FAQ

Because the law requires one, and a good Marriage Officer helps you handle the legal requirements while shaping a ceremony that feels like you.

Please do. A good ceremony starts long before the wedding day, and a first conversation helps you check the fit.

As soon as you have a date. The earlier you book, the more options you'll have, especially for popular dates.

Yes. We cover all of Gauteng — Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton, Midrand, Centurion, Roodepoort, Muldersdrift, the Cradle of Humankind, Lanseria, the Vaal region, and across the greater Tshwane metro. The Full Ceremony includes up to 100 km of round-trip travel from our Randburg office; venues beyond that allowance, and destinations further out — Hartbeespoort, Magaliesburg, Rustenburg, and further into North West or Mpumalanga — carry an extended travel surcharge. Tell us your venue and we will confirm straight away.

Yes, where the package involves marriage-officer travel. The Full Ceremony takes place at your venue or home and includes up to 100 km of round-trip travel from our Randburg office — it is not added as an extra for venues within that allowance. The Mini Ceremony and All-in-One Garden Wedding take place at our Craighall garden, and the Legal Elopement takes place at our Randburg office, so no marriage-officer travel is needed for those packages. For Full Ceremony venues beyond the included allowance, we travel with a flat extended travel surcharge agreed before booking. Where a ceremony requires flights or overnight accommodation (destination weddings outside Gauteng), those costs are agreed separately. All costs are confirmed in full before you book.

Yes. Hartbeespoort, Magaliesburg, and Rustenburg are extended travel destinations — beyond the Full Ceremony's included round-trip travel allowance but well within our extended travel range. We also travel into the North West Province and Mpumalanga. For each of these, an extended travel surcharge applies, agreed as a flat addition to the package price before booking. Get in touch with your venue details and we will confirm the surcharge and availability together.

Yes, by prior arrangement. We are available for ceremonies anywhere in South Africa — including KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Limpopo, and elsewhere — when there is enough lead time to arrange flights and, where needed, accommodation. Those additional costs are agreed separately and confirmed before you commit. We generally recommend contacting us well in advance for destination ceremonies outside Gauteng. National fly-in ceremonies are not a standard service, but they are possible for the right wedding.

No. The Home Affairs registration is handled by your assigned registered marriage officer and processed through Randburg Home Affairs regardless of where your ceremony takes place — whether that is Johannesburg, Hartbeespoort, the Vaal, or a venue in Mpumalanga. The exception is for foreign nationals, who are required to complete a Home Affairs interview in Randburg before the ceremony. That interview happens before the ceremony date, not at the venue. Your ceremony location and your registration location are independent.

Most adults can legally get married if they meet the legal requirements and there is no legal impediment.

A legal impediment is anything that prevents a marriage from taking place legally.

Yes. Two witnesses are required.

It depends on the exact relationship. Tell us the family connection and we'll help determine whether there is a legal issue.

We'll provide a personalised checklist, but most South African couples need certified IDs, witness IDs, ANC details, and any divorce or death certificates.

We can. We're authorised Commissioners of Oaths, and you'll need to bring the originals.

To help us match names, faces, documents, and records, and to avoid confidently greeting the wrong person later.

Potentially, yes. The process and documents depend on each person's circumstances and the applicable Home Affairs pathway, so contact us before making plans.

For this workflow, foreign nationals need BMD information, original documents, and a Letter of No Impediment. US and UK citizens follow different letter routes.

You'll need your final divorce decree.

You'll generally need to provide a death certificate.

Bring your ID, your divorce decree, and your patience. Possibly snacks.

We do not really do typical. Each ceremony is shaped around the couple, their people, and the tone they want the day to have.

Of course. The ceremony should reflect your beliefs, not ours.

Yes. A symbolic ceremony is a full celebration without the legal registration.

Yes. Your vows should sound like you, not like Shakespeare unless Shakespeare is genuinely your thing.

Absolutely. Most people do not write vows every day, and we can help you find the right words.

Yes. If you choose readings, they can sit naturally in the ceremony and can come from a family member, a friend, or a piece of writing that matters to you.

Not necessarily, but you should understand your options before you get married.

An Antenuptial Contract is a legal agreement signed before marriage.

Absolutely.

Talk to us. We cannot promise availability, but we'll always do our best to help.

That's perfectly fine. Many couples contact us before they've booked a venue or chosen a date.

That's completely okay. We'll introduce you to one of our trusted colleagues so you can find the person who fits your journey best.

Yes. A deposit secures your date, and we do not hold dates without it. The deposit forms part of the total fee, and the balance is due before the ceremony.

Usually, we take a deposit on booking and the balance before the ceremony. If you have specific payment requirements, ask us and we will try to help where we can.

Contact us as soon as you know. Rescheduling depends on availability, and your deposit is usually moved to the new date. We confirm any rate difference first.

Paperwork. We make sure Home Affairs receives everything it needs.

We keep secure records for the period required by law and best practice.

It is. Though "ceremony" may be overselling it slightly.

Nick is registered under the Marriage Act, Alison under the Civil Union Act, and Lesley supports the team but is not yet registered as an officer.

Tell us which legal pathway applies. Nick is registered under the Marriage Act, Alison under the Civil Union Act, and Lesley is not yet registered as an officer.

Not at all. The legal requirements are the same, but the personalities and delivery are not.

Absolutely. We encourage it because this is one of the most personal decisions in the planning process.

All the time. Nick and Alison cover their registered legal pathways, and Lesley supports the wider ceremony team.