Details of a registry office wedding or courthouse wedding on the Gold Coast
Can I get married in a registry office on the Gold Coast?
No because there is no registry office.
No because in 2023 the Southport Courthouse is (still) no longer offerring registry office marriages*.
*Last checked by me by phone 13th January 2023.
I have phoned and clarified this information a few times over the last couple of years and this year (2023) I was advised by a Southport courthouse staff member (again) that the registry office in Brisbane is a nicer location and that Brisbane is more likely to be able to perform the ceremony quicker than the current 3-4 month minimum wait time on the Gold Coast.
Now it seems that the Southport Courthouse are either no longer offering the service or the waiting list has grown so long they are no longer saying they offer the service until the backlog is reduced.
*Information updated 13th January 2023.
Brisbane registry office wedding or courthouse wedding details
So if you really want to leave the Gold Coast and head up the M1 to Brisbane to get married because you are interested in a registry office wedding then you will need to contact the Qld Govt. Births, Deaths & Marriages Department
to get the details.
The Brisbane registry is found on the 32nd floor of 180 Ann Street in Brisbane City.
A registry office wedding is fine if you want to be married in cookie cutter style just like everyone else who gets married in a registry office. The registry office wedding rooms in Brisbane City seem very nice and some rooms have a great view .
Something you may not realise is that you will have to visit the Brisbane registry twice to get married there, once to lodge the paperwork (appointments available Mon-Fri 8.30am-3.00pm only) and then a second time for the wedding ceremony.
Many people imagine that a registry office will be a cheap alternative to a celebrant, but you be the judge, please see the Brisbane registry office wedding costs below.
Brisbane Registry office 2023 ceremony costs* as well as opening hours, time slots and wedding prices
- Monday–Friday 9.30AM–4.30PM - $371.50
- 8 time slots - 9.30, 10.15, 11.15, 12.00, 1.45, 2.30, 3.15, 4.00
- Friday evening 5.30PM–7.00PM - $636.70
- 3 time slots: 5.30, 6.00, 6.30
- Saturday 9.30AM–4.30PM - $482.90
- 9 time slots: 9.30, 10.15, 11.00, 11.45, 12.30 (<20 guests), 1.45, 2.30, 3.15, 4.00
- Saturday evening 4.30PM–6.30PM - $636.70
- 3 time slots: 5:30, 6:00, 6:30
*Last checked and updated on 13th January 2023 (Sunday is no longer an option).
See the full list on inclusions on the
Time slots confirmed by email by Carolyn from the Registry Ceremony Team. P: 13 74 68
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages/Department of Justice and Attorney General.
Thank you Carolyn.
Elna Shannon and Buddha
Please see more wedding photos where I presided.
Photo:Kirk Willcox Photography Thank-you Kirk.
Another downside to a registry office wedding is that no pets are allowed. There is a maximum of 70 guests which includes, babies, photographers and the celebrant.
If you were to get married with me in a registry office style wedding, I would welcome your pets in fact, I totally encourage their participation. Check out Elna and Shannon's fur baby Buddha (photo right) at their wedding at my Secret Elopement Spot on 9th June 2020 (photo by Kirk Willcox).
When you take into account the cost of getting yourselves and any guests to Brisbane and the astronomical parking fees charged by the nearest car park at 179 Turbot Street owned by Secure Parking (Open Mon-Fri 6.00am-6.00pm, Closed Sat, Sun, see drive-up prices below*), then you may be better off financially and aesthetically by getting married on the Gold Coast.
Brisbane Registry nearby parking prices
- 0 - 30 Mins $5.00
- 30 Mins - 1 Hr $45.00
- 1 Hr - 1.5 Hrs $61.00
- 1.5 Hrs - 2 Hrs $69.00
- 2 Hrs - 2.5 Hrs $76.00
- 2.5 Hrs - 3 Hrs $83.00
- Over 3 Hrs $86.00
- Early bird before 9.30am $31 all day
*Last checked on the 13th January 2023, also see Secure Parking website for online parking prices which in most cases are cheaper (except 0-30mins which costs $14.00 online)
Of course you don’t have to travel to Brisbane for a simple ceremony in the style of a registry office wedding, you can have a simple and beautiful and private wedding on the beautiful Gold Coast!
Even better if you get married here, you don’t have to settle for an office type venue with a celebrant who barely knows you and who will be marrying another couple in 30 minutes (or 45 minutes see slot times above). Let's say that there may be an element of “efficiency” about your special day if you get married in a registry office, not that there is anything particularly wrong with that.
BUT...I can plan the perfect registry office style wedding for you (which we call an elopement style wedding) in a low cost venue of your choice: it could be your own home, a gorgeous park, any one of our beautiful beaches or your luxury hotel room!
I believe I am a friendly, easygoing and relaxed marriage celebrant and I will try to the utmost of my ability to make sure your registry office style or elopement style or whatever style of wedding that you desire will be the best day of your life and will be totally unforgettable.
It is by the actions of the bridal couple adding simple personal touches that I believe a wedding becomes more than just an official government ceremony and becomes something magical that will be remembered far into the future as being a brief but powerful and lasting expression of the love that a couple shares.
To find out more about a personalised, registry office style wedding on the Gold Coast, please contact me on 0403 605 057 or email: