Let me help make your day memorable…
I’m your wedding or funeral celebrant, show host or master of ceremonies - from mountain top to beachside and everywhere in between. I'm flexible and can arrange the perfect ceremony to suit your occasion. Check out some of my recent ceremonies below.
Experienced. Relaxed. Personalised.
Choosing a celebrant that fits with how you envision your day is an essential part of your preparations. Finding that someone doesn’t need to be stressful or complicated.
Your Day, Your Way.
Hello, I’m Annabel Roy, your celebrant. I have a relaxed, collaborative approach to planning your wedding, funeral or memorial service, making it unique by listening to you, offering ideas and suggestions and, together, creating the ceremony that will become a wonderful part of your memories.
As a proud southern gal, born and raised, I’ve wandered far and wide before happily calling Dunedin home.
Now in my early forties, I’m a little younger than your average celebrant—but I see that as a major plus. I bring a fresh, modern approach while still drawing on years of experience (over 100 beautiful ceremonies and counting!). I’m open-minded, endlessly organised, genuinely approachable, and not afraid to step up and steer the ship when needed.
My approach? Calm, capable and all about the detail. I pride myself on being the person you can rely on—whether it's guiding your wedding party with confidence, fine-tuning your ceremony script, or quietly ironing out any hiccups behind the scenes. If something small needs sorting, I’ll be there with sleeves rolled up before you even notice.
If you’re looking for a celebrant who can deliver a ceremony that’s:
Organised (so no one’s guessing where to stand or what to say!)
Simple and refined - not too sappy, not too stiff
A little bit traditional, and a whole lot you
Relaxed, polished, and sprinkled with the right amount of humour appropriate to the occasion.
…then I’d love to chat.
Let’s create something special together.
Annabel x
“Thank you sooo much for doing our ceremony. Everyone commented on how great you were. And how you told our story was amazing!.”
Steve & Jodi, 2015
“Thank you again for everything you did for our wedding. We had so many comments on how lovely, funny and personalised our ceremony was - it was definitely us!”
Craig & Kendra, 2017
“Annabel was amazing as our wedding celebrant; she made our ceremony perfect. Her lively personality, confidence, and professionalism is second to none. We highly recommend Annabel to everyone.”
Olivia & Tim, 2021
“Thank you very much indeed for your efforts, the ceremony went great, and we were really pleased with the relaxed way in which you delivered.”
Simon & Patricia, 2016
“Thank you so much for officiating at their wedding. You are amazing casual and gorgeous. We all loved it. And you. Well done!”
Robyn - Mother of the Bride, 2016
“Annabel, you set the tone and led by example at our wedding. You ensured it flowed like clockwork whilst retaining a relaxed and unhurried vibe. Your mix of genuine interest in capturing the essence of our unique situation, providing a bespoke ceremony and ensuring there was bucketloads of laughter made it the best day ever. Thank you so much.”
— Joan & Paul, 2023
“Thank you so much for your precious contribution to our special day. You made it fun and lively and relevant and sincere and fabulous. You knew what to do and how to make it happen easily. Your expertise and skill were so valuable and made such a difference to our wedding. We are lucky to have found you!”
— Chris & Saira, 2017
“Working with Annabel to create our perfect ceremony was an enjoyable experience, with no stress what-so-ever! The ceremony itself was easy and relaxed (even though we were both really nervous!) and very well tailored to us. The background research Annabel did was great to hear during ceremony and a lovely surprise. Lots of guests thought she did a marvellous job and wanted her details. Enough said!”
— Colin & Karen, 2017
FAQs
These are some of the most common questions I get asked.
I know though that there are many other questions you may have so please feel free to reach out and ask away - I’m always happy to guide you through this momentous occasion!
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Yes! I’m based in Dunedin, but I’ve officiated weddings from the Mackenzie County to Stewart Island and everywhere in between. I’m more than happy to travel overseas also, however we’ll still have to officiate your wedding back in New Zealand for your marriage to be legally binding.
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That will depend on the church – some may be happy for you to use as venue hire only, others will prefer you use their minister or priest. Check this out before you get your heart set on the location!
While I am not qualified to represent a religion, I have no problem with a wedding guest reading a prayer, saying a blessing etc. All are welcomed.
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I prefer to meet with you both for an initial, first meeting which takes about an hour (this can be done over Zoom if required also.) There’s no uncomfortable grilling, it’s just a casual chat for me to get a feel for the day you’re planning! From there we correspond on email or phone and I’ll put together a first draft of your ceremony which we will all agree upon in the weeks / month leading up to the wedding. We meet again to finalise content and conduct a half hour dress rehearsal prior to the ceremony at the venue. I ask that all wedding party members be present for the rehearsal, including speakers and parents of the bride and / or groom if they’re part of the ceremony. The venue will need to be made aware of this also please!
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Yes – I am qualified to officiate both marriages and civil unions. It would be my pleasure to marry you to whoever you love!
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Let me at it!
Wedding ceremonies usually take between 20 and 30 minutes, so it’s over in a flash! This is often the part that couples are most nervous about, mostly because it’s all eyes on you and there seems to be an overwhelming amount of “rules” to follow! That’s simply not the case however, and I encourage you to personalise it as much as possible.
Do you want to incorporate your vows into the reception?
Would you like to do them first thing in the morning followed by a full day of festivities?
Would you like to involve every guest in your ceremony?
The options are endless!
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Absolutely!
I’ll make sure that you’ve got all the paperwork and legal requirements you’ll need – I can walk you through it all.
Please note that up to six weeks before the ceremony you must complete a Notice of Intended Marriage form. You can do this online, I'll provide you with the link. You’ll then be issued with the paperwork to complete on your wedding day, once signed I’ll take it away and ensure it goes back to the right place, leaving you to get on with your celebrations.
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You may wish for me to just be your celebrant, but I can also assist with seating, crowd control, group photograph organisation and reception master of ceremonies should you require it. I have enjoyed a fifteen year career in the hotel industry and have been involved in hundreds of weddings – I know what works and what doesn’t!
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During the ceremony, in witness of the marriage celebrant and at least two other witnesses, each party must say the words "I AB, take you CD, to be my legal wife/husband" or words to similar effect.
Everything else is tradition and ceremony. Let’s get creative and make it YOUR day! Rings, kissing brides, till-death-do-us-parts, cakes etc are all traditions and can be embraced or ignored! It’s your choice and I’ll happily support whatever kind of ceremony you can dream up!
Outside of the ceremony itself you have up to six weeks before the ceremony to complete a “Notice of Intended Marriage” form.
You can do this online, I'll provide you with the link. You’ll then be issued with the paperwork to complete on your wedding day, once signed I’ll take it away and ensure it goes back to the right place, leaving you to get on with your celebrations.
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End-to-end ceremony planning, the ceremony itself, and all the required paperwork incurs a fee of $595 plus GST. This excludes a non-refundable deposit of $100+gst that is required at the time of booking to secure your date.
If you change your date or cancel your wedding, unfortunately this deposit is non-refundable. The remainder is payable on, or before the day of your wedding rehearsal.
If your wedding is based out of Dunedin, I may request basic travel expenses to be covered (usually fuel costs only) but I’m happy to discuss this with you – no obligations. Other services may incur additional costs, but again – let’s discuss.