When you lose someone you love, choose someone you can trust.
Using a member firm will give you peace of mind you’ll receive a thoroughly professional and high-quality service guided by compassion, integrity and respect.
Members are committed to a set of best practice industry standards and working with them also gives you access to the only specialist funeral director complaint service.
New Zealand Independent Funeral Homes (NZIFH) is an association of Funeral Homes throughout New Zealand, formed to promote amongst its members the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and service.
As NZIFH Members we pledge:
To empower – so it’s you making the decisions.
To support – because we understand grief.
To advise – so that you create a farewell to cherish.
To respect – all cultures, religions and people.
To be transparent – so that there are no unexpected costs.
A funeral celebrant officiates at funerals, burials, cremations, memorials and the scattering of ashes. Yet, their services provide so much more than that. They bring their compassion, wisdom and experience to the family at a time of sadness, tenderness, reflection and sometimes trauma.
The Celebrants Training College provides training for aspiring wedding and funeral celebrants, offering a Diploma in Celebrancy to students in New Zealand.
There is no standard rate that celebrants charge. Many celebrants offer a range of packages with varying charges. These can range from $350 – $800 or more.
How much a celebrant will charge for their services depends on:
their level of training and experience
what type of ceremony you want (for example, marriage, civil union, funeral, baby-naming)
how popular the celebrant is and
where in New Zealand the ceremony will be held.
It also depends on what services you want the celebrant to provide
You can ask a celebrant what is included in their fee.
For example, their fee is likely to cover most of the following:
one or more meetings with you to discuss what you want and how they can provide it (in person or online)
their time spent with you and providing suggestions to make sure the ceremony suits your needs and wishes – in the case of weddings this is called a personalised ceremony
helping you to choose or write your own vows
offering a choice of readings that will suit you
attending one or more rehearsals
managing the legal paperwork associated with a marriage or civil union ceremony) and
administration costs.
Some services may be charged for separately
Your celebrant may choose to charge some services separately.
For example, they may charge you separately for:
organising the ceremony if involved in the event planning
coordinating with other providers (such as a photographer or videographer)
travel costs (to meet with you, or to travel to the venue) and
use of music and sound system.
Check with the celebrant about what is included in their fee and what is charged separately.
The cost of a personalised ceremony will depend on what you want
A personalised ceremony offers you a choice regarding the day, time and venue. It allows you to choose or write your own vows and to have readings, music, ceremonial elements and much more.
The cost of a personalised wedding/civil union ceremony will depend on exactly what your needs and wishes are. Personalised ceremonies range from simple arrangements to a fully bespoke ceremony and everything in between.
Talk to the celebrant about what is included in their fee and how you can pay.
On the govt.nz website you can learn more about:
Things to try if cost is an issue
If cost is in issue you can try:
asking for quotes from more celebrants
settling for fewer optional services from your celebrant
asking your celebrant whether you can pay their fee in instalments if needed. Most celebrants will ask for a deposit to confirm your date, and a final payment prior to the wedding.
