Choosing Your Celebrant
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Do you want to be married here in New Zealand?
You do! Then you had better ask yourself the following questions ...
After answering these particular questions - there are a few more you need to discuss. Which Church? Where you will have to make an appointment to discuss your decision with the Priest or Minister of Religion who is empowered to perform marriage ceremonies. Or ... for a Registry Office Wedding - a Registrar of Marriages. A Secular or Non-religious service? Or an informal mixture of the two? Then for your wedding to be legally recognised here in Aotearoa New Zealand it MUST be conducted by an Celebrant who is officially registered with the Department of Internal Affairs. OK – Which Celebrant? Your local Court House will give you a list of Celebrants in your area. Your friends will tell you about weddings they’ve attended and which particular Celebrants they think either got it all right! Or all wrong! Or if you’re really lucky – someone who has conducted a wedding you have attended and who impressed you with their ability to do it so very well. Your Parents may know of someone in the Community whom they respect and perhaps suggest you think about having. Or Google it! Search the internet. Or Just input Gaye Gough Celebrant and have a look at what appears on the screen! Note well ... there is only one registered professional Celebrants' Association of New Zealand (Inc) and you will find it listed as www.celebrantsassociation.co.nz/ - where Gaye is alphabetically listed under "B" as Blake-Gough Whatever you do – remember you cannot get legally married here in NZ without a fully registered Celebrant of some sort! You can have the most fantastic dress, or formal male attire, (top hat and tails?) The most expensive wine, creatively iced cake, talented photographer, artistic floral arrangements, horrendously expensive wedding rings, gleaming limousines, and a pricey reception with delicious food... but absolutely none of the above will be able to legally pronounce you to be Husband and Wife! CHOOSE YOUR CELEBRANT WITH CARE! Make sure it is someone you feel comfortable with, someone you have the utmost confidence in to capture the spirit of your day in exactly the way YOU wish it to be. Someone you have built up a close relationship with and who possesses excellent communication skills with people at all levels of society. Someone who will keep calm and carry on under any random circumstances that may occur. Who will deliver to you both the wedding day of your dreams. They must be “the right one” for you two! |
Gaye is the celebrant in the middle of the photo wearing a hat! The beautiful bride is the one in cerise holding the flowers! A 1999 Foundation member of CANZ (the Celebrants’ Association of NZ) Gaye has married so many men over the years she has lost count, but she has never married a man she didn’t like! She had to travel to Australia however, in order to marry her own son!
Her own wedding day was over 48 years ago and together with husband Vin, they have celebrated their Silver, Ruby and Sapphire wedding anniversaries. Gaye is also a Civil Union Celebrant and believes that if a couple love each other, are proud enough to stand up in front of family and friends and publicly vow to love, honour and cherish their partner till the end of time - then she is the one to help them celebrate their legal life coupling. No, she has never had a Bridezilla! Just those who want their wedding to be as perfect as possible, celebrated in just the way the couple have dreamed of it - with her help and assistance - which she is happy to provide. Gaye is also prepared to travel to other areas of NZ if requested. (In the past she has assisted at weddings in both Australia and Indonesia). |
