YOUR GUIDE TO FINDING THE PERFECT WEDDING VENUE

WHERE DO I START?

Step number 1: Choose the location. Do you want a local Wedding venue? Do you have a particular city in mind? Keep in mind travel concerns of your guests and extra costs which add up when travelling outside of your hometown. Think about a place that’s special to you, Do you have a fond memory of each other at this particular spot? where did you get engaged? where did you grow up? All different aspects to think about when choosing the final location. It is, of course, going to be particular to the two of you. There are positives and negatives to every choice. Lets look at the popular options for Bride & Grooms living in Christchurch:

Getting married in the city: This offers lots of different options for venues! there is no shortage of venues in Christchurch so you will have so many different options. From Wineries, to Modern/rustic Venues, Garden Venues, Hill view venues- Christchurch has it all! This will also offer up a huge choice of vendors, as there is such a massive wedding industry here. Because of this it makes your wedding more budget friendly- When there are multiple options you can easily find vendors to fit within your budget. This also means you aren’t paying extra for travel fees and accomodation costs! Keeping it local also allows your guests to be able to travel easily to and from the venue. As for the bride & groom- Less stress! you don’t have to worry about accomodation costs/petrol costs, arriving late to your wedding because of travel. Guests not coming due to not wanting to travel outside of Christchurch & Much more- It will also allow you a bigger honeymoon donation or gift- as guests won’t have to fork out for travel costs- BONUS :P

Getting married outside of your local hometown can offer up some beautiful towns like Akaroa ( only 1 1/2 hours from Christchurch), Ashburton ( 1 hour ), Methven ( 1 hr 20 ). Lets talk about the number 1 most popular destination on this list: Akaroa. I personally LOVE Akaroa, and I love it as a wedding venue. It is so close to Christchurch but offers a completely different look to typical Christchurch venues. The only downside here is that you basically have 2 choices of reception venues: Mt Vernon & French Farm Winery- Don’t get me wrong they are both fantastic options, having photographed weddings at both I can happily say they are stunning choices and a perfect option for your wedding venue (we’ll talk about these two in detail a bit later on) The other issue that arises as that there are a lot less vendors based in Akaroa to choose from so most couples will end up with Vendors from Christchurch (which will most likely involve a small travel fee- this may add up but is it worth it for that stunning view?) If you are planning a church wedding, Luckily Akaroa offers lots of choices in this department! There are also plenty of accomodation options for families to choose from (as long as you book this in advance as it can fill up especially around the holidays). Akaroa (of course) provides the most STUNNING views for photo’s making it a great city to choose for your wedding!

Lets talk Ashburton, another great option with quite a decent amount of wedding venues avaliable and you will be surprised at how beautiful some of them are! I did not know Ashburton had these kind of venues until I go into the wedding industry. Check out Long Beach Estate as just one stunning option for your day- I mean this looks like some kind of historical homestead straight out of a movie right! Ashburton can sometimes get a bad rap but it truly is a beautiful city- And so many beautiful gardens & greenery for photos- it provides a lot with only a small travel time from Christchurch.

Getting Married with a compromise between these two options is getting married in the Canterbury country- Im talking West Melton/ Rolleston & Lincoln/ North Canterbury/ Banks peninsular- Perhaps the best of the best? All venues are within 45 mins of Christchurch city yet you feel like you are a world away.
North Canterbury provides options such as Lacebark Function Centre (Ohoka/Kaiapoi), West Eyreton Hall, Darjon Vineyard, Harpers Homestead (to name a few), West melton offering (Melton Estate, Langdale & Westhaven Gardens) Rolleston is home to the popular Trents Vineyard & Larcomb Vineyard.
All these venues provide something Christchurch does not & that’s the Rural Country Charm. Most of these being only 30-45 minutes away, its unlikely you’ll encounter large travel fees from Christchurch Vendors, the venue prices are still very reasonable and the travel time is not huge for guests.

Thinking about budget

So now I’ve mentioned a few specific venues above but there have got to be more right?! Yes! there are so many venues in Christchurch & Canterbury that I cannot possibly name them all on here. If you want even more venues to choose from here’s what you can do:
- Go straight to the sources- Ask Vendors (they are such a great source for information on everything wedding!), Wedding planners, Online Wedding Guides- Even Facebook groups- Yes in case you didn’t know Facebook is home to so many Christchurch based groups that will be able to give you opinions on venues that they have actually been married at- they’ll even have photos- its such a great way to help the process move faster!

So, now you have thought about the location and have a few options in mind.. Let’s narrow it down. Yes, Im talking about BUDGET! There is no point even viewing a potential wedding venue if its not within your budget range, it will only lead to disappointment. Set a budget early on in the planning process. Think about your 3 biggest expenses i.e what are you willing to spend the most money on? What matters to you most? As a starter most people would be thinking Venue/Photographer/Food (catering) as your top expenses.

If the average Christchurch Photographer costs roughly $2500-$3000 and the average wedding venue costs $3000-3500 then your costs are adding up pretty quickly. Do you want an above average venue? or are you willing to compromise on the venue for a better photographer or a more expensive wedding dress? These are the hard questions you will have to ask yourself.


Some more budget friendly options are:

- Melton Estate
- Darjon Vineyard
- West Eyreton Hall
- Bramble grove

Where are more above average wedding venues are:

-French Farm Winery
- Pemberton
- Larcomb

Go with your gut

Now we have to think about what you want as a couple. Who are you? What is your personality type? Do you like walks in the hills, walks in the forest. Have you always imagined a vineyard wedding? Do you want photos in the forest or beach. Do you want to travel for photos or stay on location? All things to think about when choosing your wedding venue.

My Top Vineyard Venues:

• Larcomb Vineyard: A tad more above budget but this venue has everything from rustic charm to greenery out the back and front. You don’t even need to leave the venue to get photos as everything you want is right there! Theres a spacious reception hall, a beautiful old rustic stables out the front where you can have your bar and provides wet weather option for canapés/family photos etc.

• Melton estate: Budget friendly, beautiful grounds and reception area- perfect for a average sized wedding. Some photo opportunities on site in the vineyard but quite a small venue overall. Wet weather options for ceremony
  
  My Top Garden Venues
  

• Lacebark: The most stunning garden venue! there are no shortages of photo opportunities here with secret gardens, wooden doors, multiple archways, surrounded by bushes/roses/trees & more greenery. There are also multiple locations to choose for your ceremony which is so cool to have! Options Options Options here! With a seperate function hall on site for your reception- with a sound proof dance room! This venue is one to check out for sure! If nature is in your blood this venue is for you!
  Don’t forget to book in the onsite accomodation, it is luxury at its finest! If bridal prep photos are what you love- You should definitely consider booking accomodation in at lacebark! A beautiful room, with window light and private gardens will really make the difference in your getting ready photos.

• Pemberton: Another beautiful venue with so many spots on site to get the most stunning photos!, this is also one of Canterbury’s most premier events. It has a very large reception hall on site with huge dance floor! Perfect for those couples that want to include a band on their wedding day! With multiple ceremony spots, you can really tailor your wedding day to what you want as a couple. There is even bridal accomodation on site- And the most amazing and adorable dressing room! This venue is great for brides that want a stress free wedding as you can stay/get ready & get married all in one spot!

Venues with a view:

Waipuna Estate: Wow check out that view! Waipuna Estate, located in Tai Tapu has the most incredible view of Canterbury’s rolling hills. The perfect spot to host your wedding, this large house- turned function hall/venue has a gorgeous indoor reception area (also with a great view), on site accomodation (to stay- and the PERFECT place to get ready (especially if you are wanting stunning bridal prep photos!) Need I mention the GIANT bathroom with the most gorgeous bath! I could seriously LIVE in this bathroom! It really has it all. This venue really suits the more modern bride, with a simple area to dress up as you please.

French Farm Winery, Akaroa. With a stunning view of the hills and lake as your ceremony backdrop, you really can’t go wrong with French Farm. The stunning building is inspired by a French winery and wow when you enter you really feel like you could be in a another country! I absolutely Adore this venue! There is a stunning courtyard where you host your reception, giving that outdoor feel whilst still being sheltered from the weather, an indoor bar and canapé area. As well as a second reception area for an outdoor wedding reception!- Amazing!!