The Big Day: A Guide to Getting Married in New Zealand

The Big Day covers every aspect of arranging a wedding – from the simplest ceremony through to a lavish affair featuring a cast of many hundreds.

Key to this book is information about what a couple must do to comply with the law in New Zealand and the range of options for choosing a celebrant, the venue, and all the various details that add up to making a wedding day special.

No other New Zealand book addresses all the practical information associated with getting married as comprehensively as this book. Includes a useful ‘resources’ section at the back of the book listing tips from celebrants and married couples, examples of vows, suggested readings and useful websites.

From The Waikato Times
Cooper and Irvine’s book is both practical and inspirational, filling in many gaps for the Kiwi bride. “Part of the reason for doing the book was, we were getting a lot of questions about wedding etiquette,” says Cooper. “People wanting to know which side to put the button hole on, who sits where at a ceremony. People are looking for something different with weddings now, but they still want to know about aspects of tradition.”
From setting a budget and planning the guest list, through to the ceremony, writing vows and invitation etiquette, the book covers it all.
There is even a section on low-cost weddings, something many brides may be considering in the current economic climate .
Like two trusted friends, Cooper and Irvine gently advise and guide the couple through to their special day.
Delicate issues are also covered, such as handling family tensions, seating plans and children at weddings. There is a chapter on civil unions, and one for those marrying the second-time around. They also look at wedding venues, from traditional church weddings through to outdoor weddings, and different cultures and customs.
Cooper and Irvine became celebrants about the same time, 12 or 13 years ago. Both were also Justices of the Peace before that.

Author Biography

Denise Irvine is the Features Editor of the Waikato Times. She and her co-author Kerril Cooper have been marriage celebrants for some years now. The shortage of resources for couples planning to get married has been highly evident to both of them for many years, hence the decision to write this, their first book. Both are committee members of the Celebrants Association of New Zealand.