Christchurch + North Canterbury Elopement Celebrant

Tag: wedding celebrant chch

Appointed Registry Celebrant

CELEBRATION TIME!

VCANZ Registry CelebrantI am now a Registry Celebrant for my community!

Let me explain what this means: in short, because the Registry Office is now permanently closed in Christchurch, I can now officiate ceremonies, with set script and vows, for $90. Just like the Registry Office.

Now for the longer spiel: all Celebrants Association NZ (CANZ) members are encouraged to undertake systematic and structured learning throughout their careers to ensure that they continually maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills to improve the quality of service they offer.

The Celebrants Association NZ offers validation of members through the VCANZ programme. This is a structured recognition of celebrant training, experience and professional development.

Those who achieve VCANZ status can also undertake Registry Office-Style ceremonies.

And, my friends, my application was approved.

So, if you’d like to get married at home in north Christchurch, or perhaps a nice spot in North Canterbury, contact me! You can get married wherever you’d like. No need to head into the city centre anymore!

REGISTRY CELEBRANT INFO

Registry-style weddingSo, you’ve decided you’d like to get married at the Registry Office but find out they’ve permanently closed?

Luckily, I’ve been appointed as a Registry Marriage Celebrant!

To book me:
– Go to https://marriages.services.govt.nz
– Begin new application “Next” button
– Click on “Registry ceremony”
– Click on “Next” button
– Enter a date within the next 3 months
– Start typing “Christchurch” and select it
– Scroll down and you’ll see me there
– Click my name and go from there!

EASY!

Here’s what makes this option a Registry Office-Style Ceremony… The Government determines:
– the script (2 options)
– the celebrant fee ($90)
– the days: Monday – Friday (excluding public holidays)

Let’s get you hitched!

Weddings needn’t take long to plan

There are lots of things to consider for your wedding but it need not take long to plan, writes Christchurch marriage celebrant Kineta Booker.

So, you just got engaged at the top of Conical Hill, and you’re very happily walking back down to the Hanmer village, hand-in-hand with your brand new fiancé, admiring your sparkling new diamond, whilst planning your whole wedding in your head, when he turns to you and says “You know we don’t have to get married right away, eh?”

Not how it went for you? Oh, maybe that was just me.

So, I ignored him and six months later we were married.

I know what you’re thinking, isn’t “obey” in wedding vows. Not ours.

And, besides, he wasn’t my husband at that point.

Six months to plan a wedding? Yes, it can definitely be done.

  • Chat with your partner about what their vision is. Discuss budget, number of guests, anything they specifically want to include
  • Get yourself in front of a computer. Open a new document – this is where you’ll download all your ideas onto. This can be anything from flowers to dresses (for wedding dress inspiration you can start here) and everything in between! Delete what you don’t need as you go along. You don’t want the file to become crowded with old ideas
  • On Facebook there are some great groups for engaged couples. It’s a community of people with a big thing in common – weddings! They’re either recent brides or brides-to-be. Check out Wedding Discussion Group – New Zealand, and Christchurch Brides NZ Ideas, Advice & Support
  • Pinterest is a good place to find themes and get great ideas, but beware – you may come away with too many. Find what you’re looking for and get out
  • Venues: What are you looking for? BYO option?
  • Photographers: Do you like their work? Fit your budget? Make sure you spend plenty of time researching photographers as you want the perfect fit for your wedding. Don’t be afraid to ask for samples of their work. Some photographers will have an online gallery you can check out. For example, olgatopchii.com has various galleries for different events, making it easy for you to do your research.
  • Celebrants: Are they available? Do you click?

Once you have all the main things organised, everything else will fall into place quickly. And the ideas shared on brides’ online forums, in real time, makes organising a wedding in a shorter time frame easy to do with like-minded cheerleaders doing the same thing.

Kineta Booker – Christchurch Celebrant at Great NZ Bridal Show

If you’re planning a wedding and looking for some fabulous inspiration for your big day, grab a friend or your partner and head to the Great NZ Bridal Show.

And if you’re still yet to book your marriage celebrant, stop by my stand because I’ve got some wee treats I’d love to share with you.

‘Print on Wood’ by Printville

This is my favourite one: everyone who books with me before the end of April, will go in the draw for an original hand-made ‘Print on Wood’ from Printville. The talented Danny Knight-Baré will handcraft your favourite photo onto wood, which is a unique and fresh way to showcase the best moments of your life. It’s an alternative to traditional canvas and framed prints, made by hand here in Christchurch.

Find out more about them at www.printville.co.nz

See you Sunday at Addington Events Centre – 9am-3.30pm.

'Print on Wood' by Printville

‘Print on Wood’ by Printville

Review: Large-scale musical fits beautifully in small theatre

Mary Poppins. Presented by The Court Theatre, Christchurch. Co-Director/Choreographer Stephen Robertson, Co-Director Ross Gumbley. Musical Director Richard Marrett. 21 November 2015 – 30 January 2016. Reviewed by Kineta Knight Booker.

Watching a musical after the cast has put on over 60 performances, while expecting them to be as fresh as opening night and they deliver, shows the absolute endurance of a company.

The Court Theatre’s summer season is New Zealand’s first ever professional production of the Disney Broadway musical. And, to be fair, it could have gone either way. If you think of the big stages with extremely large theatres, seating hundreds upon hundreds of excited theatre-goers this show would be used to, compared to the intimate setting of The Court, there’s quite a difference. But boy did it work.

Having seen this production on Broadway, one can’t help but compare. However, sitting there mesmerised by The Court’s version, I somehow found myself lost in the magical world of Mary (Laura Bunting) and her chimney-sweep friend Bert (Jan Di Pietro). When Bunting and Di Pietro are on stage, Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke are long gone from your mind, as they bring their very own portrayal of these characters to the show. Bunting has a stunning stage presence and beautiful voice, and Di Pietro’s charm and wit shines through like none other.

The musical is staged with intelligence – what a team Robertson and Gumbley make. Their company numbers (of which there are many) were choreographed with expert guidance, and the skill of the performers was exceptional. In a normal run of this show, where usually there’d be an orchestra pit and possibly dozens of other rows of theatre-goers in the way, with The Court’s version the stage is so very close, however, never confrontational, but always spell-binding.

Other notable moments were the famous Feed the Birds scene, played by Lucy Porter, and the arrival (and departure!) of the unpleasant Miss Andrew, who was portrayed wonderfully by Angela Johnson. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was rich and vibrant (thanks to Robertson’s costume designs and choreography), and Step in Time was truly mesmerising.

The only downside to this performance, which was driven perfectly by Richard Marrett’s orchestra, was when it was time to leave the theatre, back to a reality without Mary Poppins. Even Mary’s flying exit was “practically perfect in every way”. The Court Theatre have truly put on the biggest and brightest summer show yet, but just how will they top it next Christmas?

© 2024 Kineta Booker

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