The Ultimate Queenstown Elopement Guide

Does the thought of planning a wedding make you as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof? Between choosing vendors, sorting the guest list and arranging catering, it’s enough to make even the most highly organised amongst us feel overwhelmed. If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that life should be enjoyed with those you love around you. Whilst the traditional elopement evokes thoughts of grabbing your partner’s hand and running far away into the sunset, in 2024, the new elopement is one of intimate, quality experiences that can be shared with loved ones both in person and online.

Why not elope in Queenstown?

Autumn makes for beautiful colours and epic sunsets as the glow of trees in Arrowtown, Queenstown Lakes District demonstrates.

If it isn’t already, Queenstown should be on your bucket list. Best known for adventure sports and award-winning wine, the town is charming in all seasons and makes the perfect backdrop for your elopement whether it be a multi-stop heli tour or intimate ceremony by the lake. If you’re considering Queenstown as your elopement destination, here’s five tips to help guide your planning:

1. Choose your style

Do you prefer standing in a wedding dress on top of a snowy mountain saying “I do” or perhaps something closer to sea level is more your jam? For those who prefer a mixture, why not do both? A memorable elopement should be a reflection of your relationship and is a crucial part of telling your story. With so many locations to choose from, there is no one-size-fits-all here.

Standout on your big day and make it your own.

Jodie + Sydney popping some champagne on top of Mount Creighton

2. Enlist some help

Family and friends not local? That’s ok! We’ve got you covered. We are blessed with an amazing community of wedding planners and vendors who can not only guide you through the logistics but are also just awesome humans happy to sit down for a coffee and chat. The best tips come from the locals so don’t be afraid to ask (we promise we don’t bite). Of course, feel free to rope in your friends on the day to help, but for everything else, use us or your friendly elopement team.

It’s a team effort to pull off a wedding or elopement, so call in those favours and assemble your team.

3. Plan early

As a small town, Queenstown is charming and close-knit. The downside to such a small and charming place is that things get booked up quickly. Summer and Winter are peak seasons in Queenstown with most weddings happening during the Summer months. So if your dream is for a classic, Summer wedding you should get in quick.

If snow is more your scene, there’s nothing quite like standing on top of the Remarkables in the middle of a white mountaintop. Of course Autumn also makes for a lovely backdrop as does lupin season in Spring.

Regardless of the season you choose, be sure to pack comfy shoes and extra layers if you venture to the mountains.

A snowy, crisp evening standing for Phillip + Lisa in the Southern Alps.

4. Sharing is caring

Whilst there are many benefits to taking a small group or just eloping as a couple, one of the challenges is keeping everyone involved and sharing your special day. Luckily this is the era of social media and it’s never been easier to share high-quality video with loved ones all over the world. Almost all of our elopement film packages come with a teaser in addition to a highlight reel that is ripe for sharing and will stand the test of time. We love making cinematic, bespoke films for you to treasure and share and promise to keep the cheese to a minimum.

Capturing the last light of the day for those hero shots up at Double Cone: Remarkables, Queenstown.

Credit: Williams Photography

5. Make it personal and unique

Lastly and most importantly, your day should be unique to you. If you’re a couple that likes to kiss, hug and hold hands at every opportunity then go for it – it’s your wedding day! But if you’d rather knock back shots with your bridal party, have a snowball fight at 2000 metres or jump in the lake in your dress, we’ll be right there with you. We don’t believe in dragging you away from your friends or forcing you into weird or uncomfortable poses. We love getting creative and making wedding films that are true reflections of our couples personalities and their day with all its quirks, declarations of love and outrageous dance moves.

We just give you one job, have the best damn time and we’ll create a film that makes it look as incredible as it was!

So make sure Queenstown is at the top of your elopement destination list and get in touch to let us help you have the best day ever whether it’s creating an amazing wedding film, having a casual chat about the area or giving you our hot tips for climbing a mountain in full bridal wear (a blog post in and of itself.)