Shortening of Time for Canberra Marriages
How shortening of time works if you need to marry in less than one month in Canberra.
A shortening of time is permission from a prescribed authority to allow a marriage to happen less than one month after the celebrant receives the NOIM.
Read this first
- It is not automatic.
- It is only available in limited circumstances.
- You still need a completed NOIM.
- Approval is never guaranteed.
The usual categories
The official categories include:
- employment or travel commitments
- wedding or celebration arrangements
- medical reasons
- legal proceedings
- error in giving notice
In the ACT
Access Canberra publishes an application form for shortening of time through the Registrar-General. Supporting evidence is required.
Practical advice
If you think you might need this:
- book through Get Married
- prepare the NOIM
- talk to us before assuming approval will happen
Sometimes the quickest real answer is simply to get the paperwork in as fast as possible and book the earliest lawful date.
Canberra wedding shortcuts
Keep planning your Canberra wedding
Jump from this guide to the Canberra wedding directory, affordable wedding ideas, simple marriage guides, celebrant advice, the blog, or the contact page.
No fuss. No frills. No wedding. Just paperwork.
Ready to get married without the fuss?
We are private celebrants, not a government registry. This service is for couples who want a low-cost, paperwork-only marriage in Canberra.
- 1. Click Get Married and fill in the booking form.
- 2. Pay the booking fee.
- 3. Prepare your Notice of Intended Marriage with NOIM Easy and have it witnessed by an authorised witness.
- 4. Once we receive your paperwork, we confirm the date, time, and place, subject to our availability.
Want more than the legal paperwork? For a full ceremony, book a Canberra celebrant like Josh Withers. For an elopement, see an elopement creator like Elopement Collective. You can also browse the wider Australian Marriage Offices network.