Tess the Celebrant
About Me
I love reading, attempting to converse in Mandarin, playing fetch with my dog (which is really her just running after the stick then taking off with it, and me picking up another), a cup of coffee and a good yarn.
And I love a good wedding - which is why I became an Independent Marriage Celebrant. Whether it's the traditional ceremony, a surprise party, an elopement or something completely outside the square, count me in.
I am based in Auckland, New Zealand, but am always up for a road trip to see the rest of our beautiful country if you're elsewhere.
Let me tell your story while blending into the background of your ceremony. We all know the best photographs of a wedding don't have the celebrant in it.*
*But if you're going to have a celebrant lurking in the background, this one scrubs up alright!
Why choose me?
Having done this gig since 2016, I am happy to use my experiences to answer all of those fiddly wedding questions.
Whether you have 4 guests or 400, I'm happy to spin yarns with the lot of them.
My current job requires me to be organised and professional in high pressure situations with time management skills being a must. These skills transfer well to the wedding world.
I know the day is all about you two. I can tailor a ceremony that suits you down to the ground - not every wedding has to be super mushy. Let's tell the stories you love and slip in those personal jokes to create a ceremony that will make you grin from ear to ear.
I'm happy to call/text/message/fax/send carrier pigeons all day long. We'll stay in contact as much or as little as you need to get things right.
What to expect
THE INTIAL MEETING
You've got to suss out your celebrant before you choose them. Let's meet for a coffee somewhere so you can figure out whether I'm the right person for you. There's no obligation. Just a bit of chit chat about ourselves, what your big plans are and what I can offer you.
Not in Auckland? No problem. We can meet up online.
THE IN-BETWEEN
If you give me the green light we will have some back and forth by email. Just fill out a few simple forms and I'll get onto writing your ceremony which I'll invite you to chop and change if it's not quite right.
I can point you in the right direction in terms of obtaining your Copy of Particulars and the legal process. And of course, provide some guidance for those hard to write vows.
REHEARSAL
Rehearsals are handy to iron out the little things you may not have thought of and to make sure everyone is in the know about when to pop the confetti and where to park the horse and carriage. I'll come along so we can run over the order of events so everything goes to plan.
THE BIG DAY
This is it! I'll check in with both of you prior to the ceremony then head on over to the venue in plenty of time. You're in good hands. I'll see you at the alter!
The Fee
I have a flat rate of $750. This includes:
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The initial no obligation meeting, a subsequent meeting and rehearsal (if these are required)
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Help with those tricky vows
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Guidance on how to obtain your Copy of Particulars (the paperwork you sign on the day) and the legal process
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Writing and editing a ceremony script with you
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Performing the ceremony itself
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Travel costs within Auckland (excluding ferry trips e.g Waiheke and other islands).
Give me a bell if your wedding is out of Auckland and I'll figure out the travel costs.
A Few Reviews
"Thank you so much for making our day amazing! The ceremony was perfect, we couldn't of asked for a more amazing celebrant. You walked us through everything step by step, calmed my nerves and ensured everything went smoothly. It was perfect, thank you!!!!!" - Amanda and Andrew
"I only have amazing things to say about Tess! Through a couple of questions she put together a ceremony that was exactly "us", and everyone at the wedding commented on how well she reflected who we are as a partnership. She is so helpful with the lead up to the big day, with our vows and all our crazy questions. She put my husband well at ease before I came walking down the aisle! She was open to suggestions (not that we needed to make any) and she put together our perfect wedding ceremony! I can't recommend her enough!" - Liana and Paul
"Tess thank you so much for making our wedding day so special! You really went above and beyond to make sure our ceremony was everything we wanted it to be. You put in so much time and effort and always made yourself available to talk when we had a million more questions for you. We have had many people comment on how wonderful you were." - Lucy and Jono
"I cannot recommend Tess highly enough. The ceremony she put together was a perfect representation of Dan and I. We had so many comments on what an awesome ceremony it was. Tess was so helpful and answered all of my silly questions. Not that I had many. The information and questions she provided to put the ceremony together covered everything. Nothing seemed to be a problem. Thanks again Tess!!" - Louise and Daniel
Contact me
So if you're liking what you're seeing and think we'd make a cracker team (or you have any questions at all), flick me a message. I'd love to be a part of your big day!
