Congratulations
on your decision to be joined in civil union Since April
2004, when the Civil Union Act was passed into Law in New Zealand it
has been possible for couples of the same sex to enter into
partnerships that are recognised legally. A man and a woman
may also choose to have a civil union rather than a marriage.
A
civil union is a celebration of your love for and commitment to each
other. It is your chance to publicly declare and celebrate
your love usually with friends and family surrounding you and wishing
you well on your special day. I can work with you, support you and
assist you in designing a ceremony that is appropriate and authentic
for you both.
What you should do In
preparation for your civil union ceremony it is advisable that you to
visit the Department of Internal Affairs website – www.dia.govt.nz - and read about the
legal requirements surrounding civil unions. I am also happy
to answer any questions you may have surrounding the legal side of
things.
What I will do for you
To
help you plan your civil union ceremony, I would:
Meet
with you firstly, and give us all a chance to get to know one another.
A
big part of my task is to listen to your wishes and hopes for your
ceremony, the atmosphere you wish to create, the music and words you
want to include.
If
you need, I can help with resources for the sorts of things you may
want to use in your civil union ceremony.
We
would have a second meeting where all the elements you have chosen for
your ceremony are gathered together. From these I begin to
draft your ceremony, emailing it back to you for editing.
Shortly
before your civil union ceremony we would visit your venue and have a
‘run-through’, a dress rehearsal of how the ceremony will unfold on the
day.
On
the day itself I arrive approximately 30 minutes beforehand.
I am prepared, professional, relaxed and ready to officiate at your
ceremony. I will guide you through the ceremony so you can
enter fully into your special day and enjoy it.
Couples
comments...
Dear
Trish,
Thank
you so much for being celebrant for our civil union. We just
so much appreciate all the care, time and thought that you put into the
beautiful ceremony, and we have really enjoyed the many positive
comments we have received in response to it. We had a simply
wonderful day. Thank you for being part of it.
