Nate Dunn

NZ's top rated wedding celebrant

Lana, Cam and Nate

Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Nate.

VCANZ Accredited Celebrant, Celebrants Aotearoa

An amazing celebrant is so crucial to your wedding. They set the tone for your whole day. You want a professional - someone with experience, organised, good communicator, is a lot of fun, and can help both of you navigate what can be a very overwhelming time.

I collaborate with you: from initial planning, meetings in between, and then on the day, working closely with you and all your wedding vendors to make sure it runs smoothly. Guests often tell me that I officiate the best wedding they've ever been to.

Weddings don't have to be stuffy and boring. Let's meet, and chat about how we can make sure you both have the most fun day ever.

  • Started : October 2019
  • Ethnicity : NZ European / Niuean
  • Officiated : 400 weddings in 5 years
  • Love it? : It's the best job in the world
VCANZ Accredited

"If I had to change everything about my wedding and only keep 1 factor the same, it would be Nate standing there with us. We trusted him with the most important day of our lives and he over delivered at every opportunity."

Áine & Kane Hodgson - Kauri Bay Boomrock, Auckland - January 2023

Reviews from Happy couples

Read what some of the happy couples, that I've married recently, have to say about me
(see another 200 reviews, all 5 stars, on my Google page).

Why choose me?

Weddings can be a very stressful time. I promise to do the following six things that will help make your big day the most fun ever.

100% your way

Other than the boring legal stuff, we collaborate on exactly what you want included in the ceremony.

Relaxed and fun

Read my reviews. Couples that I've married describe me as relaxed, fun and very organised.

Lists and tasks

I love a good list. I will keep you on track with all we need to do to get you married.

Nervous about your big day?

We've got this! I love helping you both get over your nerves and actually enjoy the day.

Travel

Even though I'm Auckland based, I regularly head all over NZ to weddings.

200 reviews, 5 stars

All the couples who have reviewed me have given me 5 stars, I'm very grateful.

What to expect

I work with you to make the planning completely stress-free, in these seven steps.

My fee is $1,610 inc GST (plus travel and accommodation, if required).

Months before

1. Our initial chat

We meet either in person, or via a video call. I check to make sure I'm available, we discuss my fee, if I need to travel, and then confirm the day, time and location. You pay a 30% deposit.

2. Plan your perfect ceremony

I send you a comprehensive wedding questionnaire for both of you to fill in. Based on the answers from this, I write a ceremony.

I then share a Google Doc with you, which we both work off going forward, collaborating on your perfect ceremony.

Two and a half months to go
A month to go

3. Sort out the reception

If you've also selected me to be your M.C. at the reception, I send you a reception questionnaire. In this we discuss timings (like entrees, dinner, dessert, dancing times), and who is doing speeches. I write a reception and share this with you to check.

4. Order your marriage licence

You need to do this part and I will remind you to do it. It needs to be done (minimum of) three business days before, and it expires after three months.

Three weeks to go
Two weeks to go

5. Finalise everything

We chat again, and I make sure you're 100% happy with the ceremony. I also check that we haven't missed anything, and confirm those last minute details.

The last 35% of my fee will also be due.

6. Practice makes perfect

Typically the morning before, we'll do a wedding rehearsal with the bridal party, so everyone knows what to do, how quick to walk down the aisle, and where to stand.

The day before
On the big day

7. Let's do this!

I first give a briefing to the guests before the bride arrives about if they can take their own photos or not, your rules around posting to social media, turning their phones off, and other housekeeping items.

For the ceremony, I follow the script exactly as we've discussed it, so it's what you planned for, and there's no unexpected surprises.

Immediately after the ceremony, I leave one copy of the signed wedding certificate with you, and electronically file the second copy with the registrar.

If I am also MC of the reception, I will co-ordinate the group shots, then make sure the evening goes off without a hitch.

Help! We also need an M.C. for the reception

I can help. As well as getting you hitched, I can make sure the festivities afterward run smoothly. I can liaise with the venue/caterers, introduce the speakers, and make sure the reception runs on time.

My fee is $920 inc GST (in addition to my celebrant's fee).

What's VCANZ?

I am a VCANZ accredited celebrant, through
Celebrants Aotearoa (CANZ).

By engaging me, you are gaining the assurance of employing a celebrant who belongs to the national professional body, a celebrant who has passed the association’s Code of Ethics and Professional Standards test, and a person who is committed to ongoing professional development with a strong network of fellow celebrants to call on if needed.

VCANZ is a celebrant validation process, which is a structured recognition of celebrant training, experience and professional development based on the CANZ body of knowledge. This gives couples looking for a celebrant, additional certainty and greater comfort that a CANZ celebrant meets the professional standards of competency required for celebrant work.