Love and Liberty: The Auckland Celebrant Who Says Skip the Traditions You Don't Love

Vendor Spotlight: Celebrants

Kicking off our celebrants series is someone we have shared a ceremony aisle with more than a few times, Libby of Love and Liberty. If you have ever felt a bit weighed down by all the shoulds that come with wedding planning, who should walk you down the aisle, whether you need a bridal party, whether the ceremony has to look a certain way, Libby is the celebrant who will happily tell you to throw the rulebook out.

Libby, the celebrant and sole face behind Love and Liberty Weddings.

Why We Recommend Them

The name says it all really, love and liberty. Libby's whole approach is built around the idea that your ceremony should reflect your relationship and your personalities, not anyone else's expectations. She describes herself as young, fun and a little bit quirky, with a soft spot for bright, bold and beautiful styling, and that energy comes through in how relaxed her couples are on the day. As photographers, that matters more than people realise, a couple who feel genuinely at ease with their celebrant give us so much more to work with than two people stiffly reciting vows they do not connect with.

What They Offer

Libby works as a registered independent marriage officiant across Auckland, and she is genuinely open to whatever shape you want your ceremony to take. Not fussed about rings? Skip them. Want your dog walking you down the aisle instead of a parent? Go for it. Her site lists three main options, a simplified ceremony with a set script, a fully personalised ceremony written just for you, and a package deal that adds MC duties and wedding-day management on top of the ceremony itself. She also assists with the marriage license logistics, which is one less thing for you to figure out.

Confetti and lace train after a ceremony, the kind of detail we love catching once the vows are done.

The Experience

Booking starts with an initial chat, described on her site as grabbing a cheeky drink to see if you click, followed by a two hundred dollar non-refundable deposit to lock in your date. From there you fill out a relationship questionnaire so she can actually get to know your story, and you meet again closer to the day to sort logistics. She arrives at least thirty minutes early on the day itself, which we always appreciate as photographers since it means one less vendor to chase down before the ceremony starts.

Our Tips

If your wedding vision leans a little unconventional, mismatched attire, an unusual venue, a ceremony structure that does not follow the standard script, Libby is worth reaching out to early, since celebrants with this kind of flexible approach tend to book out fast. Also budget separately for your marriage license, which currently runs about one hundred and fifty dollars and needs to be ordered roughly three weeks ahead of the wedding, it is a small but easy detail to forget when you are focused on the bigger vendor bookings.

Love and Liberty at a Glance

Celebrant: Elizabeth (Libby) Davison, registered independent marriage officiant

Location: Auckland, New Zealand, travels further afield for an additional fee

Email: loveandlibertyweddings@gmail.com

Services: Personalised ceremonies, simplified set-script ceremonies, wedding MC duties, wedding-day management, marriage license logistics support

Pricing: Simplified ceremony from $450, fully personalised ceremony from $1,050, package deal (ceremony plus MC and day management) $1,899, plus a $150 marriage license fee (published pricing, correct as of our research)

Website: loveandlibertyweddings.com

That is our first celebrant pick, and a great reminder that your ceremony can look however you want it to. If you are after a photography team that will lean into that same easy, personal energy on the day, come say hello, we would love to help capture it.

Planning Your Own Wedding?

Planning your Auckland wedding? Explore our photography and film packages or get in touch with your date and venue. We can help you build a relaxed team and coverage plan around your day.