10 Elopement Wedding Ideas
Known for its spectacular landscapes and adventurous spirit, New Zealand is a special destination for a special occasion.
Whether you’re looking for an intimate ceremony or an exclusive function with a large circle of friends and family, there are many stunning settings to choose from. You can shout your love from the mountain tops or clink your glasses at one of the country’s finest vineyards – and then take off for the honeymoon of your dreams.
Add to this the country’s luxury lodges, gourmet food and exotic wines – and you have a match made in heaven.
When you plan your wedding in New Zealand, make sure you consider these Top 10 spots to get married.
Hollywood Movie Film Sets in New Zealand
New Zealand’s popularity as an international film making destination means movie buffs are spoiled for choice when it comes to film locations to visit. It’s New Zealand’s breathtaking landscapes and scenery that are the silent stars of the films, not only attracting film makers from around the world, but truly bringing the films to life.
Take Castle Hill in Christchurch in the example below – This site was used to film Narnia – The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as Imagine Dragons “Roots” Music Video.
On The Top Of A Mountain
You can drive, catch a helicopter ride or even hike up to the top of a beautiful mountain in New Zealand for a spectacular wedding ceremony and photoshoot. The South Island of New Zealand offers many world class backdrops from mountain top locations, and if you are in for an adventure and not afraid of heights we highly recommend doing a Heli-Wedding for an unforgettable, beautiful and epic Elopement Wedding.
On A Glacier
Mountain Tops not extreme enough? Take it a step further by getting married on a glacier – there are many ancient glaciers tucked away near Wanaka and Mt Cook, frozen in ice all year round even in summer. Our tip for Glacier Weddings is to do it at the height of summer, between December and January when it is warm enough.
On A Shiny Beach At Sunset
While many people around the world are flocking to the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia for a wedding on a reflective beach, New Zealand has its own shiny beaches that are a lot easier to access.
One of New Zealand’s many beautiful landscapes is the black sand beach, such as Muriwai and Bethells Beach. Most of New Zealand’s black sand beaches can be found on the west coast of the Auckland region well within an hour’s drive of the city. Auckland is a land of volcanoes which have shaped the landscape, including its beaches which are black with volcanic minerals and iron oxide. The thing to note about Auckland’s black sand beaches is that they are backed by rugged coastal cliffs that characterise the beaches of the “wild” West Coast.
Music Videos and Movies have been shot here too, including Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods” Music Video, K-Pop star group Mamamoo’s “Starry Night” Music Video and Taeyeon’s “I” Music Video.
In fact, we made a wedding video for one of our own clients from Japan here too – The location is so beautiful that it is no surprise that many movies are filmed here! https://www.youtube.com/embed/omrDX_f5y_A?wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1
Under The Stars
In the heart of the South Island, the sky is so clear and vast that millions of stars seem to appear right before your eyes. The clear skies found in this part of the world are like nothing else in New Zealand. Very limited light pollution means the views of the night sky seem to stretch on as far as the eye can see.
In 2012, the 4300 square kilometre area was declared the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with light pollution strictly controlled in the area. It is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of only eight in the world.
And… did you know that you can get married under the stars like this? Or do the ceremony during the day, and ask your photographer for Epic Night Shots!
By The Lakeside
There are 3,820 lakes in New Zealand that have a surface area larger than one hectare. Many of the lakes in the central North Island are volcanic crater lakes. The majority of the lakes near the Southern Alps were carved by glaciers, and they work as truly stunning backdrops for weddings and elopements!
On the Edge of a Cliff
Don’t want to get your beautiful dress dirty at the beach? Bring your Elopement Wedding Ceremony up to the cliff tops, and watch as the sun slowly sets over the horizon. Bring a vintage car, pop open a bottle of champagne and celebrate your life’s adventure as a newly married couple.
At A Cute Chapel
Venture out to the countryside in New Zealand, and you will find many cute chapels like St Andrew’s Church in Matakana, or the famous Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo. These small chapels are a lot cheaper to rent than a standard wedding venue, while being oh so pretty!
Down By The Valley
If you are not a fan of heights, you can go down to the bottom of the mountain valleys all over the South Island, including places such as Moke Lake in Queenstown and Lindis Pass near Wanaka. One thing to be careful of, is that it can be muddy sometimes as all the rain water collects at the bottom of the mountains!
Historical Architecture
New Zealand is not a heavy weight when it comes to architectural history, but this doesn’t mean that there are no beautiful historical buildings to have a wedding at. Many buildings from a hundred years ago are still well preserved, or if you love that rustic vintage look, there are many old ruins to be found in the South Island. We recommend checking out places near Arrowtown and Queenstown for historical buildings!
