Australians are top of the list when it comes to same-sex couples marrying in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Herald reported 812 overseas same-sex couples had married in the country since marriage equality was legislated in August 2013.
Of those, 264 lesbian couples and 236 gay male couples – 500 in total – were from nearby Australia.
Melbourne couple Sarah Dessmann and Natasha Horvat travelled to New Zealand to marry earlier this month. They told BuzzFeed News they were "sick of waiting" for Australia to legislate.
"For our eight year anniversary we decided we'd go to New Zealand as a holiday, things escalated, and we decided we'd get married," said Horvat.
"Why not? We'd always said marriage equality is only three hours away."
The last-minute nature of their decision to wed in Queenstown meant family and friends missed out on the ceremony. However, Horvat said family and friends were "fine about it", and the day was just about the happy couple instead.
"Because we have been denied [marriage] here we didn't get lost in the hype of the party and the celebration and the way people get lost in pleasing everyone... we just made it about us," she said.
The couple said the "validation" that came from being able to marry meant a lot to them.
"In New Zealand it was just no different to any other two people in love getting married. And then you come back here and you just don't get that validation of your relationship," said Horvat.
"Eight years together and we're still de facto. Like… no, we're not. We don't see it that way."
"It was just very refreshing over there, the treatment from everybody. No one flinched," said Dessmann. "It sounds kind of silly but after we got married we had a spring in our step walking down the street."
Currently, Australia is set to tackle marriage equality after next year's federal election.
Government policy is to hold a popular vote on the issue if they are re-elected, while the opposition has said they will introduce legislation within 100 days if they form government.
Dessmann and Horvat say it should have happened already.
"Whenever people in New Zealand asked us, isn't it legal, why isn't it legal – you just don't know why the politicians don't catch up with society and our expectations," said Horvat.
And, they say, people should be able to celebrate their relationships in their home country the way they did in New Zealand.
"We just love each other, that's all there is. We always say that our world's a better place with us being together," said Dessmann.
"Obviously it goes without saying that it was the best day of our lives."