

Weddings
Allow us to woo you with the historic charm of St Matthew-in-the-City.
Built in Auckland's central city in 1905, the stone church's majestic neo-Gothic style, ornate stained glass windows and polished oak and kauri pews give it an air of spiritual grandeur unmatched by any establishment in the area.
St Matthew-in-the-City is an Anglican Church that is accepting and inclusive of people of varied faiths and backgrounds.
We are delighted when any couple wishes to pledge their love, trust, and fidelity to each other before God and in the presence of their friends and family.
Planning a Wedding
Fees and Booking
Wedding fee $1,600.00 (2023) | $1,700.00 (2024) covers:
* Use of the church for 100 minutes on the day (40 minutes for guests to arrive and decoration + 60 minutes for the ceremony and clean up);
* Service of our Clergy, Organist, Verger (supervisor);
* Up to one-hour rehearsal during Office hours (Monday-Friday 10am-5pm);
* Use of the sound system (including CD player, AUX cable to connect your own device, up to five microphones);
* Use of an up-right piano;
* Unity Candle;
* In-house heating during cold months;
* Administrative cost.
Extras:
Bells (up to 20 minutes at the conclusion of the ceremony;
it is a part of your 1-hour ceremony) $280 | $290
Additional time (subject to availability) 30 minutes: ___ $165 | $170; 1 hour: ___ $330 | $340
Rehearsal after Office hours (subject to availability) ___ $120 | $130
Live streaming ___ $230 | $240
Use of Grand Piano (tuning not included) ___ $300
Set up and reset of additional chairs for the guests
(if the number of guests is greater than 170) ___ $55 | $60
Rubbish removal fee ___ $45 | $50
Service of Security Guard to check My Vaccine Passes
(applies if My Vaccine Passes re-introduced by the Government) ___ $170 | $180
We recommend you confirm your booking as soon as possible because there can often be several requests for the same day and time. A non-refundable and non-transferable deposit of $400 will confirm the date and time of your booking. The remaining outstanding balance is due to be paid within 7 days before the wedding day.
Dates
Please fill out the Request a Wedding Date form. If you didn't hear from us for more than two working days, feel free to give us a call on (09) 281 4893 Monday-Friday 11am-5pm.
Please note that we do not conduct wedding ceremonies on a Sunday morning, on public holidays,
and on the following dates:
2-10 April 2023 (Holy Week),
24 December 2023 – 14 January 2024 (Christmas Holiday),
24 March – 1 April 2024 (Holy Week),
24 December 2024 – 12 January 2025 (Christmas Holiday).
Seating
St Matthew’s can accommodate up to 400 guests: the wooden pews seat about 160 people; the upstairs gallery seats up to 50 people; we have 190 additional chairs that can be used on request (please note that some additional seats will have a restricted view due to a number of structural pillars in the church).
Celebrant
At St Matthew's we are happy to offer hospitality to ministers of other denominations to take weddings.
In accepting our invitation to preside at a service in our church we expect that you will also respect that hospitality and St Matthew's role as an Anglican church which welcomes all people regardless of gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
If one of the St Matthew's clergy is taking your wedding you can see the choice of services here:
Marriage Liturgy First Form View Online
Marriage Liturgy Second Form View Online Download Marriage Services
Marriage Liturgy Third Form View Online
The clergy will guide you through selecting a service to suit you, and there is flexibility to add in personal touches such as your own vows.
Civil (independent) marriage celebrants are not permitted to preside in any Anglican Church in this Diocese.
Music
St Matthew’s is renowned for its music. Our organist is available to play at your ceremony, usually the Processional (bride walking down the aisle), during the Signing of the Register, and the Recessional (the bridal couple leaving the church). You may listen to the samples from the list of suggested Traditional Wedding Music.
You are welcome to have your own singers, musicians / band. If you use a band they need to bring their own sound system.
You can use our grand piano for a fee. Use of our up-right piano is free of charge.
Our sound system can play music from a CD or any electronic device.
Nevertheless nothing is as enjoyable as live music.
Bells
Make the most of the location and recruit the church's bell ringers to announce your union with the echoing chime of church bells. St Matthew’s is home to the only peal of bells (8 bellringers) in Auckland, and features the tallest bell tower in the North Island.
The bells add a unique dimension to your wedding at St Matthew’s. A donation is payable to the Bellringers Society should you wish to have the bells rung after your ceremony.
Decoration
You may bring in flowers. You are welcome to bring in your own ribbons or flowers to tie to the ends of the pews (please do not tape, glue or pin to the wood).
We do not allow confetti (rice, paper bombs etc) of any type inside or outside the church. Fresh petals are an acceptable alternative for confetti. Helium balloons and artificial petals may not be used inside the church.
Please arrange for any decoration (including petals), boxes, discarded material including hymn sheets to be removed at the end of the ceremony. Thank you.
Photography
All photographers and video camera operators must speak to the officiating minister before the service. This is a courtesy to both the minister and the bridal party. Guests are very welcome to take photos.
If you wish to take photographs in the church at the conclusion of your ceremony please inform the Events Manager so we book time for this (subject to availability).
Parking
The bridal vehicle parks on the forecourt in front of the church.
Wilson Parking on the South side of St Matthew’s is a 'pay and display' facility.
Other parking is available at the SKYCITY Carpark, Atrium carpark (entrance is through the Crowne Plaza Hotel entry on Albert Street) and Civic Car Park (entry at Greys Ave and Mayoral Drive).
Refreshments
If you would like to conclude your ceremony with brief refreshments please book extra time for this (subject to availability). Alcohol cannot be consumed outside the church.
If you wish to have a full reception it can also be arranged. For basic information visit the Events Terms and Conditions Page.
Marriage Licence
You will need to apply to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (https://marriages.services.govt.nz) for a marriage licence around four weeks before your wedding day. The licence is valid for three months, and it takes three days to be prepared. If you have previously been married, you will need to show the Registrar the legal papers relating to the dissolution of that marriage.
To complete an on-line form choose Type of Ceremony Personalised ceremony
Then you’ll need to have these details before you start:
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full address of the ceremony location (St Matthew-in-the-City, 132 Hobson Street, Auckland)
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the name of the celebrant you have arranged
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personal details of you and your partner
Please note that we cannot conduct a legal marriage without a licence. It is your responsibility to ensure that the licence is completed correctly and delivered to the church's office on your rehearsal day or earlier so that the church’s register can be completed.
Updated 27 March 2023









We wish you all the best during your engagement period!