A ceremony written around you two, from a celebrant who can hold a room.
The ceremony is the one part of the day where someone stands up and speaks in front of everyone you love. That's the part I'm good at. My niece's wedding in 2020 was my first. Family asked next, then friends, then couples who found me.
- Registered for marriages and civil unions
- Six years of ceremonies
- Hamilton and the Waikato
And when you kiss, I'm well out of the photo.
Edgar Wilson, independent marriage and civil union celebrant on the Department of Internal Affairs register. Hamilton, and anywhere in the Waikato, since 2020.
A ceremony your guests remember for all the right reasons.
I believe a wedding ceremony should be relaxed, personal, meaningful and, most importantly, a reflection of the couple getting married. So it's built around you both, and we go over it together until it sounds like you.
I'm friendly, approachable and a confident public speaker, with a good sense of humour when the occasion calls for it, and the sense to leave it out when it doesn't. My aim is to make everyone feel comfortable and keep things running smoothly.
What started as a family occasion in 2020 has turned into something I genuinely enjoy. Traditional, informal, or a little different, I'd love to be part of your day.
Three steps from first chat to first kiss.
You don't need to have anything worked out before you get in touch. A date, a place and a rough idea of the day are plenty.
We talk.
A relaxed chat about the two of you: how you met, what you want the day to feel like, and what you'd rather leave out. On the phone, over a coffee, or at your venue.
I write it.
I put the ceremony together in your words and mine, from the welcome to the legal lines. You read it, and we change it until it's right.
You enjoy it.
I keep everyone comfortable, cue the legal words at the right moment, and step aside for the photos.
And one thing I always make sure of? I get well out of the way for that all-important first kiss photo. After all, it's your special moment, not mine.
A real first kiss, and no celebrant in the frame.
Ceremonies I've led, as the photographers saw them.
Every picture on this page is from a ceremony I led, taken by the couple's photographer. None of it is stock.
The legal bit is shorter than you think.
I handle my share of the paperwork. Here's the whole thing, start to finish.
Civil unions work the same way, with a civil union licence in place of a marriage licence. I'm registered for both.
You apply for the licence.
One of you applies to Births, Deaths and Marriages, online, at least three working days before the ceremony. It asks for both your details, the date, the venue and my name as your celebrant. The licence is valid for three months.
The forms come to you, then to me.
Births, Deaths and Marriages sends you the licence and the forms we sign on the day. Pass them to me and I'll bring them.
On the day.
Somewhere in the ceremony each of you says one short legal sentence, your two witnesses sign with us, and you're married. I make it sound like it belongs there.
I send it back.
I return the signed form to Births, Deaths and Marriages, they register the marriage, and you can order your marriage certificate.
What couples ask before they book, answered straight.
Do you do civil unions as well as weddings?
Yes, both. And I put the ceremony together the same way, around the couple.
Where will you travel?
Anywhere in Hamilton and across the Waikato. If your venue is further afield, ask.
Can we write our own vows?
Yes, and I'll help if you'd like a hand. The law needs one short sentence from each of you. Everything around it is yours.
What does a ceremony cost?
It depends on the day, so ask. Tell me the date, the venue and roughly how many guests, and I'll come back with a figure.
Got a date in mind?
Tell me the date and the venue or the area. If the date's free, we'll talk from there. No pressure.
Or ring me.
Hamilton, Waikato