Getting married
Find out about getting married in NZ or overseas. Get a marriage or civil union license or certificate. Learn how to find, become or complain about a celebrant.
-
How to get married in NZ
Choose the kind of ceremony you want then follow the step-by-step guide. You must get married by a celebrant.
-
Getting married overseas
If you’re getting married or having a civil union overseas, you usually do not need to do anything in NZ beforehand — check with the country’s officials if you need to do anything there.
-
Celebrants
Only registered celebrants can perform weddings or civil unions in New Zealand.
-
Get a marriage licence
Before you get married, you need to apply for a marriage licence. This confirms it’s legal for you to marry. A marriage licence costs $150.
-
Changing your name when you get married
In New Zealand, you don’t usually have to do anything special if you want to change your name after you get married or have a civil union.
-
Order a marriage certificate
Your New Zealand marriage certificate is an official record of your marriage. It costs $33 to have it posted to you. You can order your certificate online.
-
Submit a notice of objection to someone’s wedding
If you think there are legal reasons why someone shouldn’t get married or have a civil union, you can lodge a caveat or notice of objection.
-
Information for marriage celebrants
Celebrants can legally perform marriages and/or civil unions in New Zealand. If you want to become a celebrant, you can choose to be independent or connected with an approved church or organisation. Once you're registered you need to renew your registration each year and keep your contact details up-to-date.
-
Civil unions
A civil union is the formalisation of a relationship between two people, regardless of gender, in accordance with the Civil Union Act 2004. Some overseas countries may not recognise New Zealand civil unions so you may want to seek independent legal advice before deciding to enter into a civil union. A celebrant must conduct your civil union.
-
Complain about a marriage or civil union celebrant
If you have a serious problem with a marriage or civil union celebrant not performing their legal duties before, during or after your ceremony, you can make a formal complaint about them.
-
Deposit an overseas divorce or dissolution certificate
If you got married or had a civil union in New Zealand and legally ended the relationship overseas through a divorce or dissolution, you can get this information added to your marriage or civil union certificate.