Following the legalisation of same-sex marriage on Thursday couples can officially register their intent to marry from today forward.
With the first same-sex marriages expected to take place in the new year couples can begin registering their intent to marry from Saturday, December 9.
Like heterosexual couples, same-sex couples will have to register their notice of intent 30 days prior to the date of their marriage, meaning the first official same-sex marriages will take place on January 9, 2018.
From tomorrow gay couples who married overseas will have their union recognised by law, and all future foreign same-sex marriages will also be recognised by Australian law.
This morning the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove signed off on the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 and the legal definition of marriage has been updated from "the union of a man and a woman" to "the union of two people".
These changes will affect the wording of wedding ceremonies, with celebrants using the new definition of marriage, as well as allowing couples to take each other as husband, wife or spouse depending on their preference.
Existing celebrants have 90 days to decide if they want to be registered as a "religious marriage celebrant" who can refuse to conduct a ceremony contrary to their beliefs. But anyone who becomes a celebrant after today will not be able to refuse to marry gay couples and will automatically be registered as a "civil celebrant".
Likewise, consistent with existing anti-discrimination laws which do not allow the refusal of service, taxi drivers, florists, bakers and photographers cannot refuse to drive a person to a wedding reception, provide flowers, prepare a wedding cake or take photos for a same-sex wedding.
This could still change, with some MP's arguing for those with a "conscientious belief" to be allowed to refuse to be a part of a gay marriage.
But critics argue these changes could allow discrimination against same-sex couples, and may have other unintended consequences.
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