Wedding Ceremony Woes

I never realised how stressful wedding planning can be - especially for the bride - until I began to plan my own.

We have decided on a date in late 2011, yet I am determined to be super organised and begin planning things out, gathering ideas and thinking over my options in advance.

One of the biggest worries for me, is the ceremony.

I am atheist, though I was raised CofE, and the Mister is [non practicing] Hindu.

All I grew up knowing was white weddings, marrying in the presence of god etc etc.

But since I don't believe in "God" as such, and Vish is Hindu by faith... how do I go about the ceremony?

Having a non-religious ceremony? Celebrants.co.nz is your one stop shop for celebrants.

Our plan is having to go to India after the wedding, and have a Hindu ceremony in a temple with his family. Which I am very much looking forward to. =]

But the actual location for the ceremony in New Zealand is more the problem.

We are thinking of having the reception in a marquee at my parents house - they have a large garden - but I am not sure the garden is large enough for the ceremony as well, without subjecting the guests to staring at the back of a marquee.

So I have had a search around, and hope that this collection of some the favourite locations I have found, helps local brides with any similar ceremony problems they may be having.

Wilson's Mill Gardens 4.8 hectares of well-established garden, in Ohoka [near Kaiapoi, Christchurch] With a fairly reasonable selection of prices for hire of the venue; $250 for wedding photos, to $2000 for garden Wedding hire.

Information on facilities available for weddings via Christchurch City Council.

Any of the parks, beaches and wharves on the Banks Peninsula are free of charge for Weddings! [Though the council does prefer to be notified of any event scheduled] However, exclusive use is not guaranteed... they are public parks after all.

No fee applies at any of the CCC covered parks and reserves for Photographs only, yet again, booking is preferred [so the council feels involved!]

Other facilities available through the council include Mona Vale Homestead and The Botanical Gardens, which can be booked, but a fee applies for the exclusivity and three hours is the maximum booking in these two locations.

Vineyards [for example Darjon, Rosebank, Tram Road Vineyard] are another popular location for non-religious ceremonies, however I have found alot of them offer packages [which suit some brides] but not a lot of flexibility for people who have reception venues sorted, and just want a beautiful ceremony location.

With that said, it never hurts to talk to the vendor and come to some agreement. You only want to use the venue for a 30 minute ceremony and an hour of photos? They might offer you a discounted rate.

I hope this helps to inspire you for your wedding. Any other ideas or links are welcome! Just comment below, don't be shy!

And here's some inspiration from design sponge to get your creative juices flowing!