Wedding Venues
New Zealand Wedding Venues
Before you even start thinking about wedding venues, you'll have to decide how many people will be sharing your day – both wedding cerermony and reception – and how much of your budget you are willing to set aside for the perfect venue.
Wedding venues in New Zealand
You can celebrate your wedding almost anywhere, from the back yard of the house where you grew up to your local church, park, beach or landmark location. Your chosen wedding venue is integral to the look and feel of your wedding. Visit a range of New Zealand wedding venues to find a good fit for you and your partner. Taking field trips to potential wedding venues will give you an idea what is available and what will suit the vision you have for your wedding day. You may need to hire a separate venue for your ceremony and the reception, or you may be able to combine both in the same venue.
For your wedding ceremony, you might consider:
- Church or chapel
- Park or garden
- French-style winery
- Outdoor rotunda or gazebo
- Beach or bay
For your wedding reception, you might consider:
- Seaside restaurant
- Hotel function room
- Winery restaurant
- Local hall or function venue
- Nightclub or bar
Choosing your NZ wedding venue
When choosing a wedding venue, ask questions and think about:
- Availability – is the venue free for hire when you require it? (It’s useful to be flexible with your dates, so have a range of options that suit all the members of your bridal party)
- Decor – does it fit with your wedding style? Will you easily be able to add your own touch with flowers, candles and decorations?
- Catering – will food and drinks be easily served? Are there food preparation or storage facilities? Is there a quality in-house catering service?
- Cancellation and payment – what is their policy surrounding deposit and cancellation of booking?
- Band and entertainment – is there room and adequate facilities for a band, musical entertainment and dancing?
Outdoor wedding venues
New Zealand is well known for its scenic beauty, with good reason, so an outdoor wedding venue is a good option for those wanting a spectacular backdrop during the warmer months. Outdoor wedding ceremonies do have the weather risk factor, though, so a back-up wedding venue or a plan B (such as a marquee) is always advisable.
In New Zealand, summer runs from December through to February, with temperatures ranging from 24 º to 32ºC (75-90ºF). Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are also good seasons for outdoor weddings. Late summer and early autumn will offer you the most reliable and settled weather. Marquees are an excellent back-up plan if the weather fails you; a marquee also allows you to choose from a wide variety of outdoor wedding venue locations.
Some popular outdoor wedding venues in New Zealand are:
- Parks – getting married amidst springtime daffodils in Christchurch, the Garden City, is a beautiful and inexpensive wedding venue option.
- Gardens – choose from one of the many gardens in New Zealand. Be sure to check what time of year is best for flower-based gardens.
- Lakes and beaches – get close to the water and have a great backdrop for your wedding photos.
- Mountains – you’ll feel on top of the world with a wedding ceremony on a mountain summit, as well as enjoying panoramic views.
- Beaches – there are numerous golden-sand beaches and remote beach locations on New Zealand's coasts, where you can enjoy a peaceful, romantic wedding ceremony.
Wedding venues with indoor and outdoor flow
Some NZ wedding venues offer both indoor and outdoor options, with flow between indoor function rooms and patios, balconies, lawns and gardens. With this kind of set-up, the more formal part of the wedding ceremony or reception can be held indoors, before guests head out to an area planted with native trees, onto a lawn or into a rose garden area. If weather permits, the wedding ceremony itself can be held in an outdoors area, with food and refreshments available indoors.
Unusual wedding venues
Some couples go for a wedding ceremony or reception at an unusual location, making for a wedding with flair and difference! A far cry from the days of marriage ceremonies confined to the church grounds, some of the more quirky wedding venues include:
- Castles and historic sites – Dunedin’s Larnach Castle, built in 1871, is New Zealand’s only castle and offers accommodation, along with hire of its 3,000 square foot ballroom for weddings and other events.
- Scenic locations – people come from around the world to wed outdoors against a backdrop of magnificent scenery. Choose from picturesque Wanaka, majestic Queenstown, isolated Fiordland, sunny Nelson or the South Island’s dramatic West Coast.
- World famous locations – why not recite your wedding vows at one of New Zealand’s many sightseeing spots and well-known landmarks?
- Film sets or locations – film buffs will enjoy a ceremony at one of the set locations for Lord of the Rings, Narnia or Whale Rider.
- On the water – get hitched on a boat, cruising the waters around New Zealand, or on one of our country’s islands: Waiheke, Rangitoto or Stewart Island.
- Beach or waterfront – one of the most romantic wedding venues is a golden sandy beach and what better place to do it than the sands of one of Northland’s picture-perfect beaches?
- Cultural location – let your wedding venue reflect your cultural background: a Maori marae, the French settlement at Akaroa or the place where your ancestors made landfall.
- Up in the air – tie the knot 10,000 feet above the ground with a private flight over the Southern Alps.
Looking for more information? Find New Zealand wedding venues in the NZS.com directory.
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Family images from Flickr: Baby Boots, Kids Classroom and Hands.
