What do you need to get married spontaneously & legally in New Zealand?

Read about the process How to get married in NZ‍ ‍

You don’t need a big wedding or an elaborate ceremony.
Just a few little things need to be in place before you can legally take the love of your life to be your legal spouse or civil union

01 | A registered marriage celebrant
New Zealand doesn’t have traditional “courthouse weddings”. Your ceremony needs to be officiated by a registered marriage celebrant.

02 | A little note about age
You both need to be at least 16 years old. If either of you is 16 or 17, consent from a Family Court Judge is required.

03 |You don’t need to live in New Zealand
You can get legally married here whether you call New Zealand home or you’re simply visiting for your special day.

04 | Two witnesses
You’ll need two people to witness your ceremony and sign the paperwork. They can be sensible kids, family, friends, or even people you’ve only just met.

05 |Start Planning at least a few weeks before
You will need:

  • A venue, can be your home, a hotel, a cafe, a park, a lodge, a beach or a mountain top

  • Book a registered celebrant

  • Apply for A Marriage Licence or A Civil Union Licence ($158) and the Marriage Certificate ($35) at the same time (recommended)

You’ll need to apply for your Marriage Licence or your Civil Union Licence before the ceremony. Allow at least 3 working days for it to be processed — a little extra time is always a good idea, but not too much, the Licence also expires after 3 months. Your Marriage/Civil Union Certificate usually will be received within two weeks once the marriage is registered by the celebrant after the ceremony.

And that’s really it.

A celebrant. A licence. Two witnesses. A location in New Zealand.
And two people choosing each other.

Your wedding can be wonderfully small, beautifully simple, and entirely yours. 🤍

如何在新西兰合法结婚？

了解完整流程：如何在新西兰结婚（How to get married in NZ）

划重点：

1. 新西兰不能“冲动扯证“（没有民政局）。
要让婚姻具有法律效力，你需要由一名新西兰婚姻注册官（Registered Marriage Celebrant）主持婚礼并依法完成结婚仪式。

2. 结婚双方必须年满16岁。
如果你的年龄是 16–17岁，需要事先获得新西兰家庭法院法官（Family Court Judge）的同意。

3. 不需要是新西兰居民也可以在这里结婚。
即使你并不居住在新西兰，也可以在新西兰（Aotearoa）合法结婚或缔结民事结合（Civil Union）。

4. 婚礼当天需要两名见证人（Witnesses）。
仪式当天需要两位见证人见证并签字。他们可以是懂事的孩子、家人、朋友，也可以是刚刚认识的人。

5. 建议至少提前几周开始准备。
你需要提前：

  • 确定举行婚礼的地点, 可以是你的家、酒店、咖啡店、公园、高级民宿、或者沙滩和山顶

  • 找到并确认一名注册婚姻主持人

  • 申请结婚许可证（Marriage Licence）或民事结合许可证(Civil Union Licence) ($158)

  • 建议在申请许可证时，同时申请结婚证或民事结合证（Marriage Certificate or Civil Union Certificate.)（$35)

结婚许可证的申请通常需要至少3个工作日处理，并且必须在婚礼仪式举行之前正式签发；提前一点没坏处，但是也不太早，许可证有效期只有3个月，过期需要重新申请。结婚证会在婚姻注册官完成法律注册后两周颁发。

所以，即使你们只想举行一个非常简单、私密的两人婚礼或私奔婚礼（Elopement），也建议提前做好这些基本安排。

一位婚姻注册官、一张许可证、两位见证人，一个在新西兰境内的地点，还有两个决定一起走下去的人。

婚礼可以很小，但这一刻，依然可以很特别。

singing marriage papers

What Do I offer?

婚姻注册官的服务内容

Small Weddings & Elopements

I’m based in Onehunga, Auckland, and also have the pleasure of working with the wonderful team at Te Karaka Station & Lodge to create intimate weddings and elopements for couples who prefer something a little smaller, more personal and relaxed.

I’m a NAATI Certified Mandarin–English Interpreter and can officiate your ceremony in English, Mandarin, or both. For couples with Chinese-speaking family and friends joining them from overseas, a bilingual ceremony means everyone can understand, share in and celebrate this beautiful moment with you.

Simple, Personal & Meaningful

For an elopement or intimate wedding of up to 20 guests, my celebrant package includes an initial Teams meeting, planning your ceremony together, drafting a simple personalised ceremony, officiating your wedding on the day and the legal paperwork after the ceremony.

Ceremonies can be held at Te Karaka Station & Lodge, or at a location of your choice within 10km of Onehunga.

English Ceremony — $350
Personalised ceremony planning & officiating, with no additional travel fee within the locations above.

Bilingual Mandarin + English Ceremony — $450
A personalised bilingual ceremony, thoughtfully delivered in both Mandarin and English so everyone you love can be part of the moment.

小型婚礼 & 私奔婚礼

我常驻 奥克兰 Onehunga，同时也很荣幸与 Te Karaka Station & Lodge 的团队一起，为喜欢简单、私密婚礼的新人策划 20人以内的小型婚礼和私奔婚礼（Elopement）。

我拥有 NAATI 中英文认证口译员资格，可以用英文、普通话，或中英双语为你们主持婚礼。

如果你们有从中国远道而来的父母、长辈或亲友，一场中英双语的婚礼，可以让他们真正听懂你们在仪式上的每一句话，而不是只能微笑着看完整场婚礼。

让两边的家人都能够听懂、参与，并与你们一起感受这个特别的时刻。🤍

简单、私人，也足够特别

如果你们计划的是一场亲密私奔( Elopement )婚礼，或20人以内的小型婚礼，我的基础婚礼主持服务包括：

婚礼前的视频沟通、一起确定仪式的流程和内容、为你们撰写一份简单而个性化的婚礼仪式稿，婚礼当天的正式主婚，以及仪式后的法律登记。

婚礼地点可以选择在 Te Karaka Station & Lodge，或 Onehunga 10公里范围内你们喜欢的地方。

英文婚礼主持 — $350
包括前期沟通、个性化仪式稿及婚礼当天主持，以及仪式后进行婚姻合法登记；以上服务范围内无需额外支付交通费用。

普通话 + 英文双语婚礼主持 — $450
为你们准备并主持一场中英双语的个性化婚礼，让来自不同语言背景的家人和朋友，都可以真正参与其中。