How to elope in New Zealand's South Island
Top 10 list on how to elope to the Nelson/Tasman area of New Zealand’s South Island.
With COVID putting an end to your ideas of eloping to some faraway destination why not take a closer look at some of the amazing locations closer to home in the South Island of New Zealand. From beautiful clear turquoise seaside locations such as Split Apple Rock to snow-capped mountains at Rainbow Ski Fields, New Zealand’s South Island offers some of the most incredible locations for an elopement.
If you would like to marry on the sand with the ocean in the background take a closer look at the Kaiteriteri area. An easy 1-hour drive from Nelson, the Kaiteriteri coastline has so many beautiful secluded spots to hold your wedding ceremony. There are also some wonderful private properties such as Moonraker that will even offer elopement packages included with your accommodation.
New Zealand is dotted with stunning National Parks and these locations are perfect for intimate elopements. These places are especially suited to couples looking for a more adventurous elopement. We grab our backpacks and head out to hike to a secluded spot that is perfect for just the two of you. Have a chat to local wedding celebrant Terri Everett from The Dream Maker as she can advise on some beautiful locations and trails to follow.
If you are looking for somewhere really special you can’t go past Falcon Brae and Stonefly Lodge on the Motueka River. These boutique properties offer exquisite accommodation options with incredible scenery as a backdrop to your images. They also offer helicopter flights to the nearby snowcapped mountain tops where you could hold your wedding ceremony or just take advantage of the opportunity to capture incredible bridal images.
Lake Rotoiti at St Arnaud is the perfect place to base yourself from which to explore the honeydew forest and mountains of the Nelson Lakes National Park. Couples choose to marry on the jetty at the Lake Rotoiti with the mountains framing the backdrop. St Arnaud also sits at the base of the entrance to the Rainbow Ski Fields making it the perfect place to marry. Being centrally located allows you the option to include both locations to capture incredible images.
Rainbow Ski Fields is just one of the many mountain tops that you can travel to for elopements and wedding photography. Even in a blizzard and total whiteout, it’s one of my favourite locations for an adventurous couple looking for something really different for their elopement. On a clear day, you can jump on snow scooters and head higher up the mountain to capture stunning vistas across the valley. Helicopter flights are also another option to get you higher up on the nearby mountains.
I offer special adventurous elopement packages at these and many other locations within the South Island of New Zealand. We have a group of fantastic wedding suppliers that all work together to create your dream elopement.
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