Helen Nugteren Marriage Celebrant

The beautiful thing about love is that it’s an experience we share with the whole of humanity, and yet, for everyone who falls in love, it is the most unique and precious thing in the world. I’d like to be part of the celebration of your marriage by crafting a ceremony that is uniquely yours.

I treasure marriage, which is why I was asked to consider becoming a marriage celebrant.

I have been licensed as a civil marriage celebrant by Internal Affairs, who oversees the appointment of suitably qualified people, to conduct marriages in New Zealand since September 2013.

I live in the Arthur’s Pass area, where most of ceremonies have been held. I LOVE the permanence and beauty of the landscape, a reminder of the permanence and endurance of marriage. However, I have wheels and can travel to your choice of venue and location.

I am a confident, cheerful, friendly and hospitable person. My day job is as a ranger for DOC in Arthur’s Pass, and my secondary one is hosting B&B guests in my home on Bealey Spur.

I enjoy tramping, spinning, rogaining (long distance navigation on foot), and keeping up with my 13 “grandies” and their parents. I am also active in the Arthur’s Pass community affairs.

It’s your wedding, and I’d be delighted to help to plan the ceremony which reflects your love story, personalities and dreams for the future.

 

To do my job best, I would prefer to meet with you on four occasions, although this may not always be possible.

Thankfully email/Skype/phone conversations have helped out in cases where long distance has a factor!

I guarantee to write a ceremony which reflects your preferences, with as many “drafts” as it takes to get it perfect. There are a myriad of ways in which your wedding ceremony can be tailored to your dream, incorporating any cultural and spiritual preferences that are meaningful to you. It will be a unique expression of your meaningful commitment.

I can offer suggestions and advice for ways to celebrate your marriage. I encourage couples to write their own vows.

I will seek to have you relaxed about “the day”.
I am as much “at home” with small- 5 present or much bigger- 120 guests. I can do “simple” or extravagant.

Although the law now allows for same sex marriages, I am personally unable to marry same sex couples.

If you’d like to chat further, then give me a call
(027 675 1511) or send an email (helen@arthurspassecolodge.co.nz) and I’ll reply promptly.

My usual fee is $450.

Looking forward to celebrating the first day of your life’s commitment to your soul mate

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Testimonials

“We met Helen by phone, she wasn't a marriage celebrant then and our wedding in February 2015 was her first.

Helen listened to what we wanted, helped to arrange accommodation in Arthur's Pass for a very busy weekend and fitted in with our small wedding party beautifully! Our service was simple and loving and Helen's sense of timing was perfect, she gave us the time we needed when emotions overtook us both and also her lovely sense of humour was much appreciated. Helen came to lunch with us and we had our wedding party dinner at the Eco Lodge where Peter and I stayed the night. A beautiful start to our marriage.
Helen was so helpful and wonderful and we loved every minute of our time with her. We look forward to seeing Helen again in person, she’s kept in touch with us and is a lovely friend and a very skilled celebrant.

Thanks again Helen! Susie and Peter”

“We highly recommend Helen Nugteren as a wedding celebrant. She did a fantastic job when she married us in Arthur's Pass, on September 19, 2015.

Even though we are based overseas, and didn’t get a change to meet until just before the wedding, Helen made a real effort to learn about us – both as individuals and as a couple. This meant she was able to create a personal and
intimate ceremony, that truly reflected our personalities

She was also extremely flexible and happy to shape the ceremony around our requirements, since we didn't want anything to serious and formal. Helen was happy to visit us
on a number of occasions in the days leading up to the wedding, to make sure we were completely happy with what she had planned for the big day

Thank you Helen. It was so wonderful to have you as part of our special day.
Many thanks, Katie McSweeney and Ben Williams”

Helen was our incredible celebrant. She went above and beyond, and was there to answer our every question in the lead up to the big day. Helen provided us with “wedding homework”, which she used to shape the ceremony, and did such a good job to capture exactly what makes us who we are. The ceremony and the lead up was so straight forward and exactly what we needed (as we were organising our wedding from a distance). Helen was well organised and knew exactly what needed to happen in a timely fashion – essential when we often had no idea. Highly recommended!

Helen was the celebrant we chose to officiate at our wedding in 2016. At our very first meeting we knew we'd met a kindred spirit as she shared a love for the outdoors and tramping in particular. Helen quickly grasped the type of ceremony we wanted; sincere yet simple and thoughtfully personalised to reflect us as a couple. Together we shaped a gorgeous ceremony that was everything we'd hoped it would be. Helen brought her down to earth personality to the role and it put both us and our guests at ease so we could relax and enjoy our special day. I would really recommend Helen as a celebrant. It was one of the key decisions we made early in the planning of our wedding and along with the venue, being a gorgeous clearing in native bush, it was a big part of the success of the day. We actually had one friend tell us it was the most beautiful touching ceremony she'd ever attended.

— Lisa & Gareth