Jeff Montgomery,
General Manager and Registrar-General;
Services and Access
Message from the
Registrar-General
We now have a healthy number of celebrants approved to perform the new ceremonies similar to those in registry offices. We are still looking for celebrants in Gisborne and on the West Coast. Make sure you check the information below to see if you are eligible and how to apply.
The Locating a Celebrant website has been operating in it's current form for about 5 years so we're asking for your suggestions as to how the next version could be enhanced to provide a better service for celebrants and couples.
If you are attending the Celebrants’ Association 2019 Conference (information below), I look forward to seeing you on the afternoon of 25 May. I'll be providing an update on what my team have underway and answering pre-submitted questions.
Complete our survey on Locating a Celebrant
In 2019, the Department of Internal Affairs will incorporate 'locating a celebrant' into the Getting Married pages on Govt.nz. The current Locating a Celebrant website will be retired.
This will make it easier for customers to access and will help maintain a consistent look and feel. We want to know how celebrants feel about the current website, how it works and the information displayed.
Please complete this short survey.
We will also be holding one-on-one sessions with members of the public who are planning their wedding. In these sessions we will observe the current customer experience to better understand customer needs. Customer experience will also be monitored when trialling prototypes of the updated website.
This research will inform our design of the Getting Married content on Govt.nz to ensure it works well for both customers and celebrants.
Recent updates to Locating a Celebrant
Use https://celebrants.dia.govt.nz/independent_celebrant_self_service to update your qualifications, VCANZ status, website, photo, preferred name and when you move.
Are you a graduate?
If you have successfully graduated with a celebrant-specific qualification, this can now be published on the Locating a Celebrant website. For instance, if you have graduated with a:
- Certificate in Celebrant Studies (The Celebrant School or Auckland University of Technology)
- Diploma in Celebrant Studies (The Celebrant School or Auckland University of Technology)
- Diploma of Celebrancy (The Celebrant Training College)
The Department values the work undertaken by these training providers and encourages celebrants to access relevant professional training.
Are you a validated CANZ member?
When a CANZ celebrant has achieved validation, the Locating a Celebrant website will display the VCANZ logo beside their name.
Your celebrant record has already been updated if you achieved validation before 30 April. If you are VCANZ you may wish to check https://celebrants.dia.govt.nz to make sure your information is correct.
Send your application to perform registry style ceremonies
Apply now to perform registry style ceremonies from 1 July. For more information refer to Ngātahi | Call for applicants to do registry ceremonies (the survey in that newsletter has since expired). When celebrants achieve validation VCANZ, the congratulatory email CANZ send has a link to the application form in it.
So far we have had 3 applications for registry style ceremonies in New Plymouth, Waikato and Queenstown.
We already have 55 celebrants approved to perform this new service and while we welcome celebrants in all areas, we are specifically looking to boost numbers in Gisborne and on the West Coast of the South Island. See map below of coverage. The four circles reflect the ring-fencing of DIA offices that provide registry office ceremonies.
Update: Registry changes on 1 July
List of registry offices
While DIA's four offices will continue to provide a full range of marriage and civil union services, the other registry offices will only be signing statutory declarations from 1 July. Therefore the list of registry offices on www.govt.nz will be removed on 30 June.
Paper forms will be amended to include the full list of registry offices so couples know where to go to sign the statutory declaration from 1 July.
Paper forms - if using an old form
If the couple have completed an 'old' Notice of Intended Marriage form, all they need to do is attach one page from the new 1 April version and post it to DIA with payment, after signing the statutory declaration before a Registrar of Marriages. The extra page includes the information we need to process their application about how they want their licence sent, how many certificates they need, and payment details (usually this is page 5).
It's easier for couples to apply online for their marriage licence. There’s less paperwork, and it can be done on any device. Encourage your couples to head to https://marriages.services.govt.nz.
Caveats
From 1 July we will have a new process in locations outside of the four DIA offices to lodge a caveat (a formal objection) to the issue of a marriage licence or a registry office ceremony. Caveats in future will be able to be emailed to MarriageLicence@dia.govt.nz with the team following up with a phone call to take payment.
Celebrants’ Association NZ Conference 2019
The Celebrants’ Association New Zealand Conference is open to all!
Theme: Raising the Bar
Date: 24th – 26th May 2019
Venue: TSB Showplace, New Plymouth
A varied and innovative programme promises to provide all the learning and networking opportunities that you would expect from such an event.
The plenary speakers and workshops have all been selected and designed to stimulate and inform your thinking and will all be aligned to VCANZ’s Body of Knowledge (BOK) competencies: Professional Practice, Professional Knowledge and Professional Engagement, but importantly it will also allow you to recharge and refill. And of course, there is the “out of workshop time” and the invaluable chatting and networking that goes on then.
REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 17 MAY – DON’T MISS OUT!
View the full conference programme and register here: www.celebrantsassociation.co.nz/conference-2019/
Christchurch terror attack - Condolences
We would like to pass on our sincere condolences on the passing of Muse Nur Awale and Husna Ahmed.
Muse Nur Awale was appointed as an organisational marriage celebrant in 2007 within the Muslim Association of Canterbury and he was an active participant for 11 years. Although Muse has now passed away, we would like to express our gratitude for his contribution as an organisational marriage celebrant.
Farid Ahmed, an independent marriage celebrant since 2015, lost his wife, Husna Ahmed in the Masjid Al Noor Mosque. Farid was a key speaker at the televised National Remembrance Service and was internationally acknowledged for his message of forgiveness. Prince Charles also acknowledge him in his Easter message.
