Special Marriage Act- do both parties need to be present during submission?

Do both parties need to be present during the submission of application at SRO in Bangalore? Information online is confusing, while Karnataka website states that notice of marriage can either be sent by post, applied online or in person, my lawyer and some lawyers on a number of forums say that both parties need to be present even during submission of application.

I work outside India and my fiancé is in Bangalore. It doesn’t make sense to come just for submission and wait for 30 days as leaves are a constraint.

Any guidance is appreciated.