frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a marriage licence?

To get married in New Zealand you must arrange for a marriage licence in advance of your wedding, between 3 days and 3 months. After the ceremony you register the marriage with your witnesses.
Click on the link below.

https://www.govt.nz/browse/family-and-whanau/getting-married/how-to-get-married-in-nz/

What is the role of a celebrant?

Celebrants work with couples to provide a ceremony that meets their needs whether it be traditional, religious or based on their cultural beliefs. They are there to guide the couple on their special day, provide advise and ensure that all legal requirements are met .Only registered celebrants can perform weddings or civil unions in New Zealand.

I am a trained celebrant through The Celebrant School and a member of the Celebrants Association of New Zealand. A collective body of fully trained celebrants supported by their governing body.

https://www.celebrantsassociation.co.nz/about-canz/code-of-ethics/

Can you have weddings during Covid-19?

At level 3, you are able to have a small registry wedding. It is purely a ceremony with no reception. A maximum of 10 people can attend including the celebrant.

How early do you need to book your celebrant.

It is up to the couple, but possibly the sooner the better to ensure you meet a few celebrants and check out which one would be a good fit for you. I like to be super organized so I would be doing my research and booking my favourite celebrant as soon as I had secured a date. When you apply for your marriage licence you will need my celebrant number to validate the request. You will be required to fill in a Notice of Intended Marriage. Once approved your licence is valid for 3 months from the date of issue. Once we are back to living life under Covid level 1 your licence will be issued between 3-7 days. During Covid levels 4,3,2 the licence may take up to 14 days to be issued.

What are your fees?

My fee is structured around your ceremony, factors will be how long, how big, how far away etc. A ball park figure its somewhere between $250 - $600. Please feel free to call, so we can chat about your plans.

Do we need to have a rehearsal?

These are essential for the bigger wedding party ceremonies, at venues. I always try to have a rehearsal the day before at the same time of your planned ceremony. This enables us all to get a good feel for the sunlight shadows and wind tunnels etc, so we can make decisions based around this. For Heli weddings and Registry styled ceremonies there really is no value added by getting together for a rehearsal before hand. Your ceremony will be finalized a week or so before your date.

How much does a marriage licence cost?

$150.00 Once you have your documents approved, email them to me so I can review them and ensure all the information is correct. I will then print them off on nice paper.

Are two witnesses are required?

Yes they need to understand the language we will be using for the ceremony. They also need to be able to write their full name and address on the paperwork. In a blended family situation you can use your children as witnesses.