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Ryan & Katie
The Sign of the Bellbird is a stunning location, situated near the top of Summit Road in the Port Hills. It is perfect for elopements and intimate ceremonies!
REGISTRY WEDDING
20 NOVEMBER 2020 - SIGN OF THE BELLBIRD, CHRISTCHURCH
The Sign of the Bellbird is a stunning location, situated near the top of Summit Road in the Port Hills. It is perfect for elopements and intimate ceremonies! The views over Lyttelton Harbour and Hoon Hay Valley are breathtaking and make for beautiful photos (even on my average phone camera!).
Choosing to get married in the evening, Ryan and Katie’s registry wedding was simply magical. They had only their very closest family members and friends present. Despite the windy weather, the stone heritage hut where we held the ceremony was sheltered and offered complete protection from the elements. It was cosy and intimate. There was laughter, tears and even a toast (yes, pack your chilli bin and champagne, friends!!). A perfect way to kickstart the weekend - and of course, the marriage of a lifetime.
Registry Wedding Details
I will…
Offer a choice between two scripts with standard vows (provided by Births, Deaths & Marriages - read both options on pages 2/3/4 here)
Help you to apply for a marriage licence and ensure that legal requirements are met
Travel within the immediate Christchurch area
Print your paperwork to sign on the day
You will…
Provide the venue, two witnesses and optional guests (up to 20 only)
Show me a copy of your ID and pay a set fee of $90 prior to the ceremony taking place
More information about registry ceremonies can be found here.
There is nothing more exciting than beginning a new adventure together. I wish you both the very best for your next chapter! xx
AROHA NUI,
Vic xxx
“Ryan and I would just like to say thanks again for making our day happen! Everything went perfectly. You have great communication, and were very easy and helpful to deal with! Best of luck with your pregnancy and your whānau. Hope to see you again in the teaching world! ”
Aaron & Soxy
I just loved this weekday wedding - what a way to spend a Wednesday! Aaron and Soxy were married on the lawn at Ouruhia Hall with their closest family and friends. Thankfully, the sunshine emerged from the moody sky and we were blessed with a beautiful day!
REGISTRY WEDDING
11 NOVEMBER 2020 - OURUHIA HALL, CHRISTCHURCH
I just loved this weekday wedding - what a way to spend a Wednesday! Aaron and Soxy were married on the lawn at Ouruhia Hall with their closest family and friends. Thankfully, the sunshine emerged from the moody sky and we were blessed with a beautiful day!
There were so many lovely touches… The aisle lined with paper hearts, the driftwood archway hand-crafted by the groom, and baskets of rose petals. The involvement of family members, from wee babies to grandparents, was also very special.
Ouruhia Hall is a budget-friendly option if you are interested in the ‘DIY’ style of wedding. It has the capacity to fit up to 150 people so it is well suited for those with a larger guest list. Situated on a large domain, the hall is a ‘blank canvas’ for you to decorate as you please. Canterbury has such a variety of options - we are so lucky!
Congratulations to the newly married couple and all the best for your next chapter together!
AROHA NUI,
Vic xxx
“We had only email contact with Victoria leading up to our wedding - her response time was amazing and no question was left unanswered. We felt confident in her services and found her amazing, kind and a great presence on our big day.”
Ben & Marchelle
Registry Ceremonies are perfect for couples wanting a short, sweet and legal ceremony with their nearest and dearest :)
REGISTRY CEREMONY
2ND OCTOBER 2020 - PARKLANDS, CHRISTCHURCH
The traditional ‘big wedding day’ isn’t for everyone and Registry Ceremonies are perfect for couples wanting a short, sweet and legal ceremony with their nearest and dearest :) Ben and Marchelle held their ceremony at home with just their parents and fur babies to witness their special union. They started their day with a walk together and spent the weekend relaxing as husband and wife!
“No ceremony can create a marriage; only the couple can do that—through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing in each other. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice they make to stand together as life mates and partners.”
What’s super cool is that Ben is a videographer! His company is called Moustache Media - check out his awesome portfolio here. He captured his own wedding day AND we ended up working together today (10th October!) at another wedding. Stoked!
Images from Moustache Media gallery
Registry Wedding Details
I will…
Offer a choice between two scripts with standard vows (provided by Births, Deaths & Marriages - read both options on pages 2/3/4 here)
Help you to apply for a marriage licence and ensure that legal requirements are met
Travel within the immediate Christchurch area
Print your paperwork to sign on the day
You will…
Provide the venue, two witnesses and optional guests (up to 20 only)
Show me a copy of your ID and pay a set fee of $90 prior to the ceremony taking place
More information about registry ceremonies can be found here.
AROHA NUI,
Vic xxx
Videographer - Ben from Moustache Media
“Victoria was our celebrant for our registry ceremony and she made it so stress free and easy going - was just like an extra friend! She was everything you could ask for; caring, punctual, informative, organised, and with an engaging ‘stage’ presence. 100% would recommend!”
New Zealand Marriage Celebrants
Learning a little bit more about Marriage Celebrants…
Only those persons appointed by the Registrar-General as Marriage Celebrants and whose name appears in the List of Celebrants in the New Zealand Gazette have authority to solemnise marriages in New Zealand. I was excited to become registered as an Independent Marriage Celebrant on 5th June 2019 and later, to join the Celebrants Association of New Zealand (CANZ).
Why should you book a CANZ member as your Marriage Celebrant?
CANZ members create and facilitate ceremonies and rituals which respond to the diverse needs and values of New Zealand individuals, families and communities. In engaging a CANZ celebrant, you are gaining the assurance of employing a celebrant who belongs to the national professional body, a celebrant who has passed the association’s Code of Ethics and Professional Standards test, and a person who, more often than not, is committed to ongoing professional development with a strong network of fellow celebrants to call on if needed.
So, what is VCANZ?
CANZ has introduced a celebrant validation process known as VCANZ, which is a structured recognition of celebrant training, experience and professional development based on the CANZ body of knowledge. This gives couples additional certainty and greater comfort that a CANZ celebrant meets the professional standards of competency required for celebrant work. Also, only validated celebrants can legally perform Registry Ceremonies, no longer held at Births, Deaths and Marriages offices. I received my VCANZ status on 3rd June 2020 (and I cried LITERAL TEARS of joy!!!).
Why are Registry Ceremonies being held in the community?
Vaughan Millar (Senior Advisor at Services and Access - The Department of Internal Affairs) tells us more through a short history about the concept of validated CANZ celebrants performing registry ceremonies.
Like most change these days, it started with the Internet. In this case, marriage licence applications could be completed fully online from October 2018, which resulted in less walk-ins to a public counter. Other than signing declarations, the only other major work for the 47 registry offices was performing registry office marriages. With 10,000 appointed marriage celebrants, it made sense to give couples more options and a better customer experience by making better use of this pool of talent. It also provided an opportunity for more work for celebrants. Over the following 12 months the groundwork began to enable the outsourcing of registry weddings to celebrants in the community.
On 1 July 2019, the registry celebrant service was launched with 59 celebrants signed up in areas outside the centres where BDM had large offices – Christchurch, Wellington, Manukau and Auckland. The next step was taking advantage of the Wellington BDM office move early in 2020. The last day registry wedding ceremonies were held at the Wellington counter was on Friday, 31 January 2020 and on 1 February 2020, that work was handed over to VCANZ celebrants. The plan was to move registry office ceremonies in Christchurch, Manukau and Auckland to validated CANZ members on 1 December 2020 – similar to the process that had been successfully executed in Wellington. However, due to Covid19, this date was brought forward to early March 2020.
As of 12 May 2020, there are 129 registry celebrants spread across the length of New Zealand - BDM are out of the business of performing registry marriages, now sitting entirely with celebrants (including yours truly!).
What does this mean for YOU?
A celebrant is a deeply personal choice - someone who can connect with you and capture the essence of your true self. Their role is to share your story, encompassing your values and beliefs in a way that reflects your relationship. One of the most significant moments of my own wedding ceremony was when our celebrant, Sally, blessed us in te reo, grounding and connecting us to a particular place and time. For you, it may be a reading or a song, maybe a funny anecdote - your ceremony should be uniquely yours. In ten or twenty years time, you may not remember the exact words, but you will remember the way they made you feel. As a validated member of CANZ, and a lover of people and their stories, I am committed to creating something beautiful with you xx
AROHA NUI,
Vic xxx
*Please note: You can find out more about the different ceremonies I provide here.