Home or Away - Tips for getting married in New Zealand.

Home or Away - Tips for getting married in New Zealand.

Welcome to The Dream Maker New Zealand’s leading Event Management Team based in Motueka, close to Nelson at the top of the South Island in New Zealand.

The founder Terri Everett an award winning wedding and Significant Event Celebrant and Event Manager specializing in boutique occasions. Terri lives and breathes the fresh air in this abundant location of the Nelson and Tasman district but is available as a Celebrant throughout New Zealand.  Terri created the business through her own experience by managing her traditional church wedding back in 1994 and travelling to New Zealand from the UK as part of her honeymoon world trip.  Having had the most enchanting experience in New Zealand they returned as a family in 2006 and have worked in The Abel Tasman as part of the tourism industry ever since offering exclusive scenic boat charters and combining them with events.  The Dream Maker (& Sealimousines) collectively operate under the Department of Conservation permits, necessary to hold commercial events in the National Parks of New Zealand and have been accredited with a Qualmark, New Zealand’s Tourism industry stamp of quality, safety and excellent customer service, also awarded the Enviro Bronze for their efforts to maintain a high level of sustainability within their company for a true Kiwi experience.

Advice from the top! Terri discusses the choice of Home or Away.

Through experience I have felt the trauma of managing my own large church wedding at a time where we had little choice and I still get asked to manage large events but today I am going to talk about the boutique celebration available to us in New Zealand today.  Whatever the size of your wedding or event it still gives cause for stress and this can accumulate if you’re trying to plan an event from afar however in my experience it’s a fraction of the worry to a large event at home where there are so many more people to impress and bills to pay.

Whether you’re a young couple looking for thrills and adventure or a baby boomer experiencing your first or maybe third event we have something to offer you.

So here are some tips to consider when making your decision.

1.    Find a time: where you can sit with your partner over a glass of wine and turn off your telephones.  Bring a big piece of paper and some colouring pens, “you know the rest” write the pros and cons of getting married at home or abroad.  Scribe both opinions unconditionally for the overall picture of your feeling’s, desires and needs.  This picture should high light what you REALLY want for yourselves as a couple and the problems you will face in realizing that dream.  If you have decided on a home based celebration you need go no further.

2.    Having decided on a destination wedding the next exercise is to decide where that location is.  I am obviously only going to speak about New Zealand and even more direct the Nelson Tasman district on the South Island, where I have been an event manager for many years with a wealth of experience in our region; locations, weather, tides, and the professional providers of all the services you wish to combine.

3.    Telling your family and friends: this can only be your decision to tell them you are eloping and I find an increasing number of my couples chose not to tell their nearest and dearest until they return home, armed with their professional photos, possibly a video and other incredible stories.  This is a time where no other opinion matters but yours and if they are not blown away with your ammunition then you can only wonder if they really care about your feelings at all.  One way to include your family and friends is to organise a party on your return, you as a couple can wear exactly what you wore on the day, we can arrange flax or silk flowers, which we mail back to your home for your return and the slide show and/or video can be enjoyed by all.  It offers the best of both worlds.

4.    Co-ordination: It’s a daunting though knowing who to trust or where your money will be well spent and I have had many inquiries where couples started to D.I.Y wedding plan but soon found it was all in the “Too Hard Basket” This is where a professional coordinator can be contacted.  However can you trust them?  Do some homework before selecting your event manager; check their testimonials, what do others think of their work. There are many ways to hear what people say, facebook, Trip Advisor for example. You can also check Youtube for some visual idea of where you are going. It’s also important to know do they old the right credentials, permits and licenses to manage your event or have they been given any awards for their work or been recognized for their quality service and integrity by the industry associations.  All these considerations will help you select a team you can trust to make your day, as simple or lavish as it might be Perfect!

5.    Budget: Budget is most important to be realistic about what you can and cannot afford, or to priorities on where is most important to spend your money. Again we have the experience to manage you budget and tease the important elements out in creating something totally special to each couple we help.  It can cost as little as $1000 to get married with a little personality, so totally affordable but we can also create a lavish affair combining boutique accommodation, transport and catering.

6.    Location: New Zealand offers a huge array of locations however in the Nelson and Tasman region we combine at arm’s length the mountains to the sea and everywhere in-between from the Lord of the Rings film locations, Panoramic views, crystal clear waters and soft golden sands, Apple orchards with blossom or fruit, wondrous ancient caves to the purest rives edge.

7.    The Theme: The choice is really vast and to add to this we are also a region abundant with historic locations, activity, relaxation, nature, boutique wine and craft beer and we have combined the vows with the thrills of kayaking, sky diving, walking, and scenic boat and helicopter tours to name just a few ideas available.  It’s far from traditional but with little special elements included, like the wedding dress, a Kiwi ring, a small wedding cake, delicious wedding picnic all captured on film to share it’s a lasting memory for all to enjoy.

8.    Legality: To be able to get legally married in New Zealand you must have a legal registered representation and in these kind of more humanist kinds of events and independent New Zealand Celebrant is required.  This person will walk you through the process of your event and create a script personal to you. You will need to be in the country for no less than 3 days which is a fraction of most other countries stipulations and you will need to register your intent to be married to get your license.  You will need to check with your own country if there are any further requirements required and what paper work you will need to present to the Registrar.

9.    Witnesses: You need two witnesses to your event to make it legal, these need to be people who can understand the legality of the event and must be happy to sign the licence and give their legal home address.  Often couples come on their own and part of our service is to provide witnesses to your occasion. If the location you chose is so remote we provide two ceremonies, one legal one where witnesses are present and then a celebration ceremony where all other aspects of your ceremony can be orchestrated.

10.  Honeymoon: Deciding on an elopement or destination wedding is simple if you have already decided on the honeymoon location.  We don’t offer the typical resort Ceremony you find in many countries which are really glorified registry office wedding; it’s much more intimate and personal, as we never share your day with anyone else but you and who you chose to attend. Combining your wedding ceremony in your big adventure whatever your budget is all about you as a couple, experiencing new and exciting things, taking the time out to be in the NOW ! to listen to each other and share those feelings intimately, yet share them openly with others when the time suits you.

I hope you have found this useful and the trip through all the possibilities has inspired you to think wisely about your decisions and if you want more information I am happy to chat for free

Terri Everett

For further information contact Terri and the Team events@thedreammaker.co.nz or visit our website for further inspiration: www.thedreammaker.co.nz or call 0064 (0)275268771