 minutes
The ceremony itself	about 10 to 20 minutes	about 5 to 10 minutes
Price (from 1 July 2026)	$500 Monday to Friday, $600 Saturday and Sunday	$400, Monday to Thursday only
Who can come	Depends on the room (below)	The two of you and your two witnesses
Your own vows, a reading, your own music	Yes	No

Your photographer does not count toward the guest limit in either ceremony. Nor does an interpreter, or a baby under 12 months.

The two rooms (classic ceremony)

Margaret Craig room: the two of you and up to 55 guests, with a central aisle and rows of seats either side.
Thomas Hyde room: the two of you and up to 8 guests, in two rows of four chairs, with a fireplace and mantel.

The legal-only ceremony is held in an office or room the Registry assigns. You do not choose it.

What the fee covers

Included: the celebrant, lodging your Notice of Intended Marriage, the certificate you sign on the day, and the official marriage certificate sent to you by express post.

Not included: your photographer, your rings, your witnesses, and an interpreter if you need one.

Booking and paperwork

Book at least one month before the wedding. The Registry recommends three months, and more in summer. Check open dates on its availability calendar, then choose, pay and upload documents through the online booking system. A date is not held until you pay.
Sign your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) in front of an authorised witness. In Australia that includes a justice of the peace, a police officer, a solicitor or barrister, or a doctor. Overseas, it is an Australian consular or diplomatic officer, or a notary public. The Registry must have it at least one month before the wedding.
Gather your documents. Each of you needs a passport that shows your place of birth, or a birth certificate plus government photo ID such as a driver licence. If either of you was married before, bring the divorce or death certificate. Documents not in English need a NAATI-certified translation, with the originals.

Refunds and changes: every fee includes a $195.10 administration fee that is never refunded. Cancel 45 days or more before the wedding and you get the rest back. Less than 45 days, there is no refund, and there is none if you have already rescheduled or do not attend. Changing the date or time costs $70.40. Moving a classic ceremony from a weekday to a weekend costs $170.40. See the fees page.

Witnesses

You need two, both 18 or over. They can be friends or family, and they do not need to be Australian citizens or bring ID. They watch the ceremony and sign the certificate.

The Registry does not provide witnesses. If you arrive without two, the ceremony does not go ahead and the fee is not refunded. If it is only the two of you, sort your witnesses out before you book.

On the day

Bring: your original signed NOIM, your passports (or birth certificates and photo ID), any divorce or death certificates, your rings, and your two witnesses.

Not allowed: food and drink inside, confetti, rice, rose petals, balloons and bubble blowers. Assistance animals are welcome. Pets are not.

Music: the rooms have music, and you can bring your own on a Bluetooth speaker for a classic ceremony. Talk to the celebrant about it.

Interpreters: if either of you, or a witness, does not speak English, you need an interpreter. They cannot be one of the couple or a family member. Email the Registry two weeks ahead. Without one, the ceremony does not go ahead.

Getting there

Tram: routes 11, 12, 48 and 109 stop at the corner of Collins and Spring streets.
Train: Parliament station, Collins Street exit.
Parking: there is none at the Registry. The nearest car parks are on Little Collins Street, Flinders Lane and St Andrew’s Place, with limited street parking nearby.
Access: there is a wheelchair ramp at the back of the building. Email the Registry two weeks ahead if you need it.

Photographs

Your guests can take photographs and video at any point during the ceremony, and you can bring a professional photographer to either ceremony.

You can celebrate and take photographs with your guests during your booked slot, then you move on. The Registry names the steps outside the Old Treasury Building and the Treasury Gardens next door as the places for photographs, and asks that doorways stay clear.

That slot is short, 15 or 30 minutes, and the ceremony takes most of it. So the portraits and most of the group photographs happen after you walk out: on the steps, in the gardens, or further into the city. Plan for that time when you book your lunch.

This is where I come in. I photograph Melbourne registry weddings, elopements and small weddings. Two hours is $690 and four hours is $1,090, with 100 edited images an hour. For a registry wedding, two hours covers the ceremony, the family photographs and portraits nearby. Four hours covers getting ready as well, or a second location. The guide to photography hours goes into it, and the pricing page has everything included.

The checklist

Planning a registry wedding? Send me your date and your ceremony time, and I’ll tell you what fits.

Sources, all checked 21/09/2026: the Victorian Marriage Registry’s pages on its ceremonies, fees, booking, ceremony rooms and the day itself. This guide is not affiliated with the Registry.