The Big Day
Congratulations on embarking on this significant step in your future together. You’ve found each other, made a plan, maybe booked a venue and now seeking the right person to help you with your marriage ceremony.
Whether your wedding is large, intimate or somewhere in-between, traditional or non-conventional, themed or simple – it’s a beautiful celebration of love and friendship, a day to always remember with happiness.
Your love story is told uniquely within a personalised ceremony woven in a tone that’s true to you and respectful of your style, taking you through the transition to married life in an atmosphere fuelled with joy and excitement. While the memory of the actual words may fade, it is the emotions they evoke and the memories that endure.
How do we begin?
First Contact
We identify what ceremony is wanted, the date, the venue and the time. Arrange a no-obligation meeting or a referral to one or more celebrant colleagues. Discussion of fees and payments occurs once the brief is clear.
Face to face meeting
We begin by meeting in person or via Video Chat. You tell me about yourselves, your relationship and your vision for your wedding day, including what you don’t want. While we get to know each other, I’ll explain the general outline of a ceremony, offer suggestions of how we can incorporate people and your ideas into your ceremony and go over the legal requirements. I require confirmation that I’m your celebrant within seven days of the meeting, with a non-refundable deposit.
Second meeting (maybe included in 1st meeting above)
This meeting is the primary preparation stage of the ceremony providing a collaboration of ideas, reflections and preliminary plans from the two of you and me following our first meeting. Provision of resource materials, e.g. readings, vows, etc.
Ceremony Design
Using the information from our second meeting and some questions I ask you to do together, I will weave your story, beliefs and values into a Draft ceremony. This will be emailed to you to read, check, approve or edit so that you get precisely the tradition that you both want and feel comfortable with. I’m available in person, via phone, email, or Video Chat throughout this process.
Final meeting (Optional – usually Video Chat)
This meeting is close to your Wedding Day, providing an opportunity to reconnect personally. We go over all the relevant details of the day, including checking timings, fine-tuning your ceremony if needed, finalising which family and friends are doing what, and deciding if you want me to print out any words for you onto cards (e.g. your vows) and we talk about social media.
At this time, your Legal Documents should be available, and we can confirm your identities – one less thing for you to worry about on the day. This informal, private meeting means your rehearsal will flow much more smoothly.
Rehearsal
This is the crucial fun part of your ceremony planning. You feel how it will be on the day and can get over some of your nervousness and worries.
While none of the ceremony words is spoken, I run through the choreography of the entire ceremony – how you will enter, where everyone will stand throughout the different parts of the ceremony, what happens during the signing and how you will walk out in celebration mode.
Hopefully, your bridal party or some of them will be able to attend. Your MC, readers, people with particular tasks, and parents are welcome. Great for calming nerves, a fun time with everyone bonding before the actual day.
I can easily organise an alternative if you cannot hold your rehearsal at your venue.
The Big Day
All that planning comes together, making for one of the best days in your life. I arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in with all the relevant people (venue manager, close family, MC, readers, musicians, photographer) and the ceremony set up. Once the Groom and his team are standing up front, I keep the Groom comfortable and relaxed. I deliver your ceremony in a warm, engaging manner to you both and your guests. I’m mindful of the Photographer and ensure magic moments are not missed or include people that shouldn’t be there.
Following the ceremony, I’ll seek you both out for a photo with me before I leave. Your Copy of the Particulars with being given to whomever you have designated for this critical job, and I will take a photo of the Copy of Particulars and email it to the Registrar.
Lastly, a copy of your ceremony will be posted to you both.
Please don’t hesitate to Contact me if you would like to know more.
Aotearoa Wedding
Travelling from overseas?
If you’re thinking of having your wedding in Aotearoa/ New Zealand, on offer are many beautiful venues, indoors and outdoors amongst our incredible scenery, providing stunning settings for your ceremony and celebration.
Whether it’s an intimate wedding or organising a “Return to NZ from overseas” wedding –I’m the Celebrant for you
How the planning works?
I’ll work with you, with our primary communication through Video Chat until you arrive in the country. Together we will design a unique, personalised ceremony, I’ll assist you with the legal requirements for getting married in New Zealand.
If you have no family or contacts here, I can arrange flowers, hairdresser, makeup artist, cake, suitable accommodation (for a small fee based on the amount of work required). I can also provide two witnesses (legal requirement) if your wedding is going to be a romantic affair for just the two of you. Alternatively, if a larger wedding, I can suggest a wedding planner too.
When you fly home, even if your name hasn’t changed on your passport, you’ll know that your “KIWI Wedding” was a fabulous start to your married life together.
Please don’t hesitate to Contact me if you would like to know more.
Elopement/Registry Weddings
Are you on a tight budget and want something more special and significant than a registry wedding?
If you need to get officially married now and are planning on having a wedding with family and friends later on, an intimate, simple but heartfelt ceremony may suit you.
I’m a full time Validated Celebrant and I’m able to offer registry style ceremonies. I work to the same professional standard as for all my ceremonies but in this case, without the extensive consultation beforehand. Your ceremony will be uniquely tailored to you both based on answers received from a brief set of questions. I’ll also guide you both through the legal requirements of a marriage.
This service is available within the Greater Auckland area and beyond. Travel outside the Greater Auckland area would incur a travel fee.
Please don’t hesitate to Contact me if you would like to know more.
Note: I now offer Registry Ceremonies which have specific conditions as noted on the website https://www.govt.nz/browse/family-and-whanau/getting-married/
Celebrant cheryl 