Ngātahi
1 December 2025
Russell Burnard,
General Manager and Registrar-General
Message from the
Registrar-General
Kia ora koutou,
Congratulations to those that were approved as celebrants for 2026 during the annual renewal, or who became a celebrant for the first time this year.
I recognise that the renewal process can be challenging for everyone, and that it may result in some celebrants not continuing in the role. I want to acknowledge and sincerely thank all celebrants, both current and former, for their service to the public and their local communities.
I wish you a peaceful and relaxing break with whānau and friends.
Meri Kirihimete ki a koutou katoa
Noho ora mai rā,
Russell
Closedown over Christmas and New Year
Our last full working day is Friday 24 December 2025.
On 29 to 31 December 2025 and 5 to 7 January 2026, we will operate with reduced staff in order to continue processing marriages and civil unions.
We will re-open at full capacity on Thursday 8 January 2026.
Your couples should apply early for their marriage licences, so their plans are not affected by office closures during the holiday period.
How to contact us
Continue to send enquiries to the correct email address (do not phone us). We will respond as soon as we can.
Choose the address that relates to the enquiry:
- Celebrants@dia.govt.nz provides support to marriage and civil union celebrants only.
- MarriageLicence@dia.govt.nz for couples that have questions or corrections to a marriage or civil union licence that they have already applied for.
- bdmtoregister@dia.govt.nz for returning the fully completed and signed particulars for registration after the ceremony.
Outcome of 2026 renewal
As at 1 December 2025, we are heading into 2026 with:
- 3,349 independent marriage celebrants
- 2,048 civil union celebrants
- 140 registry celebrants
- 9,399 including churches and organisations.
Final date to marry couples if not renewed was
27 November 2025
The list of approved celebrants has now been published in the New Zealand Gazette.
This means any independent marriage or civil union celebrants that were removed from the list, can no longer marry couples from 27 November 2025.
Number of weddings performed
Each year we publish the number of marriages and civil unions that independent celebrants performed during the last year. This is now available at data.govt.nz for October 2024 to September 2025:
Independent Marriage & Civil Union Celebrants - Number of Ceremonies Performed
AfterGlow Ceremony –
a ritual for fully and semi-retiring celebrants
Sunday 15 February 2026 at 4:00pm.
Available anywhere around the country via Zoom.
If you have decided to relinquish your registration as a marriage celebrant, or semi/fully retire from your wider celebrant role, the Registrar-General, Department of Internal Affairs, is delighted to draw your attention to this event. It has been designed to enable you to mark this important transition with your peers, and bathe in the AfterGlow of your unique journeys as celebrants.
For more information contact Kathrine at The Celebrant School - Te Wānanga Korowai Aroha or enrol here.
The Celebrant School - Te Wānanga Korowai Aroha is a small Kiwi business with a 30-year track record of inspiring the celebrants of Aotearoa-New Zealand with training and professional development opportunities, networking, and support services. For more information on what’s available visit www.celebrant.school.nz or phone 021 681 958.
The Celebrants Training College offers a variety of training and professional development, for new or experienced celebrants throughout New Zealand. More information is available by ringing our office on 021 027 896 96 or at www.celebranttraining.co.nz .
