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Book a chapel service

We have two chapels to hire for services at Karori Cemetery. The main chapel seats 125 and the small 1909 heritage chapel seats 24.

Hours

Chapel services normally take place Monday to Friday, between 8am and 4.15pm.

Special arrangements can be made for Saturdays and public holidays, but additional costs may apply.

Options for having a chapel service

Chapels can be hired for 30-minute blocks of up to 3 hours.

They can be used for any form of service or ceremony, but are generally for committal services or full services:

  • Full services - the chapel opens 30 minutes before full services.
  • Committal services - the chapel opens 10 minutes before the scheduled committal.

Support staff

The Cemetery's Chapel Attendant is available to help with set up and some aspects of the service and is there for the whole service.

You should discuss what support you need with your funeral director and let us know on the booking form.

General fees

Fees depend on the type of service you want. In general, these are the costs:

Service Fee
Per half hour $220
Chapel hire for burials $227
Chapel hire for cremation elsewhere (1 hour) $271

Book a chapel

Complete and return your relevant booking form to the Cemetery office at least 24 hours before the scheduled chapel service.

Photos of the chapels

Brief history of the small chapel

The small chapel was designed by William Hobbard Morton, the City Engineer. It is well known for its intimate ambience and world-class stained-glass windows.

There are six stained glass windows in the small chapel, five were designed and built in the An Tur Gloine (Tower of Glass) factory in Dublin. The windows were made over a period of 25 years by artists Wilhelmina Geddes and Michael Healy.

The windows were commissioned by an English-born Wellington resident, William Ferguson, in memory of his family.

The Sixth Stained Glass Window is dedicated to the memory of James Grant MacRae and Percival Rupert Parr, the window was commissioned by the late Mrs Christina Mowat (nee Leel) MacRae in 1939.

Contact us

If you need help, support or more information, contact the Cemeteries team.

Email: cemeteries@wcc.govt.nz
Phone: 04 476 6109