Newsletter for celebrants: 13 December 2022

Closedown over Christmas and New Year

Our last full working day for 2022 is Friday 23 December and we will re-open on Monday 9 January 2023. 

On 28-30 December 2022 and 4-6 January 2023 we will operate with a skeleton crew in order to continue processing marriages and civil unions.

Couples cannot now apply to have a registry wedding on a date from 24 December to 8 January.

Please ensure your couples apply early for their marriage licences, so their plans are not affected by office closures during the holiday period.

Please continue to send enquiries to the correct email address (do not phone us). We will respond to the enquiry as soon as we can:

• Celebrants@dia.govt.nz - provides support to marriage and civil union celebrants only.
• bdmtoregister@dia.govt.nz - returning the fully completed and signed particulars for registration after the ceremony.
• MarriageLicence@dia.govt.nz - for couples that have questions or corrections to a marriage or civil union licence that they have already applied for.

If you change your email address, you can let us know by logging into the https://celebrants.dia.govt.nz/independent_celebrant_self_service 

If removed, cannot marry couples after Gazette published

Each year a small number of celebrants are removed from the list. If you are removed, you can lawfully continue to marry couples only up until the new list of celebrants is published in the NZ Gazette. Those removed as celebrant's cannot marry couples after these dates:

• after 22 December 2022 for independent celebrants, or  
• after 31 January 2023 for organisational celebrants.

Celebrant numbers and training in the media

In November there was media attention about marriage celebrants on Newstalk ZB, in the NZ Herald and on TVNZ’s Seven Sharp. Important and relevant issues were raised around the number of celebrants and about training.

Celebrant numbers

For at least the last 20 years, there have been roughly 10,000 marriage celebrants. The mix of independent and organisational celebrants has certainly changed but the total number has been consistent and stable.

The reason the number of organisational celebrants has reduced is mainly due to the introduction of appointment and renewal fees in 2017. This had the effect of organisations only retaining celebrants where they were needed.

At roughly the same time, more independent celebrant applications were being approved to provide for increased diversity, inclusion and choice for couples wanting to get married. Over the last 3 years Independent celebrant numbers often fluctuate between 3,300 and 3,800. Recent records show that the highest number of independents we have ever reached was 4,154 in November 2021.

There are currently 3,373 independent and 6,376 organisational marriage celebrants. Civil union celebrants number 2,135 and there are 165 registry celebrants. 

Training

In line with the legislation, one of the purposes of the application process to be a marriage celebrant is to identify those applicants that have the skills, abilities, competence and potential to be a marriage celebrant. Like any new job or role, there is always going to be a period of learning and growth in the role itself. Experienced marriage celebrants often help and support those new to the role.

The application process itself includes written and practical assessments and we encourage those applying to be a celebrant to complete professional training or join Celebrants Aotearoa. However, training or qualifications are not required under the legislation. BDM itself supports new and experienced marriage celebrants through a dedicated email address Celebrants@dia.govt.nz, providing information on govt.nz and through these regular Ngātahi newsletters.

We also listen to celebrants concerns, which resulted in the review of the appointment process in 2020. That review found, for example, that “views diverge most significantly when discussing limiting the number of celebrants, and compulsory training” – you can read about that review on govt.nz.