Speed-Date The 11 Best Auckland Wedding Celebrants in 2 mins.
(updated for the 2025 wedding season)
Finding the right wedding celebrant is hard. A ‘Best Auckland Wedding Celebrant’ list sounds helpful, but seeing one small picture and a brief written blurb doesn’t really capture the true dynamic and personality of each celebrant. Who they are and what they’re about? It’s really hard to know what are they’re actually like in-person from behind a computer screen.
It’s like Tinder for Celebrants. Swipe right on the profile and just hope (fingers crossed) the first date is a good fit…😬
But this Wedding List is different. We’re wedding videographers who, for over 15 years have witnessed in-person 100’s of different celebrants as they conduct their services. We’ve seen them interact with the couples, we’ve seen their confidence, their charisma and how they calm nerves.
From these countless interactions with celebrants, we’ve edited together 11 super-helpful 2 min videos of each celebrant to actually show you how they come across at a wedding ceremony. So instead of swiping right on a profile pic and a couple of written sentences, you’ll get a genuine feel of each celebrant’s personality, their vibe and energy before you send them an email.
… I hope you dressed nice. There are 11 Auckland wedding celebrants waiting to meet you in the room through that door. Here’s your dating card labelled with 11 names along with a [No], [Maybe], and [Yes] box you’ll need to tick as you move through them! So get ready…
This is Speed-Dating your Wedding Celebrant in 2 mins.
Sara stone
First up, you’ll be meeting Sara Stone. Now don’t be intimidated, but she has quite the resume. She’s an actress, voice artist, celebrant and DJ! … I know, I know, first up speed dating nerves. But just be yourself and you’ll be fine!
After 2 mins you’ll hear a bell. Just move down the row a little and you’ll meet your next wedding celebrant. All the best and I hope you find the one you’re after! 😉
2mins goes quick aye! If you liked your time with Sara, check [YES] on your card. You can check out her website here.
nate dunn
Nate is one big extrovert who loves the spotlight. And he uses that energy to create a fun, vibrant atmosphere with a few curveball comments to keep you on your toes!
Bonus info: Nate’s also an MC. More than just a one-trick-pony. You can stalk him here.
IS A PROFESSIONAL MARRIAGE CELEBRANT WORTH IT?
For a professional marriage celebrant, this ain’t their first rodeo and that point really matters.
You might be a bucket of nerves, but having a seasoned celebrant take care of your formalities really helps steer that ship through the sea of butterflies. Small things like asking everyone to stand and sit at the right time, to making sure they get out of the first-kiss shot are just a given for these guys. They do this stuff in their sleep.
What that means is you get more of them! More personality, more connection, more magic. We’ve often noticed that newer wedding celebrants are just focused on getting through the service without messing it up.
Professional celebrants know the basics so well they can take your ceremony to another level…
yvette reid
Yvette is super approachable, easy to get to know and quickly feels like a friend from yesteryear. She knows her shit (pronouncing husbands and wives since 2010), but still manages to keep things super fresh at every wedding ceremony.
Yvette is #3 on your card. Remember to tick the [yes] box to magically set up a connection with her.
lee weir
Next up is Lee Weir. He’s a Westie boy who calls a-spade-a-spade. That might not be everyone’s cup of tea so think twice before you give grandma a front-row seat at the wedding ceremony, but that’s exactly why we love him.
Lee sometimes dates others too (naughty boy), so to check if he’s free to be your marriage celebrant you can get in touch with him here.
WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD MARRIAGE CELEBRANT?
There’s a saying in documentary filmmaking: “Let the story move you before you move the story“.
This is the same with regards to a good wedding celebrant. To truly do your wedding ceremony justice and capture the spirit of who you are the celebrant needs to get inside your head and know you well. They need to be a historian and dig a little into your past, they need to be a psychologist to help you find what really makes you tick and most of all a really good listener. They need to understand who you are as individuals and what marriage means to you. Only then, can they start to put together a unique ceremony that reflects the essence of who you both are. One that captures your energy, dynamic and personality.
A good celebrant will take the time to listen and be moved by your story first, so they can then move you at the ceremony.
Jon pickford
If there ever was one person needed to defuse a ticking bomb and save all of humanity, Jon would be that man. He’s cool, calm and knows how to add-lib when the script doesn’t quite state which ‘red’ or ‘blue’ wire needs to be cut.
Side note: This magical forest ceremony spot is the lovely Kumeu Valley Estate. Ok sorry. Back to business. More on Jon and his plan to save humanity here.
Tasha bowen
As a secret weapon, Tasha sneakily wears her heart on her sleeve to get you to fall in love with her asap. And when you do, you’ll find she’s a cocktail of warm charm, excitement and random humour. I’ll drink to that!
Just to keep tabs, Tasha’s #6 on your card. Her website is here, but to really get to know Tasha, check out her out on Instagram.
HOW MUCH DOES A nz WEDDING CELEBRANT COST?
To understand what you’re paying for in a celebrant, it’s best to think of them as icebergs. What you see on the wedding day is 10% and the other 90% happens before the big day arrives. They will first meet with you to get to know who you are. Some will send you a questionnaire as well. They may attend your wedding rehearsal to make sure everything is in nice order and then, that last 10% is actually being there on your big day!
Most New Zealand marriage celebrants will charge between $500 – $900 for their services. Some of the best might be a little over $1200. But you really do get what you pay for here. Those that charge a little more often make no apologies for their fees. They know their worth and what they provide. If you want a bespoke, personalised ceremony, look to pay upwards of $900 for it.
penny Ashton (AKA Hot pink)
Penny is pure entertainment. So much so she’ll crack up at her own jokes just to let you know she’s funny. But actually though, that laugh…
If Hot Pink is your thang, then just make a note of her deets here. Remember, either tick [maybe] or [yes] if you’re looking for a hot match with Miss Ashton.
CELEBRANT KERRY
If I was a betting man, I’d pick Kerry’s a ‘pay it forward’ type of person. There’s no need to return the favour, just make someone else’s day amazing instead.
In saying that… you will actually need to pay her to show up 😂. You can contact her here.
Carla rotondo
Carla has an amazing knack for writing and delivering a ceremony that’s on-point to who you both are as a couple. So if you’re wanting a truely bespoke ceremony, she’s prob worth the next 2mins of your time!
She won’t tell you this, but she has quite the resume of achievements too. Take a little squiz here.
what things should I ask my celebrant?
That iceberg I mentioned above has quite the girth underneath the surface (look, it’s all about the personality ok). But there are several things you can ask your celebrant in regards to the service they offer that go beyond just the wedding day.
- How many meetings do I have with you?
- What kind of service do you provide? Do I get a bespoke ceremony written just for us or do I just pick from the 3 template scripts you’ve memorised?
- Will you come to my wedding rehearsal. Is that even needed?
- How far do you travel around New Zealand? What’s your travel fee?
LAURA GIDDeY
Smiles are a contagious thing. Especially around Laura. She’s a happy, bubbly person who will be there and share the excitement as you say your I-do’s!
Here’s Laura’s website. You’re almost there! Just one more date on the card.
Ok. Legit confession. I can’t count to 11. So here’s a 12th celebrant who’s totally worth being on this list!
PENE ALLAN-MCKAY
In my completely subjective opinion, if Pene was to suddenly turn into flowers, she’d be a bunch of roses. Timeless, classic and a little romantic… or perhaps that’s my bias from seeing her in front of such amazing florals in said video below! 😉 I’ll let you decide.
You can get in touch with Pene here. And to give credit where credit’s due, that amazing floral decoration… you can thank Blush for them!
Ok everyone, that’s the end of tonight’s Speed-Date your Auckland wedding celebrant event. Thanks so much for coming and I hope you found a match! Just a heads up, many of these Auckland celebrants are quite popular so if you want to find a perfect match, don’t dilly-dally ok! The early bird catches the worm.
And if you want to hang around afterwards, the bartender is offering $5 beers for the rest of the night to help you loosen up. FYI, that good-looking celebrant over in the corner keeps glancing at you. They might even tell you… 6 Ways To Create A Rich Atmosphere At Your Wedding Ceremony if you’re a little flirty with them.
Till next time, your wedding celebrant speed-dating host, Jared. 🙂
