Queenstown Top10 Best Small Wedding Venues（With Costs）
Hey guys, greetings from aMoment Wedding Queenstown!
Below we have summarized TOP10 Queenstown wedding venues perfect for elopements or small weddings for your wedding venue hunting!
Firstly, here is a comparison table of all the venues I have included in this article.
This is to help you spot your ideal venue quickly!
| Venue Name | View | Driving to town | Rates From | Accom Onsite | Indoor Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trelawn Place | River, Mountain | 6 mins | 575NZD | Yes | No |
| Canyon Lodge | River, Mountain | 6 mins | 690NZD | Yes | Yes |
| Stoneridge | Lake, Mountain Vineyard | 17 mins | 672.5NZD | Yes | Yes |
| Lavender Farm | Lavender Field, Mountain | 10 mins | 700NZD | No | Yes |
| Moke Lake | Lake, Mountain | 25 mins | N/a | No | No |
| Roys Peak | Lake, Mountain | 20mins Heli Flight | 3000NZD | No | No |
| Glacier | Glacier | 20mins Heli Flight | 3080NZD | No | No |
| St Peters Church | Church | Right in town centre | 600NZD | No | Yes |
| Paradise | Forest, Valley | 1hr | 255NZD | Yes | Yes |
| Thurlby Domain | Ruins, Barn | 15mins | 575NZD | No | Yes |
Venues are listed in no particular order.
1, Trelawn Place
aMoment Trelawn Place All-Inclusive Wedding Package
View: Shotover River, Coronet Mountain, Snowcapped Mountain View(Late Autumn to Early Spring), Jet Boat
Distance to Town: 6 mins drive
Venue hire rate: From 500NZD
Accommodation Onsite: Yes
aMoment Remarks: Trelawn is known for the perfect lawn and dramatic Riverview backdrop. The best experience would be to stay at Trelawn Place the night before the wedding day, and the next day have all hair & makeup done in the room and walk out of your door – viola! You have arrived at your ceremony. No more worries about traffic to the wedding. Also, there are 3 Corgis in the venue that might invite themselves to your wedding! Great photo opportunities for dog lovers.
Back up venue option for wet weather: N/A
Helpful Things to Know: Due to its location, sunset time in Trelawn Place is much earlier than other locations in Queenstown. Try to have your ceremony earlier so your wedding won’t be covered in shade.
Website: https://www.trelawn.co.nz/
2, The Canyons Lodge
aMoment Canyons Lodge All-Inclusive Wedding Package
View: Similar to Trelawn place, River and Mountain
Distance to Town:6 mins drive
Venue hire rate: From 690nzd
Accommodation Onsite: Yes
Back up venue option for wet weather: Yes
aMoment Remarks: The Canyons Lodge is located just above Trelawn so shares similar views. But there are a few differences. The Canyons Lodge has a massive lawn, which is less sheltered. Therefore no worries about early sunset. If you only booked 4hrs photography and want to shoot both ceremony and reception, the Canyons Lodge is ideal. The Canyon Lodge is a farm stay accommodation with no dogs but many sheep to pet. There’s also a spacious Riverview deck in the accommodation building, that can be used for a backup venue in wet weather.
Helpful Things to Know: If your wedding group is more than 15 people, a portable loo might be required to hire in.
Website: https://www.thecanyonslodge.com/
3, Stoneridge Estate
aMoment Stoneridge Estate All-Inclusive Wedding Package
View: Lake Hayes mountain & lake view
Distance to Town: 17 mins
Venue hire rate: From 672.75NZD
Accommodation Onsite: Yes
aMoment Remarks: Stoneridge is probably the most known wedding venue in Queenstown. The ceremony is either in the chapel or in the adjacent lawn. This venue is an all-in-one venue, from accommodation, stunning indoor/ outdoor ceremony venue, to a rustic reception venue. Plus there’s a vineyard on site, which adds variety to your wedding photo locations.
Back up venue option for wet weather: Chapel
Helpful Things to Know: The light in the chapel is not the best. Chat with your photographer regarding this. There is a busy road right in between the venue and the lake, so be mindful there’ll be traffic noises if your ceremony is outdoor. Prepare a mic for your celebrant. Also, Stoneridge opens 3 wedding sessions for booking daily: 9 am/12:30 pm/4:00 pm, each allows 2.5hrs. Unless you book 2 timeslots, plan ahead to use your 2.5hrs wisely.:
Webiste: https://www.stoneridge.co.nz/
4, Ben Lomond Lavender Farm
View: Coronet Peak Mountain View, Lavender field.
Distance to Town: 10mins
Venue hire rate: From 700NZD
Accommodation Onsite: N/a
aMoment Remarks: It’s been a lavender farm for years but a fairly new wedding venue. A dream venue for lavender and purple colour lovers. Due to the Lavender season, the venue is available for bookings from late October through to the end of April. Venue hire includes a rustic hay barn as a backup venue for wet weather, which is brilliant.
Back up venue option for wet weather: Yes, a rustic hay barn
Helpful Things to Know: If your wedding is from the end of April to mid-October, you might not get the dreamy view of the lavender field.
The Website: https://www.benlomondlavender.co.nz
5, Moke Lake Reserve
aMoment Moke Lake All-Inclusive Wedding Package
View: Moke lake & mountain. In calm weather, you will get the mirror effect.
Distance to Town: 20-30mins, pending traffic
Venue hire rate: N/a
Accommodation Onsite: N/a
aMoment Remarks: Moke lake is DOC land (Department of Conservation) which means a permit to use the land may be required, pending the nature of your event. Always good to chat with them, in case a permit is needed, or another wedding might happen same time at the same location! The view is absolutely amazing, one of the best in Queenstown.
Back up venue option for wet weather: N/a
Helpful Things to Know: The DOC thing. Don’t forget to prepare sandfly spray. Moke Lake reserve has no phone reception – ensure to communicate with everyone before entering the reserve. Moke lake sunset time is also earlier than Queenstown, keep this in mind when planning your ceremony time.
6, Roys Peak/ Coromandel Peak
aMoment Roys Peak photo portfolio
View: Lake Wanaka and up to the peak of Mount Aspiring / Tititea
Distance to Town: 20mins flight each way
Venue hire rate: Venue hire plus Heli charter, starts from 3000NZD
Accommodation Onsite: N/a
aMoment Remarks: Roys Peak, AKA Coromandel Peak is the most Instagrammable wedding venue in NZ. It sits at almost 4000ft therefore you need to charter a Heli to get there, stay for up to an hour to get married, and then Heli back. There’s also a famous hiking route to Roys Peak, a similar view to this private peak, but not the same place. This location is exclusive for events. You can take a Heli from Queenstown or Wanaka. Wanaka flight is cheaper but if you are staying in Queenstown, it’s more convenient to fly from Queenstown.
Helicopter weddings are always weather pending, so we always recommend couples to have at least one day for back up. Helicopters companies we recommend: Heliworks( https://www.queenstownhelicopters.nz/) and Over The Top (https://www.flynz.co.nz/)
Back up venue option for wet weather: N/A
Helpful Things to Know: For Heli weddings, always have a backup plan – a backup date or backup venue.
7, Glacier
aMoment Glacier photo portfolio
View: Breathtaking Glacier Scenery
Distance to Town: 20mins Helicopter ride
Venue hire rate: No venue fee, just Helicopter charter, starts from 3080NZD
Accommodation Onsite: N/a (Would be cool to have one!)
aMoment Remarks: The beauty of glaciers is another-worldly and in very few places on earth you can do an actual glacier wedding. We are so lucky because we have the most accessible glaciers in the world! It’s so cool, while on a good sunny day, it’s not even that cold. However, a set of head-to-toe warm clothes is always a must.
Back up venue option for wet weather: N/A
Helpful Things to Know: To have a with a sweeping plateau of snow, you’d better avoid flying in peak summertime, which is Mid-Jan to Mid-Feb. Same to all Heli-weddings, a back up plan is essential.
8, St Peters Church
aMoment St Peters Church Wedding Package
View: Church
Distance to Town: Just in the town centre
Donation to the church: From 600NZD
Accommodation Onsite: The church is right in the heart of Queenstown. Many accommodations are within walking distance.
aMoment Remarks: If one of you is Christian, you can get married in St Peters. If none of you is a Christian, then you can have a marriage blessing in the church. A marriage blessing is exactly the same process as a wedding. Instead of signing the marriage license, you will be signing on a blessing certificate prepared by the church. St Peters Church is a lovely historical building, modelled on the traditional lines of English parish church using gothic details. The Vicar David will be conducting your wedding/blessing and he’s, without doubt, one of the best in the region.
Helpful Things to Know: It’s a holy place so many details need to be done properly. I,e, no funny music in the church. Don’t be late. Etc.
Website: https://www.stpeters.co.nz/
9, Paradise Trust
aMoment Paradise Trust Forest Wedding package
View: New Zealand Native Forests
Distance to Town: From 1hr, traffic pending
Venue hire rate: From 255NZD
Accommodation on site: Yes
aMoment Remarks: If you want a real Middle-Earth wedding, Paradise is your answer. They have two venues, one is looking out to the valley and one is sitting in the middle of a wild forest, both include ceremony arches.
Many scenes from the movie Lord Of The Rings are filmed in Paradise. It’s over one hour driving from downtown Queenstown but you can not find similar scenery or tranquillity in Queenstown. The venue provides accommodation onsite if you don’t want to travel.
Back up venue option for wet weather: There’s an old rustic school onsite for wet weather.
Helpful Things to Know:Traffic. The road that connects Queenstown to paradise is a famous scenic drive route so please plan extra time for traffic. No phone reception in Paradise, plan & communicate well with all vendors. Might be lots of sandflies, prepare spray.
Website: https://www.paradisetrust.co.nz/
10, Thurlby Domain
View: Unique ruins / Rustic Barn
Distance to Town: 15mins
Venue hire rate: From 575NZD
Accommodation Onsite: N/a
aMoment Remarks: Thurlby Domain is a hidden gem among locals. The venue has two options for weddings, one is the ruins and the other is a rustic barn. Both are very unique and alternative. The venue is located in a semi-rural area, and the moment you step into the venue, you will immerse in a peaceful & tranquil atmosphere. It’s a magical experience. If you are having an autumn wedding and want to have all the autumn colours in the world – this is your place.
Back up venue option for wet weather: Rustic Barn
Helpful Things to Know: If you were to do an indoor wedding at the rustic barn, remember to prepare extra lighting.
**All prices are subject to change without notice.
About aMoment
We are an elopement & intimate wedding specialist in the Queenstown area. Every year we assist over 100 couples to get married in the region, since 2015. We have a collection of Queenstown Small Wedding Packages, contact us to get a quote today!
