Links. About Us - Coralie Bonett - Sylvan Bonett - Documentation - Legal Obligations - Contact Us.
“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
Marriage Act.
The style, content and format of a Marriage Ceremony depend very largely on the personalities and preferences of each couple. However, there are important legal requirements that are mandatory for all couples. For your peace of mind, you should know that we are both well-versed in this and all other relevant aspects, to ensure compliance with the Marriage Act and directives of the Attorney General’s Office in Canberra.
A Marriage Ceremony can be as formal or informal as required by each couple. We welcome and encourage their input and ideas so that the ceremony is uniquely theirs. It need be neither too long and dull nor too-brief and meaningless. It should reflect something of the characters and personalities of the Bride and Groom and should be a happy, friendly and meaningful service, a sense of occasion: dignified and free of gimmickry.
We are quite at home in all the recognised venues in and around Adelaide and surrounding areas, from the Barossa Valley to McLaren Vale areas; from the Fleurieu Peninsula, to the Mid-North and beyond. We are also familiar with the great majority of popular outdoor locations in and outside the metropolitan area and often help couples find “just the right” place for their ceremony.
There is nothing easier than sitting together for an informal chat in our home where we can discuss your needs and ideas and answer all your questions, at no cost and without obligation. We are happy to put our experience and expertise at your disposal and look forward to helping in any way we can
And you will be pleasantly surprised at how reasonable our fees can be! Click to return to Top
Legal Obligations and Requirements.
As previously defined, “Marriage” can only take place between and man and a woman. Any union that purports to be a marriage between two men or two women is not legal and is not recognised under Australian Law. Other unions, like gay “commitment ceremonies” and the like are not illegal but have no legal standing currently. Click to return to Top
A form, known as “Notice of Intended Marriage” must be completed by each couple no more than eighteen months and no less than one month and a day before the wedding date. In order to do this, couples must produce evidence of identity and age etc. This form ( often called the NIM) is usually completed during our first official meeting.
Both the prospective Groom and prospective Bride must produce documents as proof of identity and birth details. For all Australian-born people, birth certificates must be produced for your Celebrant to see and take note of. For people born overseas, a birth certificate in a foreign language must be accompanied by an official translation. Where a birth certificate is not available, then a current passport from the country of origin is acceptable in lieu of birth certificate. .
Some people, like refugees, are sometimes unable to produce the kind of document required, due to obvious reasons, despite their best efforts. Exceptions are made in such circumstances and we are happy to attend to the necessary paperwork, as required by law.
Where a Groom or Bride has been married before, proof of termination of marriage, like a Divorce Decree or Death Certificate, must be produced otherwise a marriage ceremony cannot be legally held.
During our second meeting, a few days before the wedding, each couple is required to sign another form: “The Declarations” in confirmation that there is no possible legal impediment to the proposed marriage. An impediment would usually show that one or the other of the couple is already married to someone else, or that one or the other (or both) may be under-age, without special permission to marry; or that the couple are related to one another in some way that would prohibit a legal marriage.
These Declarations are printed on the reverse side of the official “Certificate of Marriage” which will be lodged by us with the Registrar’s Office in Adelaide after the wedding has been performed.
The official “Certificate of Marriage” as well as the Celebrant’s copy of The Register and the couple’s own Certificate, (Form 15) are all signed, at the end of a Ceremony, by the Bride and Groom, their witnesses and the Celebrant. Witnesses are usually two of the bridal party (Groomsmen and Bridesmaids) but can be anyone chosen by the couple, provided they are over eighteen years of age. Some couples like the look of Calligraphy on their certificate, rather than a plain, hand-written version. We have access to several Calligraphists and order the certificates in plenty of time for the ceremony.
Other documents that are occasionally used in the preparation of a wedding service, in unusual circumstances, include a “Statutory Declaration”; a “Legitimation Form” and letters to various government departments in support of visa applications etc…
We have stocks of all the correct, necessary forms, so it is not necessary for couples to obtain them from other sources. Click to return to Top
About us. Click to return to Top
about to conduct a service at Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens.
Coralie has been a professional, full-time Celebrant since her appointment in 1991. Naturally, she is fully accredited and qualified, under the terms and conditions set out by the Attorney General’s Office in Canberra. She is unerringly fastidious about all the legalities of a Marriage Ceremony, so you know there will be no unhappy surprises to spoil things for you after the event.
In much the same way, Coralie will arrange her day’s commitments to ensure she won’t be late for any Ceremony, arriving at your Venue at least twenty minutes before you are due to start. She will write and present your genuinely individual service, with style and warmth in such a way as to make your Ceremony one that you, your family and friends will keep as a treasured memory for years to come.
Coralie’s diction is crystal-clear, her voice warm and friendly and it is a happy fact that no guest has ever been unable to hear her during a service. She will be glad to talk with you without any cost or obligation, answer all your questions and leave you in no doubt about anything to do with the Ceremony and Celebration of the happiest day of your lives.
You might be surprised at how easy she can make it for you,
and how inexpensive.
Authorised Celebrant Registered No. 2600. Appointed on 13th May, 1991
By the Minister of State for Justice and Consumer Affairs.
Member of Association of Authorised Civil Marriage Celebrants of South Australia.
Outside Stangate House, Aldgate.
Sylvan is a long-established, professional, authorised Civil Celebrant with all the qualifications and experience needed to help couples in the creation of a truly unique service, to reflect the Bride’s and Groom’s ideas and personalities. All the legal requirements are guaranteed too, so you don’t have to worry about a thing!
He has a friendly, easy style of presentation and delivery, fairly informal yet
with flair and just a touch of formality. He is punctual, courteous and very
approachable. As someone who, in an earlier life, spent many years as a
professional presenter and entertainer, Sylvan has a strong, clear diction, even
without a sound system. Guests invariably comment on how clearly they hear
every word of the ceremony.
Sylvan’s main focus is to make every ceremony a joyful and memorable one so that the Bride, the Groom, their families, friends and guests all feel the sense of occasion and fulfilment that your special day must have. A wedding can be anywhere in South Australia, and can happen so easily, with a minimum of fuss and at very reasonable fees.
Authorised Celebrant, Registered No. 3517. Appointed on2nd February, 1995
By the Attorney General’s Department, Canberra.
Member of Association of Civil Marriage Celebrants of South Australia
Contact Us. Click to return to Top
Coralie's and Sylvan's address is:
36 Cross Road, Myrtle Bank, S.A. 5064,
Phone: 08 8338 0017
Fax: 08 8338 0052.
We look forward to your call!
