Large Numbers of Australians Flocking to NZ to Wed

31 January 2014 – More than a quarter of all same-sex marriages in New Zealand are couples from Australia, according to the Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages’ first release of statistics since same-sex marriage laws were introduced in August 2013.

Between 19 August and 19 December last year there were 361 same-sex couples married, 97 of which were Australians who travelled to New Zealand to get married.

“We are seeing continued national and international interest by same-sex couples in getting married in New Zealand,” registrar-general Jess Montgomery said.

“We expect the number of same-sex weddings to increase during the summer ‘wedding season’.”

Original story by Paul Farrell, The Guardian, January 25, 2014.

Photo by Alan Porritt/AAP.