Getting Married in New Zealand

Whether you choose to elope or invite the whole family, getting married in New Zealand promises to make the start of your new lives together memorable for all the right reasons.

Choosing the right location
There are beautiful indoor and outdoor wedding venue options to choose from when getting hitched in New Zealand and selecting the right location may depend on the season.

Beach or outdoor weddings
Getting married on a beach or park in New Zealand requires a permit and permission from the local council. This will ensure that no one else can get married in that spot at the same time and that no council maintenance can happen during your ceremony.

The local council will advise of the regulations around temporary wedding aisles and arches specific to that location.

Wedding venues
You are spoiled for choice when looking for a wedding venue in New Zealand.

Anything from casual backyard weddings, intimate elopements and rustic outdoor ceremonies to the ultimate luxurious of wedding venues you’re sure to find the perfect place to suit your style and budget, find your top 10 places to get married in New Zealand.

More wedding venues
Lanarch Castle
Hamilton Gardens
Heli and Destination Weddings
Skyline Rotorua
Edgewater
Fiordland Lodge
Minaret Station
The Church of the Good Sheperd
Legal requirements

There are two types of legal marriage in New Zealand;
– Registry ceremonies
– Personalised ceremonies

To help with your planning there are some straight forward steps to follow;
– Choose a venue or location
– Find a celebrant
– Apply for a marriage licence
– Arrange two witnesses
– Contact the local council to ask about permits (if required)

Your celebrant will give you a “Copy of particulars of marriage” and they will register your marriage officially for you.

Make sure to have everything covered well in advance and read through this step-by-step guide on getting married in New Zealand(opens in new window).

Civil union
A civil union certificate allows couples to legally register their relationship. You don’t need to be a citizen to have a civil union in New Zealand.

The two types of civil unions in New Zealand are;
– Registry ceremonies for civil unions
– Personalised ceremonies for civil unions

Make sure to have everything covered well in advance and read through this step-by-step guide on civil unions in New Zealand.

Same-sex marriage and civil union
In 2013 New Zealand became one of the first counties in the world to welcome and legalise same-sex marriage.

Anyone over the age of 18 can legally marry or enter a civil union in New Zealand.