Wedding venue in Marlborough

Nativity Church is a gorgeous venue surrounded by stunning stained glass windows, filling the space with a glorious light and ambience - making it the perfect location for your wedding. Situated in the heart of Blenheim with free parking and lots of hotels nearby, hosting your wedding at Nativity makes things easy.

Our wedding package:
The wedding package is a fixed price of $750+GST that includes:

• Use of the Church for 3 hours for your wedding ceremony

• The services of our minister, Glen Ashworth, who is available for pre-marriage counselling and the service.

• A 1-hour rehearsal, which includes time to set up any decorations

• Use of the audio/speaker system and microphones

NOTES:

• You may choose your own minister or pastor may conduct the ceremony with prior approval from Nativity, but the fixed price is still the same.

• Nativity has several organists who may be available to play at your wedding for an additional fee.

• You may opt to play recorded music instead of having an organist

FAQs about weddings at Nativity:

What are the legal requirements for getting married?

• No priest may marry people who do not have a valid Marriage License.

• The marriage license is applied for online at https://marriages.services.govt.nz/

• The license should be emailed to [email protected] at least one week prior to the wedding. It is valid for 3 months.

• It is also a legal requirement that the priest sees the papers of dissolution for any people remarrying after a divorce. Please talk about this with the priest taking your wedding.

• Marriage is a legal contract as well as a religious ceremony and the priest cannot conduct the ceremony if either party is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Do we have to attend any classes or courses?
Because we take seriously your decision to marry, we want you to take part in a marriage preparation course. This may be done by either; meeting with your local vicar, minister or pastor, through a marriage preparation course or some other means.

Do we have to come to church at Nativity before our wedding?
No, but yes. We make no demand that you do this. However, we would enjoy your company with us one Sunday.

Can we write our own vows?
With the priest's agreement, you may wish to write some parts of the service yourself. These alternatives can be discussed and worked through with the priest taking your service.

Can we arrange our own flowers?
Yes. Flowers within the church are arranged each week by members of the church flower guild. We recommend you speak with us to discuss your floral plans and any additional arrangements you wish to provide.

Can we decorate the ends of the pews?
Yes, by tying any decorations on, and removing them after the wedding.

Do We Need A Rehearsal?
Yes. Rehearsals are scheduled for an hour usually the day before the wedding day, and this time also includes placing any decorations in the church.

Using the Nativity Centre afterwards
We have plenty of great spaces you can use for hosting your guests afterwards, either for a reception or afternoon tea. These are priced in addition to the wedding ceremony package.

FOR INFORMAL LIGHT DRINKS AND NIBBLES

We have a variety of spaces available for hire, such as a beautiful newly renovated hall, an outdoor deck area, or a lounge area that can be used for drinks and nibbles after your ceremony. The hall has tables and seating available and can cater for up to 190 people (standing). For smaller gatherings, we recommend the lounge which can cater for up to 30 people.

We don't provide catering but are happy for you to organise this. We have a large, newly constructed kitchen space available to hire where you can store, cook and plate up food. There is a microwave, steriliser, two 90cm ovens, 2 induction cooktops, a hot water urn, a commercial-sized refrigerator and a small freezer.

Teapots, coffee plungers, milk jugs, crockery and cutlery, glassware, water jugs and some platters are all included in the cost of hire - but please bring your own food & drink supplies.
If you use the communal equipment, you must be prepared to clean it up after usage and return to its original position.

The sale of alcohol is not permitted on these premises without a license, but you can bring your own to share with your guests. Wine glasses are available as part of the hire. Please notify the staff if you require these.

As this is not an exclusive hire, there may be other groups accessing other spaces in the community centre.
To book one of these spaces for 2-3 hours after your ceremony - please select this option at checkout. For extra time, add on additional hourly rates. If you are unsure what you will need, please give us a call.

FOR THE WEDDING RECEPTION

The whole community centre can be hired for your after party. This includes the full use of the hall, lounge, kitchen and outdoor area. With help from caterers, the wedding reception could be served buffet style or seated in any of the rooms, depending on your capacity. The Nativity kitchen has crockery and cutlery to serve up to 140 people, but you will need to provide your own linen.

Please contact us for more information on shaping a package rate and availability for hiring the whole community centre.

Accessibility:
We have two designated disabled car park spaces and can reserve more if you tell us in advance. The room is easily accessible for wheelchairs with access via the Nativity Centre. We also have an accessible toilet with baby change facilities.
We're open for viewings Monday - Friday from 9am - 12pm or by arrangement - although our rooms can be busy, so best to message us to check for a suitable time

Location

We're located on Alfred St, a 5-minute walk from Blenheim's town centre.
We have 53 free car parking spaces, including 2 accessible spaces.
There is also free parking on the roads surrounding us.
It's around a 15-minute drive to the airport with traffic not usually being a problem.

What's nearby?

Many shops, restaurants and cafes in Blenheim Town Centre and many award-winning wineries and restaurants are located within a short drive. If you choose not to hold your reception at Nativity, you'll find many great options for dinner and drinks within walking distance or a short drive.
We have some great accommodation options nearby with the Scenic Hotel directly opposite us and Chateau Marlborough just around the corner, making accommodating your guests a breeze.