Civil Unions

Your Civil Union

The Civil Union Act 2004, was a significant and exciting piece of legislation in the area of New Zealand's human rights. Recognising the diversity of human relationship, it enabled same sex couples to enter into legally recognised partnerships, (although a man and woman can also choose to have a civil union instead of a marriage).

Like marriage, a civil union is a great celebration of love, commitment and union. It is a time to celebrate each other, your coming and journeying together. It's a time to party.

Yet a civil union can also be a time of some tension, if family members are not supportive of a same-sex couple choosing to formalise their love. If is the case for you, I can offer you a sensitive approach and heart felt support as we work together to design the most appropriate ceremony to honour your commitment.

See the Client Comments section of this website for feedback from civil union clients.

Planning your Civil Union

To plan your civil union ceremony, I would work with you in the following ways:
  a.. Meeting and getting to know you
  b.. Hearing about your hopes and dreams for your wedding day
  c.. Discussing what you want included in your ceremony
  d.. Drafting the ceremony and getting your feedback on this
  e.. Having a dress rehearsal
  f.. Officiating at the ceremony

Planning a Civil Union in New Zealand from Overseas

If you are living overseas and want to come to Wellington, New Zealand to have a civil union, there is much we can do by email to plan your ceremony. We would be in contact a lot by email and I would send you questionnaires this way. We could also speak on the phone if necessary. We would finalise the ceremony by email and meet just before the civil union, when we would also have a dress rehearsal.

An important thing to remember when planning a civil union from overseas is to leave enough time between your arrival in New Zealand and the wedding day. This is so you can take your application for a civil union licence into Births, Deaths and Marriages and make the statutory declaration you need to. Births, Deaths and Marriages take three working days to process your application. If your schedule is tight and arriving early in New Zealand isn't possible there are some things you can do about this. For more information, please contact me or see the website of Births, Deaths and Marriages.