GILL JOHNSTON CELEBRANT, WAIKATO, NEW ZEALAND
Welcome and congratulations! Let the planning and the fun begin...
Hello and thank you for visiting my website. Hopefully, you’ll find the information available here helpful, and relevant to help you choose the right celebrant for your special day.
Now that you’ve made that big decision to get married, choosing the right marriage celebrant is a very important part of the planning. You need to find a celebrant you are comfortable with, someone who listens, understands, and works with you to deliver the wedding ceremony you both want.
I became a Registered Independent Marriage and Civil Union Celebrant in 2018. Why? Quite simply, I’m a people person. I love being with people whatever their background, ethnicity, or sexuality. The joining of two people in marriage is incredibly special, whether you’re getting married at a fabulous venue, having a rural wedding on the farm, heading to the beach, having a garden wedding at home, or going somewhere that is special for both of you. I love working with couples to plan and realise their dreams for their special day.
COULD I BE THE CELEBRANT FOR YOU?
I’m forever the optimist and my cup is always half full … actually, it’s nearly always overflowing. If you’re looking for someone positive, who loves and enjoys life, will work with you to develop a ceremony that reflects your personalities, tell your story, and will truly make this a day to remember for all the right reasons, then we should talk.
NOT JUST A CELEBRANT, I CAN ALSO BE YOUR MC
CELEBRANT
Want to know a little more about the process of us working together with me as your marriage celebrant? Please feel free to download the PDF to find out what is included in the service.
MC
Not everyone likes to be the one behind the microphone. If your family and friends are declining the MC role, or you want everyone to sit back and relax, I’m happy to take on this responsibility.
Kind words
"I knew Gill through work in my previous role and when I found out she recently became a celebrant I was over the moon! She turned out to be the best choice for us and we are forever grateful for her immaculate service.
Gill met with us a couple of times to understand and guide us through how the day would unfold. She put together the working content and flow of our ceremony based on our catch-up which we reviewed and provided additional input as needed. Gill was very accommodating and responsive, constantly reminding us that it was our big day and we could pretty much tailor it to what we cared about most.
Our ceremony was beautiful, touching and was the perfect length. We are also very grateful to Gill for stepping in to perform MC duties when our original MC had an unexpected work commitment that he could not get out of (a few weeks leading into our wedding day). She came along with us to discuss the final plan with our venue co-ordinator at Mudbrick and we felt a sense of relief knowing Gill would be there supporting us. She managed our guests and the day seamlessly, speaking very well when announcing key events. Gill played a huge part in making our day that much more special and we cannot recommend her services highly enough!"
"Thank you for a wonderful wedding day. It was everything that we’d hoped for, and perhaps even a little more special given the craziness that was going on at the time. Thanks for always being available to share your perspective, keeping me calm and organising the chaos on the day.
We loved the way you took all the hard work out of planning our ceremony. We didn’t have any set ideas and so we really appreciated the creativity, structure and intuition you brought to our day.
I’d like to think of something constructive to say, because I know you are looking for ways to improve but I really think you did such a great job. We were glad you brought up the Covid situation during the ceremony because it was important to be aware of, but I also like that it wasn’t overbearing on our ceremony. You spoke clearly so everyone could hear you (mumblers are a pet peeve of mine), and you prompted us to ensure all the details were taken care of and put us at ease during some of the more emotional parts of our ceremony."
"Gill is an amazing celebrant, I couldn't have asked for anyone better, If you're looking for the best, look no further." ❤️❤️😁😁
MEET GILL
Born in the UK, New Zealand became my home in 1975 so I really consider myself a Kiwi. Having lived on the North Shore in Auckland for a number of years, my husband and I saw the light in 2019 and purchased a property in Te Awamutu in the Waipā District. We’ve been here permanently since March 2021 and absolutely love the Waikato region. We are happily married and have two adult daughters.
I live by the principle that life is for living. I’m always on the hunt for the next challenge, whether that’s jumping off the Sky Tower, completing the Oxfam 100km walk, cycling Lake Taupō, or travelling to a new destination.
Other interests include entertaining friends and family, playing golf, walking, travelling, and putting the occasional jigsaw together! I am an active member of Rotary and very much enjoy being involved in, and giving back to, the community.
I am a big animal lover, so if you have a family pet you would like to include in your ceremony, let’s talk and see how we can make it happen.
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather an invitation to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and proclaiming 'WOW! What a trip that was!' "
NEED WEDDING PLANNING INSPIRATION?
Find handy tips and advice on planning your wedding day in New Zealand.
Complete my contact form below and we can arrange to catch up. There is no obligation associated with this first meeting (it’s free!) and it’s purely to see if we all get along. I’ll shout the coffee or wine if meeting face to face, or we can meet via Zoom, FaceTime, or phone to discuss your plans.
CONTACT
Gill Johnston
Independent Marriage and Civil Union Celebrant
021 278 9915
gill.celebrant@gmail.com
Te Awamutu, Waikato, New Zealand