Malcolm Gapes Celebrant

09/05/2024

How about some of these for vows?

10/03/2024

Another glorious day in the sunny Bay of Plenty, and what better way to celebrate, than with a beach side wedding. A small family gathering that involved a few surprises!

25/02/2024

What wonderful sites for a wedding! Thames Coast demonstrated changing moods and weather over the weekend. Waiomu Beach Reserve proved to be a special place for vows to be exchanged for one young couple. This huge and very old Pohutukawa tree also provided shade and respite from the bright sunshine. I love the places that my Celebrancy takes me as well as the people that I meet along the way.

12/02/2024

As February 14th is almost here, followed by February 29th...it is the season of love! If you are planning some thing romantic, all the best! If you are thinking wedding bells....think of me. Whether your wedding is an elopement, or a large " all comers" style, you need a celebrant. Feel free to contact me and we can talk about what you want for your wedding day, and create a ceremony as simple or as complex as you want. Ladies, don't forget, the 29th is the day you can propose....if he declines he is supposed to buy you something anyway...apparently it was gloves, now I am thinking flowers are a starting point. Actually, why wait for a "special " date? Today is as good a day as any to make beautiful memories. Let's talk soon.

15/11/2023

I'm very pleased to announce that I have had confirmation of my celebrant licence being renewed for the next 12 months!

Ready to help make your special day become a reality!!

08/11/2023

Last weekend I was one of a large group of guests at the wedding of a family member.

I saw a different perspective to my practice as a celebrant! I was a guest not the celebrant! I was able to observe the reactions and enjoyment of everybody around me!

This caused my to think long and hard about my wedding script and presentation. What can I do differently to improve my service to my clients?

My wife Trish and I were invited to be the witnesses to the legal vows and I saw this aspect from a different perspective

All in all, a great opportunity to sit back and take stock of what I do!

Thank you to the bride and groom for facilitating this opportunity!

06/10/2023

Today we finally placed our lovely Major's ashes into a large vase as his new home!

Done with a ceremony by myself with Trish Gapes and Savannah watching on.

Savannah has his name tag as a memento.

He was part of our family for a long time and was a great guard dog and door bell! We don't miss his smelly farts tho!

Thank you Major for being such a special part of my family's life. We miss you!

05/07/2023

Taking a few days break with my darling Trish!
Enjoying the sights and sounds of Dunedin.
The NZ Brass band national contest is on and I am here with Tauranga Brass.
Amazing places and real history presented in so many ways!

26/06/2023

https://fb.watch/loSqyqmUJo/?mibextid=Nif5oz

19/05/2023

Anybody looking for a Santa for a mid winter party? DM me.

13/05/2023

Today is Mother's day in New Zealand!
Let me start by wishing all the Mums a very special and happy Mother's day!

I have blessed to have been able to perform wedding ceremonies for mums with their children present and even participating in the ceremonies! I have also carried out ceremonies for pregnant mums, which has been special!

In thinking about this I wish to pay a very heartfelt homage to my Mum, who chose in her second marriage to conceive and deliver a baby boy for her new husband! Both into middle age and wanting this blessing on their union!

However they got me! I put Mum flat on her back in bed in hospital with toxaemia, the standard treatment in those days!
I was born prematurely into a loving family with a half brother and three half sisters who willingly accepted me as their little brother!
Mum battled bad arthritis and finally succumbed to a massive cerebral hemorrhage when I was 17 years old: she was 63.

Mum built a huge dream in me to come to NZ from infancy, which I fulfilled and am still here in the country of my choice!

This rambling reminiscence is to say thank you to my Mum, a very special woman in my life, and to acknowledge all you beautiful special ladies out there who are mothers. You are loved in a very real way by your children I'm sure!

01/05/2023

I am happy to support this great cause, the support my darling wife has had has been amazing!

I’m supporting Pink Ribbon Breakfast because I want to do my bit to help kiwis affected by breast cancer.

22/01/2023

Today, my wife and I visited 2 places that we had not been to before. We had driven past the signs and said we must check it out sometime, and today was that "sometime". Ngatea Water Gardens is a delightful place to while away a few hours and have a few laughs. An amazing vision has been developed over a number of years and is well worth a visit. And YES it would be a great place for a wedding. Check it out online or in person. The other place was the Historical Maritime Museum near Paeroa. More rustic but cool displays, nice gardens and a few sites where couples could exchange their vows or vow renewals .

07/01/2023

18 years ago today, my very special soulmate agreed to become my beautiful wife!
We were married by Mel and Jan Impey in a lavender field near Hamilton!
My eldest sister Margaret made the journey from the UK for our wedding, a very special gift from her children to us!
Our vow was simple yet so profound - " I marry you with my eyes wide open!"

Today I declare to the world that our friendship, our marriage, indeed our life together has grown so much since then!

We will be in a, new to us, lavender field together at 5pm this afternoon (Sunday) to celebrate and renew, our vows as we have done every year.

Trish, my beautiful Songbird, I love you so very much!

I would love to help you create a very special and meaningful ceremony should you so choose. Feel free to contact me on my contact details shown on my home page or simply reply to this message!💕👥

10/12/2022

I had the pleasure of officiating at a wedding ceremony yesterday on a deck overlooking Waihi Beach! Yes it stopped raining a couple of hours before the appointed time and started again soon after the ceremony had ended!!

What an amazing country we are privileged to live in with glorious scenes such as this one!!
Oh and the ceremony went really well!!

03/12/2022

What a wonderful way to say " I love you"

28/11/2022

Right in the thick of wedding season as well as all the Christmas playouts on my tuba!
I love the variety of my passions which give me so much pleasure!
Always here to help you create your special ceremony. Just contact me!!

14/11/2022

I am happy to report that I have been reappointed as an independent marriage celebrant for another year!

Looking forward to officiating and always happy to discuss wedding plans with anybody requiring my assistance!

14/09/2022

I find myself thinking about our late Queen Elizabeth today and giving thanks for her service and commitment!

Ritual and ceremony was a large part of her working life and meant a great deal to her as it does me!

As always I'm here ready to help you with any ceremony you might be considering. Marriage, funeral and many others.

Why not make contact so we can discuss your needs?

05/09/2022

Had the opportunity to meet a couple to plan their December wedding recently. A beach venue no less! I love the variation in locations I get to work in!!

Always ready to help couples looking to "tie the knot...."

31/07/2022

Spent yesterday in a virtual Conference with colleagues from Celebrants Aotearoa!!

A great day of learning, challenge and fun!

Looking forward to using my learnings in my Celebrancy work!

25/05/2022

Hey, hi, hello, it's me! Just letting you know I'm here if you need me 😎

11/05/2022

I'm so excited to announce that this page is about to undergo a major revamp! Can't wait to see the new look and then to share it with you!!!
Watch this space!!

07/05/2022

I am sitting at a beach near where I live, having just enjoyed a lovely breakfast in a garden centre cafe in Bethlehem, a suburb of Tauranga. My beautiful wife Trish is with me as we talk about being a mum, our special children and our gorgeous grandchildren!
I want to wish all the mum's who read this a very happy and special Mother's day!
In memory of my beautiful mum who raised me up through those early days to help mould who I became!

30/04/2022

Resting today after a very special wedding yesterday! A brass ensemble and a lovely singer to accompany the ceremony! Lots of love and fun , food and dancing! I love my role of Celebrant!

27/04/2022

Well the next wedding I'm officiating at is tomorrow!

The weather forecast is good, the venue looks awesome and I will be off there shortly for the rehearsal!
Will be good to see these people again.