What sort of marriage ceremonies are there?
There are two kinds of ceremony. One is a civil ceremony held by a Registrar of Marriages in a Registry Office.
The other is a ceremony held by an appointed Marriage Celebrant (including ministers of religion) at any other place (including places of worship). If you decide to be married by a Marriage Celebrant you should discuss with them about where and when you would like the marriage to take place, and the type of ceremony.
What are the legal steps we must take to get married?
To get married in New Zealand you must hold a valid marriage licence. Before you apply for the marriage licence you must:
Arrange for a Marriage Celebrant or Registrar of Marriages to perform the ceremony
Arrange a place for the ceremony. You should also choose an alternative venue in the event, that the weather prevents you from marrying at your primary venue.
One of the parties must:
Complete a 'Notice of Intended Marriage' and go to an office of a Registrar of Marriages, to sign the statutory declaration before a Registrar of Marriages stating you are legally free to marry;
Pay the fee of NZ$122.60 for a marriage licence, or NZ$173.70 for a Registry Office marriage to be held during normal office hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm)
How long does it take to get a marriage licence?
If approved, the licence will be issued not earlier than three calendar days after the notice is submitted to a Registrar of Marriages. The licence is valid for three months from the date of issue.
What does 'legally free to marry' mean?
Legally free to marry means that you are not married or in a civil union already (unless you are changing the form of the relationship from a civil union with the same partner), are 16 years of age or over (and have parental consent if aged 16 or 17), are not closely related to each other in certain ways.
How do we know who we cannot marry?
The back of the 'Notice of Intended Marriage' form gives a full list of people you cannot marry. In general, you cannot marry a close relative by blood, marriage or civil union. This includes relatives by adoption and some step relatives.
What if either of us has been married or in a civil union before?
If either of you have been married or in a civil union before, and the marriage or civil union has been dissolved, you may be asked to produce evidence of the dissolution (e.g. Divorce/Dissolution Order) when you give notice to the Registrar of Marriages. If your previous spouse or partner has died you do not need to produce evidence of their death, but you will need to give the date of death on the 'Notice of Intended Marriage' form.
What are the legal requirements for all marriage ceremonies?
The legal requirements are that:
The marriage must be performed by a Marriage Celebrant or Registrar of Marriages at the place specified on the marriage licence;
The marriage must be performed in the presence of at least two witnesses; and
During the ceremony, and before at least two witnesses, each party must say the words "I AB take you CD, to be my legal wife/husband" or words to similar effect.
Both parties and witnesses sign the registration forms
Both parties must sign the registration forms using their pre-married signatures according to their names on the Marriage Licence.
Children may act as witnesses if they understand the importance of the part they take in the recording of the marriage and can demonstrate that understanding in court if later required to do so.
What must the Marriage Celebrant do at the marriage ceremony?
The Marriage Celebrant must officiate at the marriage ceremony. This includes:
The formal identification of the parties named on the marriage licence (the celebrant must be satisfied that the persons about to be joined are in fact those named on the marriage licence);
The exchange of the marriage vows;
After both copies of the registration papers (Copy of Particulars of Marriage) have been signed and witnessed, the Marriage Celebrant must return the Registrars copy to the issuing Registry Office within 10 calendar days, the couple keep the other copy;
The Marriage Celebrant must take all reasonable steps to ensure the marriage is registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Persons other than the Marriage Celebrant may be involved in the ceremony by, for instance, reading a poem.
There should be no doubt in the eyes of the couple, witnesses and attendees that the marriage ceremony was performed by a Marriage Celebrant.