2026 Warm personal ceremony reflecting our love
2026 was a warm, intimate Wellington wedding in a beautiful rural setting
2026 Relaxed heartfelt ceremony designed just for us
2026 "From our very first meeting, Jude made us feel completely relaxed and excited about our wedding day. The ceremony felt personal, genuine, and perfectly us"
2026 " We had so many guests comment afterwards on how beautiful and heartfelt the ceremony was. It struck the perfect balance between emotional, fun, and professional"
2026 " Nothing was too much trouble. Communication was easy, the process felt stress-free, and we always felt supported along the way"
2025 "Our wedding ceremony was everything we hoped for and more. Warm, engaging, and delivered with confidence and care"
2026 "The setting at Ohariu Hills was absolutely stunning. Between the views, atmosphere, and organisation, the whole day felt effortless."
2025 " Jude has an amazing ability to make everyone feel comfortable. Even our nervous groom was laughing and relaxed within minutes"
2025 "We wanted a small, intimate wedding, and it was absolutely perfect. The ceremony felt meaningful and personal without ever feeling overly formal"
2025 "The wet weather option gave us complete peace of mind, honestly, the cottage created such a cosy atmosphere for our ceremony"
2025 We were blown away by the attention to detail and how smoothly everything ran on the day. We could simply relax and enjoy every moment"
2025 " if you are looking for a celebrant who is professional, calm, warm, and genuinely cares about creating a memorable ceremony , we highly recommend Jude"
Airbnb Cottage: Great little cottage. Much more modern and spacious than we expected! So peaceful!
Airbnb Cottage: Lovely spot. Jude is a great host!
Airbnb :Jude put in extra effort and made sure the stay was excellent, highly recommended for a stunning get away!! Cheers Jude
Airbnb : Jude was very friendly and easy to communicate with. The cottage was peaceful and quiet, which is exactly what we were after after our wedding day. We would definitely stay again to escape the busy city life!
Airbnb: Great stay. Would recommend. Thanks for having us.
Airbnb : We had a lovely overnight stay, it is a perfect peaceful getaway location.
Airbnb : Nice to bring our dog.
Airbnb: Perfect for a cosy, relaxing getaway not far from the city. Peaceful and stocked with everything you need.
Airbnb: We loved the off-the-grid experience. Great hosting by Jude who made it so easy to check in and kept in contact via text. We would come back!! The lovely morning sun…..birds and the view of the wind turbines were a highlight.
Airbnb : We loved the off the grid experience. Great hosting by Jude who made it so easy to check in and kept in contact via text. We would definitely come back!! Lovely morning sun…..birds and the view of the wind turbines were a highlight.
Airbnb : Incredibly private location, but this is no old hut! Everything new and modern, very clean, good communication, perfect for a getaway from the big smoke for two!
Jonathan and I would like to say a huge thank you for the amazing job you did on Saturday. You made the day as stress free as it couldn’t be and the ceremony was beautiful.
Registry Wedding
Thank you again for last night - was such a beautiful setting and you were fab - will be recommending you to any friends!
Registry Wedding
Thank you so much Jude! You’re amazing! I will absolutely be recommending you!!
Jude is an excellent celebrant who made our special day incredibly easy. She is friendly, professional and calm. Jude made sure we were comfortable with what to say and let us edit the ceremony script to be suitable for what we wanted. I cannot thank her enough for her beautiful, heartfelt words. She will make your wedding flow seamlessly with her kind, caring, organised manner. I loved how she presented her words with the perfect amount of gravitas so we knew the importance of the vows and promise we were making. 11 out of 10.
Registry Wedding
Jude really is the best. Her manner was lovely, inclusive and warm. She sincerely wanted us to have a good experience. Even though we opted for a short registry ceremony it was a wonderful experience and would highly recommend Jude Best as a celebrant. The venue is also beautiful and a great location for a ceremony
Registry Wedding
We got married on October 9th, 2020 and Jude Best made it amazing. For a bit of context, we're not kiwis, we originally planned to get married elsewhere, but due to the ongoing events in the world, we decided to settle for something simple in New-Zealand. We thought it would be a simple formality, something that has to be done, and we went there a bit sad that our families could not be there. Instead we got a wonderful memory, made so memorable by the help, the class, the kindness and overall great personnality of Jude, as well as her charming & historic place. We thank her so much for making this day unforgettable and so joyful, thank you Jude !
Wedding : Jude really is the best. Her manner was lovely, inclusive and warm. She sincerely wanted us to have a good experience. Even though we opted for a short registry ceremony it was a wonderful experience and would highly recommend Jude Best as a celebrant. The venue is also beautiful and a great location for a ceremony.
Just wanted to say thank you again for being our celebrant. We had such a wonderful day, was a really amazing day and we are still reminiscing. The ceremony was beautiful and we are so glad we chose you to marry us!
Many thanks and best wishes.
Wedding : Jude was such an integral part of our 'Festival of Love' experience at Tanglewood Retreat, Waimauku, Auckland.
Right from our first call with her, through to saying our I Do's she guided us and supported us - it really couldn't have been anymore amazing as cheesy as that sounds!
Jude was the perfect fit, as being interested in the realms of yoga with similar values to us, she was able to hold space for us to explore and curate the ceremony we wanted it to be. Which was one filled of so much love, so thank you, Jude :)
Hi Jude. Thank you for all you did for us before and on the day. Couldn't have done it without you.
2020 February Adam We just wanted to thank you for being our celebrant on sun. We had a magical day and couldnt have done it without you. All our love
Thanks for doing such a lovely job at officiating our wedding. We had lots of lovely feedback at how much the guests enjoyed how you ran the ceremony.
Thanks for all your help you made it that much easier and less stressful.
We got married on October 9th, 2020 and Jude Best made it amazing. For a bit of context, we're not kiwis, we originally planned to get married elsewhere, but due to the ongoing events in the world, we decided to settle for something simple in New-Zealand. We thought it would be a simple formality, something that has to be done, and we went there a bit sad that our families could not be there. Instead we got a wonderful memory, made so memorable by the help, the class, the kindness and overall great personality of Jude, as well as her charming & historic place. We thank her so much for making this day unforgettable and so joyful, thank you Jude !
Wedding : Perfect. Couldn’t have asked for anything better. Helpful with absolutely everything on the day from start to finish. Very kind and caring person. Highly recommend.
Cottage: Good, clean, comfortable, friendly owner
Weddings : Thanks so much for being part of our special day, you were amazing and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Wedding: Thank you so much for making our wedding so special and creating such a great atmosphere with your presence and the words you used and the way you managed everything. We couldn't have picked a better celebrant! You helped make the occasion even more special. We won't hesitate to recommend you to others. You were fabulous!
We wish you all the best and hope our paths will cross again one day. You never know, it's a small world!
Wedding: We just wanted to say a huge thank you for the amazing job that you did officiating our wedding. We have had so many comments on the ceremony and how personal it was to us. Full credit to you! You were fantastic and we had the most amazing time celebrating.
Thank you so much.
Cottage: Relaxing location, quietness, pleasantly furnished, all good!
Cottage: Absolutely gorgeous little place!! Beautiful birds to wake up to each morning too, it’s the prefect little getaway. We used this place to stay before our wedding and me and my bridesmaids got ready here on the day, it was magical and made for beautiful photos! Was the perfect amount of space for us to get ready including the hairdresser and make up lady! (8 ladies I’m total).
Cottage: Perfect little getaway!!
Cottage : Perfect for a wedding cottage including high hooks for a wedding dress and stools to sit on for getting make up and hair done. Great lighting and scenery for photos also.
Cottage: Great location in the beautiful Ohariu Valley, only 20 minutes from Wellington. Really feel comfortable in the cozy farmhouse cottage. Uncomplicated check-in after a long journey.
Cottage: The location is great, quiet with beautiful scenery around. The house has everything you may need for a comfortable stay, not to mention it's dog-friendly!
Cottage: There were so many special touches - fresh flowers, the heater was on for us because it was a cold, wet afternoon; food in the cupboards, beautiful sachets to choose from in the drawer in the bathroom, etc. The setting is quiet and idyllic. We met Jude, who is a real person who came to chat with us about the area, how she arrived at the setting, and how it developed. I love getting history of what people are doing and why. Jude is definitely a superhost.
Cottage: Very pretty spot, relaxing on the deck, nice kitchen to cook in, modern and comfy, complete with a washing machine, and dishwasher.
Getting there was a bit goofy on a very narrow winding road reminded me of the UK.
Cottage: Beautiful space Loved the electric blankets, perfect for a crisp April evening. There was even some bread in the fridge for toast in the morning! Loved the check-in call the day before too.
Cottage: The property was the ideal sanctuary for me on the eve of my wedding day. It offered a serene atmosphere, impeccable cleanliness, and generous space, all surrounded by nature's splendour - towering trees, lush green grass, and the sweet melodies of birdsong. The owner's warmth and hospitality added to the charm, making this haven truly unforgettable. Her kindness and accommodating nature left a lasting impression, and I feel grateful to have experienced it. It was worth it, I’d stay here again.
Airbnb Cottage: This beautiful cottage, is very peaceful and private. The kitchen is well stocked and the space is great for relaxing and listening to music or the birds in the evening. Would definitely stay again!
Phone: +640274773064
Email: judebest@celebrancyservices.co.nz
Address: JUDE BEST
Celebrant
The Gazebo
184 A Takarau Gorge, Ohariu Valley, Wellington, New Zealand
Marriage Celebrant, Small Quick Weddings WELLINGTON