I'm not a travel agent, I'm not a NZ citizen. And everything is subject to your particular circumstance.

But I've been doing a lot of research lately, after an english friend, who married a dutch guy, tipped me off, and I wanted to share the info to people who may be in the same boat.

I'm just another poor sucker (non-eu) who fell in love with someone from the EU.

We have been umming and ahhing, are we going to england, to Australia, to poland? where will we live together, which country, what permit, what visa. what form.

So we are going to get hitched (which was always the plan anyway) and deal with the rest later.


Are you an EU or commonwealth citizen? tired of trying to organise permits for your country just to go to get married? NZ may be a wonderful answer. On top of most EU and Commonwealth citizens not requiring a visa to visit for short stays, you can also get a nice registry office in Auckland for $170nz. (and many other registry offices as well) They are not too bothered where you are from, as long as you leave the country at the end of your visit. You only have to give 3 days notice to the registrar and supply any english translated divorce documents if it isn't your first time.

heres the guide:
http://www.bdm.govt.nz/pubforms.nsf/URL ... ochure.pdf

Get a direct flight via Hong Kong, and you probably will not need a visa to transit. (but always check your visa situation for sure.)

You can get married in NZ most days, it is one form you can send off before hand, and sign it (normally 3 days notice, but if you send it early you can sign it the morning you get married)


http://www.bdm.govt.nz/pubforms.nsf/URL ... 58.pdf.pdf


The Birth deaths and marriages office in NZ is very helpful too.

http://www.bdm.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/w ... enDocument

If you want to step it up, get married on a beach in a balloon, on a raft, a mountain top, or a garden, hire a celebrant, and get married anywhere on the island you want.

http://www.celebranz.org.nz/


Heaps of beautiful places to stay, heaps to do, Campervans are dead easy to hire.

http://www.campervanhirenz.co.nz/?gclid ... YQodMGBbaw

I worked out that it was cheaper to fly my partner to NZ, and meet him there, than apply for a barage of fiance visas that may or may not get rejected.
Better still we are going to have a kick ass honeymoon as well.

Need a hostel/hotel/b&B but don't want to spend a lot?

http://www.wotif.com/


I've never been the "big wedding day" kind of person, but I did come across this site:

http://www.nzweddingplanner.co.nz/

You can hire wedding planners, and get married anyway you want and do all sorts of crazy stuff, but I tell you what, its pretty easy to do it yourself on the cheap. (get a dress and rings off ebay, and ring up the BDM office)

The cost of my partners ticket from Europe, was less than an Australian fiance application. and less than permission to marry in England and 2 return airfares (I would then have to leave england if I applied to stay there and after applying for EEA permits, I would have to pay for another ticket back to england)

So for us, it was 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

This way we get a holiday, a marriage, and some fun together with a little bit less stress.

This is officially, the craziest thing I've ever done for love. But hey, life is one big adventure. If I've got to spend the cash, I might as well get some enjoyment out of it!