Hot Pink Celebrant: When a Professional Comedian Marries You Instead of a Traditional Celebrant

Vendor Spotlight: Celebrants

Our second celebrant pick is one of the most theatrical people in Auckland weddings, full stop. Penny Ashton has spent twenty five years as a full time performer, actor, poet, comedian and voice over artist, touring solo shows all the way to the Edinburgh Festival, and since 2012 she has brought all of that stage experience into marrying couples as the Hot Pink Celebrant. If you want a ceremony with genuine warmth and a healthy dose of humour, she is very hard to beat.

Why We Recommend Them

Penny writes every ceremony from scratch, and her background as a poet and storyteller really shows in the final result. She has a knack for weaving in the details that make a couple's relationship distinctly theirs, favourite movie quotes, song lyrics, even the odd superhero catch phrase if that is genuinely your thing, without it ever feeling gimmicky. As photographers, we love shooting her ceremonies because the couples are almost always laughing, properly laughing, at some point during the vows, and that kind of unscripted joy makes for the best candid shots of the whole day.

What They Offer

A full, personalised ceremony starts with a no obligation meeting to talk through what you want, from relaxed and casual to fully traditional, it is entirely up to you. From there Penny builds your ceremony around your story, how you met, your proposal, what you love about each other, and she is happy to weave in surprise messages from family and friends too. She will also attend and help coordinate your rehearsal, and can stay on to MC the reception for an additional cost. For couples who want something simpler, she also offers a no frills registry style ceremony, a straightforward exchange of vows with no meetings or rehearsal required.

The Experience

Once you decide to go ahead, a two hundred dollar invoice secures your date, and Penny books up quickly during wedding season so it pays to lock this in early. Final settlement is due the week before the wedding. She strongly recommends a proper sound system for any ceremony over thirty guests or held outdoors, which is worth factoring into your overall vendor budget alongside her fee.

Our Tips

If you are drawn to Penny specifically for her sense of humour, do not be shy about telling her that upfront, the more personality and specific detail you give her to work with, the better your ceremony will be. And because her calendar fills fast in wedding season, treat that two hundred dollar deposit as a genuine priority rather than something to circle back to later once your other bookings are sorted.

Hot Pink Celebrant at a Glance

Celebrant: Penny Ashton, registered marriage celebrant since 2012

Location: Glendene, Auckland

Phone: 027 296 6883

Email: penny@hotpink.co.nz

Services: Fully personalised ceremonies, registry style ceremonies, rehearsal coordination, optional MC services

Pricing: Registry style ceremony $200 plus GST; fully personalised ceremony secured with a $200 deposit against final settlement due the week before the wedding (published pricing, correct as of our research)

Website: hotpinkcelebrant.com

If your idea of a great wedding involves a celebrant who can make an entire room laugh and cry within the same five minutes, Penny is well worth a look. And once the vows are done and the confetti is flying, that is exactly the kind of moment our team at Popin Wedding loves being there to capture, so get in touch and let's talk about your day.