Getting married at the registry office in Melbourne

Melbourne Registry Office Wedding: Your Two Options Compared

If you're looking into a registry office wedding in Melbourne, you have two realistic choices: the Victorian Marriage Registry at the Old Treasury Building, or a registry-style ceremony with us at The Ivory Room. Both give you a legally recognised marriage. Only one gives you a private chapel, seven-day availability, and a person who answers the phone when you call. Here's an honest side-by-side.

Registry Weddings

The Ivory Room

A private chapel opposite Albert Park Lake

  • Legals-only ceremony from$295
  • Availability7 days a week
  • Book onlineInstantly, any hour
  • Speak to a person7 days a week
  • Guest capacityUp to 32
  • Ceremony length15, 30 or 60 min
  • Google rating4.9 ★ (3,000+ couples)
Victorian Marriage Registry

Old Treasury Building

Government registry at 20 Spring Street

  • Legal-only ceremony from$400
  • AvailabilityWeekdays & Saturdays
  • Book onlineVia Service Victoria account
  • Speak to a personBusiness hours (email first)
  • Guest capacityUp to 55 (larger room)
  • Ceremony length30 minutes allocated
  • Typical wait3+ months in peak season

Registry office wedding vs The Ivory Room: the honest side-by-side

Same legal outcome. Very different day.

What matters to you
Registry Weddings
Victorian Marriage Registry
Cost of a simple legals-only ceremony
From $295 Mon–Thu · No admin fee, no NOIM fee, no separate celebrant fee
$400 Mon–Thu (weekday only) · Includes a $195.10 non-refundable administrative fee
Weekend ceremonies
All packages available Saturday & Sunday
Classic package on weekends only; legal-only unavailable
Answering your questions
Speak to a real person 7 days a week · Phone (03) 85 921 921
Email enquiry first, government business hours
How far ahead you need to book
Often same-week availability · Fast-tracked ceremonies possible if you qualify
Recommended 3 months ahead in peak season
How your ceremony feels
Private chapel with lake views, natural light, silk bouquets included, unhurried
Heritage ceremony room, 30-minute time slot allocated per ceremony
Personalising the ceremony
Your story, your vows, your music. Included in the 60-minute package
Classic script with limited personalisation (within legal & time limits)
Booking process
Live online calendar · No payment required to secure a date · $150 booking fee within 7 days
Service Victoria account required · Payment upfront · Reschedule fees from $70.40
Evening ceremonies
Weddings starting as late as 6pm
Standard registry hours only
Cancellation of admin fee
No separate non-refundable admin fee
$195.10 administrative fee is non-refundable in all circumstances

How your marriage gets registered

Whichever option you choose, the registration of your marriage works exactly the same way. Your celebrant lodges the Notice of Intended Marriage at least one month before the ceremony, and after you're married the paperwork goes to Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, who register the marriage and issue your official certificate.

That means a registry office wedding and a ceremony with us produce an identical entry in the marriage register. You are equally married, with the same legal standing and the same certificate. The only thing that differs is the day itself — where you stand, how long you have, and who you can bring.

You don't need to register the marriage separately or do anything yourself. We handle every step of the registration for you — these are the three steps to getting married.

Four things you'll actually feel on the day

Beyond the price list, this is what makes the difference.

01 — Time

A ceremony that isn't on a stopwatch

At the government registry, 30 minutes covers your arrival, ceremony and departure so the next couple can come in. Our packages give you the room to yourselves — 15, 30 or a full 60 minutes — so nobody feels rushed, including you.

02 — Voice

Someone on the phone, seven days

Planning a wedding raises questions at odd hours. Ring us on a Sunday evening and we'll pick up. You'll deal with the same small team from your first enquiry to the moment you sign the register.

03 — Story

A ceremony that sounds like you

Our Personalised package weaves in how you met, what you love about each other, your own vows, your choice of music. It's still a legal ceremony — it just doesn't feel like a form being read aloud.

04 — Space

A room built for weddings, not paperwork

The Ivory Room looks over Albert Park Lake, with natural light and a flower wall you're welcome to borrow bouquets from. It's calm, it's photographable, and it's yours for your booking window.

What a registry office wedding costs in Melbourne

Every fee, laid out. Compare what you pay for the same legal result.

Registry Weddings

The Ivory Room · Albert Park

Legals only · up to 6 guests
From $295
Mon–Thu · $395 Fri · $595 weekend
Intimate ceremony · up to 16 guests
From $495
Mon–Thu · $595 Fri · $695 weekend
Personalised ceremony · up to 32 guests
From $695
Mon–Thu · $795 Fri · $895 weekend
All-inclusive: registered celebrant, all legal work, lodgement of NOIM, the ceremony space, silk bouquets on the flower wall, and the $150 booking fee. No admin fee. No hidden extras. See our full ceremony pricing.

Victorian Marriage Registry

Old Treasury Building · 20 Spring Street

Legal-only package · weekday only
$400
Mon–Fri only · not available on weekends
Classic ceremony · Mon–Fri
$500
30-minute slot in a heritage ceremony room
Classic ceremony · Sat & Sun
$600
30-minute slot in a heritage ceremony room
All ceremony fees include a $195.10 non-refundable administrative fee. Rescheduling costs from $70.40. Cancellations less than 45 days out are non-refundable.

Registry office weddings in Melbourne: common questions

Everything couples ask us while they're weighing up the two options.

How much does it cost to get married at the registry office in Melbourne?
The Victorian Marriage Registry charges $400 for a weekday legal-only ceremony, which includes a $195.10 administrative fee that isn't refundable. A registry-style ceremony with us starts at $295 Monday to Thursday, with the celebrant, all legal work, NOIM lodgement, the ceremony space and your booking fee included.
Can you get married at the registry office on a weekend?
The government registry offers its Classic ceremony on Saturdays and Sundays at $600, but the cheaper legal-only option is weekdays only. We run all three of our packages seven days a week, including ceremonies starting as late as 6pm.
How long is the wait for a registry office wedding in Victoria?
The Victorian Marriage Registry recommends booking around three months ahead in peak season. We often have availability the same week. Either way, the law requires your Notice of Intended Marriage to be lodged at least one month before you marry, though a shortening of time can be applied for in limited circumstances.
What is a registry-style wedding?
It's a short, legally complete ceremony without the expense of a full wedding — the same idea as a registry office wedding, held in a private chapel rather than a government building. Ours run 15, 30 or 60 minutes depending on how much time you'd like.
Is a registry office wedding as legal as any other wedding?
Yes. Every ceremony at both the government registry and with us is conducted by a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant, and both are registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria. The marriage certificate is identical.
Do I need to book through Service Victoria?
Only if you're marrying at the government registry, which requires a Service Victoria account and payment upfront. Booking with us takes about two minutes on our live calendar, with no payment needed to hold your date.

Still deciding? Read all our FAQs.

★★★★★
"David made planning our wedding an incredibly smooth and easy process. He took care of everything — all we had to do was turn up. The ceremony was beautiful and genuine. We all laughed and cried. We left feeling on top of the world."
— B & A · From 3,000+ couples we've married

Ready to see what your wedding could look like?

Check dates in our live calendar, ask us anything by phone, or book a time to come and see The Ivory Room.

Check available dates Call (03) 85 921 921

Comparison based on publicly listed fees and information from the Victorian Marriage Registry (bdm.vic.gov.au) at time of writing. Registry Weddings is a private wedding ceremony service and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria. All ceremonies at both venues are conducted by Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants and are equally legally recognised. Government fees are updated periodically; please confirm the current fees on the BDM website before comparing.

The Ivory Room vs The Government Registry Office.