Hello! I'm Ria
It's lovely to have you here.
I'm a nz marriage celebrant, mc & actress,
working on waiheke island, auckland, queenstown & NZ wide
Huge congratulations on finding your person.
let’s celebrate your love!
I’m Ria - lover of love, passionate about people and their stories, and here to help you craft a joyful, authentic and meaningful ceremony.
Mum to 3 year old Ted, fur-baby Maeby and wife to Chris, I live on beautiful Waiheke Island in Auckland.
I adore being a celebrant and feel so privileged to have been travelling New Zealand-wide doing this work for over 12 years.
Planning and performing your ceremony is a collaboration - together we will make your ceremony fun, memorable, and perfectly ‘you’.
Also an experienced film and television actress - I recently finished a very long stint playing Dr. Harper Whitley on Shortland Street - I am able to confidently create and hold a ceremonial space, and deliver your perfect ceremony. I’d love to chat!
'Thank you so much Ria, I can’t tell you how amazing you made that ceremony. It was honestly absolutely perfect and you somehow got exactly the tone we were after. So many guests have told us it was the most moving ceremony they’d been to and I really think that was in a large part down to you. We just loved it!' Renata and Ollie, Waiheke 2024
how i make your day special
Whether you're planning an elopement, micro-wedding, vow renewal or huge celebration, i will be there, by your side, to plan, practice and perform your ceremony, as well as liaise with your other vendors to make sure your day runs as smoothly as possible and is most importantly really fun!
'Ria absolutely knocked it out of the park as celebrant for our wedding recently at the Cardrona Hotel.
We could not have been happier or could not recommend her more if you're in search of a celebrant to help guide you through your wedding day, stress-free, relaxed, with fun and with so much love!
Thank you so much for marrying us Ria! Would not have had it any other way ' Holly and Chris, Wanaka 2024
We could not have been happier or could not recommend her more if you're in search of a celebrant to help guide you through your wedding day, stress-free, relaxed, with fun and with so much love!
Thank you so much for marrying us Ria! Would not have had it any other way ' Holly and Chris, Wanaka 2024
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the process of working together
- You reach out to me, either via my contact form or email, and book me in or we arrange to have a Zoom chat to make sure we vibe! We discuss what you are after, and fees.
- I confirm your date and send you an invoice to save it - a non-refundable deposit of $300 NZD is due now.
- 3-4 months from the wedding day, we meet up to start work - either on line or in person. You share your story and I get to you know you, and we talk about what elements your ceremony could include. There are very few rules for designing your ceremony!
- After this meeting I will send you an invite to the locked 'COUPLES' pages of my website, which contains loads of information about things to think about, writing vows, and some questionnaires for you to fill in. This is how I flesh out your story and we confirm certain elements, and it is ideal if I can have this filled in 4 weeks out from your wedding day, if there is that much time. If not, that is OK too!
- 4 weeks from your wedding day the balance of the invoice is due. If I am also MC, then we will start to work on how the evening will run!
- 3 weeks from your wedding day you order your marriage license online. This is very easy and costs $150. It is emailed to you, and then you can forward it to me to print and bring on the day. These are valid for 3 months. They usually only take 3 days to arrive, but 3 weeks gives us plenty of time up our sleeve!
- 2 weeks from your wedding day we need to be thinking about your vows. You are welcome to use any of the examples I have sent through, or, if you are brave enough, it is really special to write your own. I am here to help you very step of the way!
- 1 week - 1 day from your wedding day - we rehearse! I will meet you (preferably) at the venue to run through the shape of the ceremony, and practise your entrance and exits. If you are having a bridal party/walking down the aisle with someone, it is wonderful if they can be there too, as well as who ever is playing your music. If you are not based in Auckland I will be on the phone as you run through your walk in, and we will run through the ceremony structure on Zoom.
- The big day! If I am travelling out of Auckland to officiate your ceremony, I can come and see you in the morning to run through any last minute details and calm your nerves, as we might not have been able to have a rehearsal in person. Then, once at the venue I liase with all your other vendors to discuss photos/video options and sound, entrance and music cues, test the mic, and make sure everything is set up perfectly for your ceremony. Once you are down the aisle with me, I guide you through absolutely everything so you don't need to remember a thing! You just need to relax into this amazing moment with your love, and have fun as we celebrate you both, together! After the ceremony I leave a copy of the marriage documents with you and send the other to the government for processing. Then, after I congratulate you I slip away, unless of course I am also MC, then I will be there for the rest of the day/night and usually my next task up will be to raise a toast and then coordinate your photos!
'Look no further, Ria is simply outstanding. We couldn't have been happier with what Ria added to our day, so many compliments about her as a celebrant. Relaxed, caring and funny, it was exceptional.' Brodie and Hayley, Puketutu Island 2023
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why choose an experienced, professional celebrant?
Even though the wedding ceremony is the reason for the day, the celebrant is often overlooked as couples are excited for the party afterwards. But the ceremony does not have to be boring! It should be fun and filled with laughter and love, and set the tone for the rest of the day.
A professional celebrant can tell your story as it deserves to be told - they can confidently craft your ceremony and hold the ceremonial space. I have trained at the NZ Celebrant School and I am also a trained and experienced actress, with 20 years working in the film and television industry. I have also been doing this celebrant work for over 12 years, so you will be in safe hands! I am definitely not the cheapest celebrant around but I strongly believe you get what you pay for and I love this work and am extremely proud of it. Let's chat!
A professional celebrant can tell your story as it deserves to be told - they can confidently craft your ceremony and hold the ceremonial space. I have trained at the NZ Celebrant School and I am also a trained and experienced actress, with 20 years working in the film and television industry. I have also been doing this celebrant work for over 12 years, so you will be in safe hands! I am definitely not the cheapest celebrant around but I strongly believe you get what you pay for and I love this work and am extremely proud of it. Let's chat!
'Ria was recommended to us by our wedding planner and we are so happy that she came into our lives and celebrated our wedding. She has such a beautiful energy! Very friendly, welcoming, and really told our story in a gorgeous way. We could not have asked for a better celebrant. The family said Ria was the best they have seen and were quite impressed. Thank you so much!' Nuno and Lance, Maraetai 2023