Pride Whanganui to give away a wedding for Pride Week 2024

Pride Whanganui has announced a giveaway for a couple to get married on the final day of Pride Week 2024. Photo / Neil Jones

Whanganui Pride Week 2024 is set to end with a chime of bells.

Pride Whanganui is giving away a wedding package with the ceremony to take place at the end of Pride Week.

The winners of the giveaway will receive a full wedding package including a venue at the War Memorial Centre, celebrant services from Scott Phillips, aka Married with Metal, photography from Skye Boniface and three nights at the Braeburn, a heritage-listed building overlooking the Whanganui awa (river).

Pride Whanganui trustee Christina Emery said the idea for the giveaway came from a conversation she had with some of Pride Whanganui’s volunteer team.

“We already have a pre-prepared party happening for our final event, it’s not going to be too much of a stretch to create a wedding at the beginning of that,” Emery said.

The competition is open to all 18+ couples in New Zealand who can meet the terms and conditions.

“It doesn’t matter whether you live in Whanganui, whether you live in Blenheim or Northland if you can get to Whanganui on the second of March to marry your best friend, the love of your life then we’ll make it happen,” she said.

Couples can enter via the Pride Whanganui website or via a paper entry form, available from the charity’s office at 64 St Hill St.

Applications close on Friday, November 24.

Once the applications are received, Pride Whanganui trustees and volunteers will pick three couples to be made public on November 25, when the public can then vote for their favourite.

Voting will close on December 16.

Emery said Pride Week 2024 - from February 24 to March 2 - was looking to be the biggest one yet.

“We’ve got more than a few new events, we’ve got reach in from all around New Zealand in terms of performers, in terms of those who are booking accommodation for the week so I think it’s going to be quite massive,” she said.

The general public was also invited to join in celebrating the occasion at the Pride Party in the War Memorial Centre on Saturday, March 2.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.