THE same-sex marriage survey is done and politicians are promising to put it into law by Christmas — but heterosexual couples may be among the first to notice real-life changes.

Under current laws, civil celebrants are legally forced to read a line explicitly rejecting same-sex marriage.

“Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life,” the line reads.

It has become an unwelcome guest for thousands of brides and grooms, and their loved ones.

In 2004, in a bid to stave off same-sex marriage, the Howard Government changed the wording from its previous form which referenced “two people”.

Adelaide civil celebrant Penelope Carrick said couples had for years been asking her to remove the line from their ceremonies.

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Supporters in Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Square celebrate after the Same Sex Marriage vote results announcement. Picture: Calum Robertson

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“I have a couple who had written their ceremony a couple of months ago and they’ve asked me to say that that is the government’s view and not theirs,” Ms Carrick said.

It is a tricky request, she said, as the wording is a legal requirement and if it is not read aloud at civil ceremonies, the marriage is not legally binding.

Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants vice-president Irene Harrington said the members she had spoken to shared Ms Carrick’s experience.

“There certainly are many couple who ask us not to say that,” she said.

Civil celebrants, she said, appeared to back marriage equality even more than the general population — a recent survey of AFCC members showed 87 per cent support for changing the law.

But with the spring wedding season already in full swing, that unwelcome guest is set to become even more conspicuous until promised legislation to allow same-sex marriage is signed into law.

media_camera Celebrants say the “one man and one woman” statement has become even more unpopular in the lead-up to the marriage survey. Picture: File

Ms Carrick said the disclaimers were likely to continue, though with a more optimistic tone for at least the next few months.

“It was already awkward and now it’s even more awkward,” she said.

She said she, and many other celebrants, were looking forward to seeing the monitum revert to its historical description of marriage being a “union of two people”.

There was also some hope the new wording might strike a more romantic and less bureaucratic tone.

The marathon same-sex marriage survey came to an end on Wednesday with a landslide result for the Yes side.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had promised throughout the campaign that, should the Yes vote win, same-sex marriage would be legislated by Christmas.

The parliamentary debate has already begun.