Celebrant

CELEBRANTS - THE GUIDING LIGHT

Celebrants work with couples to provide a ceremony that meets their needs, and guide those who wish to design and write their own. They are the quiet co-ordinating presence which makes the ceremony ow beautifully. The celebrant is responsible for ensuring all legal requirements are met.

Things you need to know:  Only people appointed by the

Registrar-General as Marriage and/ or Civil Union Celebrants, and whose name appears in the List of

Celebrants in the NZ Gazette, have authority to solemnise marriages and/or civil unions in New Zealand

 It is important that those at the wedding know who the celebrant is, should any questions need to be asked prior to proceedings  There has been a recent trend for a ‘friend’ of the couple to conduct the wedding, with an o cial celebrant just signing o on the legal requirements. This is not acceptable  The marriage licence is a document con rming that it is legal for the marriage between the two parties to go ahead. It does not need to be signed  Two copies of ‘Particulars of

Marriage’ or ‘Particulars of Civil

Union’ are signed in front of two witnesses and the celebrant at the ceremony. A copy of this is sent to the Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages within 10 days of the ceremony. It is from this that a

Marriage Certi cate can be issued  Not everyone requests a Marriage

Certi cate but remember you will need it for name changing on important documents like your passport or bank accounts