Weddings at St John’s

Built in 1885, with kauri, totara and rimu, this historic building has hosted weddings for generations. With its awe-inspiring open space and handcrafted attention to detail, it’s easy to understand why couples choose to get married at St John’s in the City. View photo gallery

Designing your wedding

Our minister can guide you through the basics of a service, incorporating your personalities and ideas.

church

The main sanctuary has a capacity of up to 550 using both floors (ground floor and balcony). Most weddings use the ground floor only which has a maximum capacity of 375 people, while using the balcony above for getting some great photos. Smaller weddings may wish to use just the centre pews, or the adjacent Mackay Chapel.

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The inside of the church is beautiful and requires very little decoration. If you would like to add a personal touch for your special day, here are some options to choose from.

Flower arrangements and candles can be placed on the Communion Table or on stands (as pictured) at the front and in the foyer for your ceremony and then taken on to your reception venue.
Pew decorations can be attached to metal rings on the ends of the first nine rows of pews. There are 20 rings in total, five on each side of the two aisles.

Mackay Chapel

Adjacent to the main church sanctuary is a beautiful chapel. It’s a perfect setting for an intimate Wellington wedding and can seat up to 40 people.

The main feature of the Mackay Chapel is the magnificent Aitken stained glass windows depicting the Last Supper. The windows were made in Edinburgh in 1903 and lived in a church in Campbeltown, Scotland until it was demolished and the windows brought to St John’s in New Zealand.

St John’s Centre Hall and Meeting rooms

The St John’s Centre hall and meeting rooms next to the church can also be hired for use before and/or after your wedding. It’s a great option if you need a space to prepare and have afternoon tea following your wedding ceremony. It’s also great for cost-effective wedding receptions as the hall can accommodate large seated groups. Beer and wine may be served, but we ask that you discuss this with us as we have some specific conditions around this.

The kitchen is not commercially certified so it can’t be used for cooking but it can be used for heating and serving food. There are two ovens, a food warmer, a fridge, an industrial dishwasher, crockery and cutlery, coffee plungers and large teapots, tea towels and dishcloths, and lots of bench space. You will need to please supply your own tablecloths.

Music

Our church has a range of instruments and equipment available for use by (competent and careful) musicians as part of the hire of the church.

Electric organ
Grand piano
Electric keyboard
Drum kit
Wireless microphones
Sound system with a 3.5 mm jack to connect to your device
We also have a built-in hearing loop for hearing aids (these areas are signposted in the church)

Organist: We have organists available to meet with you beforehand to discuss your options if you would like the organ played as part of your wedding ceremony.

Marriage Course

We want to support your marriage and see you flourish, so the weddings that we officiate include a pre-marriage course. Participation is not compulsory, but highly encouraged as it’ll give you and your partner the dedicated time, space, and guidance to discuss what a healthy marriage looks like to you. The course itself is flexible and can be customised to suit you and your availability.

Reserving a date

We understand it can be hard to find the perfect place to have your wedding. While we sort out whether this is the right place for you, we’re happy to reserve your preferred date(s) for up to 30 days free of charge.

Once the booking is agreed with the minister and a date decided, we’ll require a $300 non-refundable deposit to secure your booking, with the remainder to be paid two weeks before the event. Any additional charges incurred on the day will need to be paid on receipt of invoice.

Booking dates can be moved to a new date if needed, subject to availability. Bookings can be made up to 24 months in advance.

Payment options: Direct bank transfer

More information

Marriage Licence

Get all the info you need to obtain a marriage licence and apply online here. We recommend organising your marriage license at least one month in advance just in case of delays. Once you have it, please give it to the Minister at least three days before the wedding.

You will sign these documents at your wedding ceremony. One copy will be yours to keep, and the Minister will send the second copy to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. St John’s in the City will also retain a record of the wedding.

Viewing the church and chapel

The best option for viewing the church and taking notes and measurements for photos and decorations etc for would be to come along to a Sunday morning service. You’ll see the church in action and be able to walk around after the service. The church is normally open for at least 20-30 minutes after the service has finished. The chapel is also often open during the week. If you won’t be able to make it on a Sunday morning please contact the Church Office to arrange a visiting time (subject to staff availability).