• Our Faith
  • Bishop's Office
  • Our Events
  • Donate

  • Our Faith
  • Bishop's Office
  • Our Events
  • Donate
CDA001-Crestwithtext-100x600px-Final-2
  • Missionary Discipleship
        • Mission Support

        • Faith in Action
        • Deaf Ministry
        • Pastoral Councils
        • Ecumenism & Interfaith
        • Marriage & Family

        • Getting Married
        • Our Courses
        • Family Life
        • Alpha for Couples
        • Faith Formation

        • Formation for Mission
        • Family Faith
        • Te Kupenga
        • Māori Vicariate

        • Māori Vicariate
  • Young People
        • Education

        • Catholic Schools
        • Catholic Education Services
        • Te Kāmaka
        • Youth Ministry

        • ACYM Home
        • Tu Kahikatea Awards
        • ACYM Resources
        • NET Team
        • University Ministry

        • University Ministry Home
        • ACTC Blog
        • ACTS Club
        • Vocations

        • Our Calling
        • Auckland Seminarians
  • Care of the Poor
        • Justice & Peace

        • Our mahi
        • Caring Foundation

        • Our Services
        • Outreach

        • Catholic Social Services
        • De Paul House
        • Monte Cecilia
        • James Liston House
  • Liturgy & Prayer
        • Liturgy

        • Liturgy Centre
        • Resource Catalogue
        • Guidelines
        • Magazine
        • Pray Together

        • Ritual Prayers
        • Family Prayer
        • Grace
        • Pray the Rosary
        • For Sunday

        • Liturgy of the Word Children
        • Prayer of the Faithful
        • Waiata | Music
        • Te Reo in the Liturgy
  • Diocesan Services
        • Administration

        • General Manager
        • Diocesan Finance
        • Diocesan Property
        • Parish Administration
        • Heritage Centre & Archives
        • Communications

        • Media & Communications
        • CathNews
        • Annual Report
        • People

        • Staff Vacancies
        • Safeguarding
        • Tribunal
        • Confronting Abuse
        • Search
  • Missionary Discipleship
        • Mission Support

        • Faith in Action
        • Deaf Ministry
        • Pastoral Councils
        • Ecumenism & Interfaith
        • Marriage & Family

        • Getting Married
        • Our Courses
        • Family Life
        • Alpha for Couples
        • Faith Formation

        • Formation for Mission
        • Family Faith
        • Te Kupenga
        • Māori Vicariate

        • Māori Vicariate
  • Young People
        • Education

        • Catholic Schools
        • Catholic Education Services
        • Te Kāmaka
        • Youth Ministry

        • ACYM Home
        • Tu Kahikatea Awards
        • ACYM Resources
        • NET Team
        • University Ministry

        • University Ministry Home
        • ACTC Blog
        • ACTS Club
        • Vocations

        • Our Calling
        • Auckland Seminarians
  • Care of the Poor
        • Justice & Peace

        • Our mahi
        • Caring Foundation

        • Our Services
        • Outreach

        • Catholic Social Services
        • De Paul House
        • Monte Cecilia
        • James Liston House
  • Liturgy & Prayer
        • Liturgy

        • Liturgy Centre
        • Resource Catalogue
        • Guidelines
        • Magazine
        • Pray Together

        • Ritual Prayers
        • Family Prayer
        • Grace
        • Pray the Rosary
        • For Sunday

        • Liturgy of the Word Children
        • Prayer of the Faithful
        • Waiata | Music
        • Te Reo in the Liturgy
  • Diocesan Services
        • Administration

        • General Manager
        • Diocesan Finance
        • Diocesan Property
        • Parish Administration
        • Heritage Centre & Archives
        • Communications

        • Media & Communications
        • CathNews
        • Annual Report
        • People

        • Staff Vacancies
        • Safeguarding
        • Tribunal
        • Confronting Abuse
        • Search

Ngā Akoranga Whakarite Mārena - Marriage Preparation Course

Marriage and Family logo

The Marriage and Family Office offers a Diocese-approved Marriage Preparation Course.

IMPORTANT:  If you are getting married overseas, please allow up to 6 months between finishing all parts of your course and your wedding date.  It can take up to 6 months for your pre-nuptial paperwork to be processed in both countries.

Please note: Our course is designed for couples attending together as an engaged couple.

Why do Marriage Preparation? Expand

The courses:

  • Offer some insight into the dynamics of intimate relationships.
  • Take a realistic look at the challenges of commitment and offers strategies for success.
  • Provide an understanding of the sacrament of marriage.
  • Are facilitated by trained married couples.
  • Are approved by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and recognised worldwide.
Getting A Marriage Licence Expand

Before you get married, you need to apply for a licence. A licence confirms it’s legal for you to marry. It costs $150 if you use a celebrant, and a registry ceremony costs $240 in total.

You need to know that:

  • You need to arrange your licence at least 3 working days before you get married.
  • It expires after 3 months.
  • If you’re using a celebrant, they have separate fees.
  • Only one of you needs to complete the application, but you need information about both of you.

Find out more and apply online here.

How much do our courses cost? Expand

 

These prices are per couple.

We are a non-profit organisation. The course fee covers material costs, venue hire, administration costs, ongoing training of our Educator couples, ongoing review and updates to the marriage programme.  We do have an installment payment option please contact the office for more information.

Please Note:

  • If  you are wanting to attend these courses on your own, as your fiance is in another city, please contact the office [email protected] to discuss this further.
Marriage Educators Hub Expand

This content is  protected. You will need to enter your password to access the material.

Commit Resources for Marriage Educators

The Tribunal Expand

We all hope and pray that Marriage is for life.  As a result ending a marriage and the union hoped for is  traumatic experience. The time of separation and divorce is a time of upheaval and at all levels it can result in strained friendships and feeling of alienation and guilt.

The Church cares…

The Church acknowledges the reality of separation and divorce. It is aware of the stresses in our modern world associated with end of a marriage. Added to the pain of the legal and relational process are the questions that divorced Catholics may have about their status within the Church. They may wonder if and when they are required to seek a Church Declaration of Nullity. Whilst upholding the permanence of sacramental marriage, the Church does reach out in support of those whose marriages have broken down. These aspects of the Church are especially evident in the sensitive work of the Tribunals of the Catholic Church.

Learn more about the work of the Tribunal and the process of annulment.

For further information in order to understand the declaration of nullity process download this pamphlet.

Booking System Guide

Video instructions on how to navigate our online booking system for our available Marriage Preparation Course.

Watch here

Online Booking

Please book your sessions by creating an account through our online booking system.

Register here

Volunteer as a Marriage Educator

Find out more about training as a Marriage Educator

Click here

Natural Fertility Awareness

For an introductory session contact the Marriage and Famiy Office.

Click here

Privacy Policy

Find out about how we store your personal information

Click here

Ongoing marriage support

For more information, please contact Gerry Smith

Click here

WHAT COUPLES SAY ABOUT OUR COURSES

Thank you very much for the time and effort put in by the coordinators. We really felt it was (and will be) beneficial to our marriage. We have already recommended this to other friends and family. 

I liked the activities and working with my fiancé. I liked the laid back and casual nature of the evening. I was expecting church and prayers and it was different. It was a safe environment that led us into intros and warm up and discussions were well received. The couple were good and explained everything, very helpful. They made us feel welcome which calmed our nerves.

Loved it, like meeting the couple. I felt warmly welcomed. It was better than I expected. We had a laugh talking through some of the statements.

Warmly greeted, very relevant to our marriage. A very good way for us to talk & discuss about important things that we haven't already talk about. We loved it.

I enjoyed talking together with my fiancée and with the facilitators going through the different topics. It was enjoyable.

Very relevant to our marriage and the course taught us a lot about marriage and about each other. A very good way for us to talk and discuss about important things that we have or haven't already talk about.

The course is interactive, and we practically applied it to ourselves. Although it came from a Catholic point of view, it included everyone and made everyone feel welcome.

There was a lot of communication training which was beneficial to all of life, not just marriage.

Over and beyond, it was extremely helpful for us as a couple, would even go so far as to say everyone should do it.

It was an amazingly diverse group of people who were all there with a really positive outlook.

Get in touch

The Catholic Diocese Of Auckland,
Pompallier Diocesan Centre,
30 New Street, Auckland 1011,
New Zealand.
Call Us  +64 9 378 4380
Postal Address
Private Bag 47904 Ponsonby
Auckland 1144

Website Privacy Policy
Diocesan Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions

Find us

Find Your Local Parish
Find Your Ethnic Community
Find a Catholic School
Directory
CDA Portal
CathNews
Visiting Clergy
Safeguarding
Complaints

 

 

Follow us

Facebook Bishop Stephen Lowe

Bishop Steve Lowe

Facebook Bishop Patrick Dunn

Bishop Emeritus Patrick Dunn

Facebook Auckland Catholic

Auckland Catholic

Auckland Catholic YouTube

Auckland Catholic YouTube

Copyright © 2025 Catholic Diocese of Auckland. All Images are ©2025 Catholic Diocese of Auckland, used with permission.
All Rights Reserved.