wedding FAQs

  • New Zealand, and especially Wanaka, holds such a special place in our hearts. We roadtripped the entire South Island together, living out of Amanda’s kitted-out minivan at the end of 2018. Our first Christmas together was spent on the shore of Lake Wānaka and we both fell so in love with the quaint mountain town that Amanda ended up making it her home base for a while!

    When thinking about where to celebrate our wedding, we realized that nowhere represented love, fun, and beauty to us quite as much as New Zealand does. We are so excited to share a place we love so dearly with the people who mean the most to us and we can’t wait to hear all about your own adventures throughout NZ when we celebrate together.

    An excerpt from an email Amanda sent to friends and family in 2019…

    “If you ever get the chance to visit New Zealand, or better yet call it home, DO NOT miss Wanaka. Wanaka is sort of the local's version of Queenstown, but with much better quality of life and lower cost of living. We still get many tourists passing through, but it's not quite as overwhelming as the number of visitors to QT. It's a small town by US standards, but has so much going on. Wanaka has fantastic food, bars, and cultural events. What I loved most were the people and the location itself. Wanaka is less than 3 hours from most major South Island sites and many of the top hikes in NZ are even within a 90 minute drive. The people who call Wanaka home really take advantage of all nature has to offer. They're friendly, always up for an adventure, and take pride in their town.”

  • Please RSVP through this link by November 1, 2024.

    We absolutely understand if you’re not able to join us then, and would love to celebrate with you in Virginia later in 2025 (details to come).

  • We are only able to accommodate those guests formally invited on your wedding invitation.

  • We are only able to accommodate those guests (including little ones) formally invited on your wedding invitation. Please let us know in advance if you have any questions and reach out if you’re looking to make child care arrangements in Wānaka. We’re happy to help however we can! Wānaka has some fabulous babysitting services that we can recommend:

  • Welcome event

    Please wear smart casual/winery chic attire for a relaxed gathering at a neighboring winery.

    Wedding

    We ask that our guests dress in formal attire, but feel free to embrace our garden-party theme with colors and patterns! We’d love to see you in your favorite summery or pastel hues, joyful prints, and fun fabrics.

    Our wedding is outdoors in an alpine environment where it is very warm in the sun, but cools significantly in the evenings. Don’t forget sunscreen, sunglasses, shoes that are comfortable to walk on grass and uneven ground, and warmer layers!

  • Wanaka is a small mountain town where Uber/Lyft is not available. We recommend one of the following options:

    1. Our shuttle will pick up/drop off at Ardmore Street along the lake, across from Big Fig. If your accommodation is walking distance to downtown Wanaka, this would be a good option for you. It is very safe to walk home from the shuttle drop off after the wedding. Due to the small size of the wedding guest list, please let me know if you plan to take advantage of the shuttle so that we save you a seat! We will likely add an additional shuttle stop or two, so if you have not shared your accommodation location with us yet, please do so ASAP! This will help us determine where additional stops would be helpful.

    2. You can drive yourself to Rippon Hall and leave your vehicle overnight! The vehicle must be picked up the next morning by 11am.

    3. You can pre-book taxis/buses through Yello Taxi Wanaka either roundtrip or one way. If you plan to take advantage of this option, it is important to book ahead of time as there are limited drivers and taxis in Wanaka!

    We recommend staying in Wānaka the evening of the wedding, rather than Queenstown, to avoid driving windy mountain roads late at night. See the Trip Planning page for more information on Wānaka accommodation options.

travel FAQs

  • As an American passport holder, you will need a NZeTA, which costs $17 and takes a few days to process.

    The easiest way to apply is to download the NZeTA app, scan your passport, take a selfie, answer a couple questions, and submit!

    You can find more information about it here.

  • Flights are bookable ~11 months in advance.

    United is the carrier that has the most flights between the US and NZ/Aus so that’s another great option. American Airlines, Hawaiian, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Fiji Airways, and Air Tahiti will also get you to NZ from the US. Read this blog for updated tips on airlines that fly to NZ!

    We recommend keeping an eye out for Air New Zealand sales from Houston, LAX, and SFO. Air NZ sends sales out via email (you can sign up for the sales emails on their website) and sometimes you can score great multi-city deals across NZ and Aus!

    If you’re planning to explore both islands, you should fly into Auckland on the North Island. Queenstown is the closest international airport to Wānaka (1 hour drive) and makes sense to fly into if you’re flying in from elsewhere in NZ or Aus. Christchurch is the largest airport on the South Island and is another option to fly into if you’re just planning a South Island trip.

  • It’s never too early to book accommodation! Because Wānaka is a holiday town, we recommend booking your time there first and then planning the rest of your trip around those dates.

    In addition to the properties listed below, there are also many lovely Airbnbs and smaller properties in Wānaka.

    If you are exploring NZ via camper van (great idea!), we still recommend getting a hotel room or Airbnb for the night of the 20th so you don’t have to worry about driving to/from a campsite.

  • Wānaka is a beautiful mountain town with lots to do in the summer. It’s the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, which is home to many beautiful hiking trails. In fact, one of NZ’s most famous hikes, Roy’s Peak, is just 5 minutes from town (this is an all-day, very challenging, but very rewarding hike!). For those looking to relax, you can rent a boat to explore Lake Wānaka or lounge on the lake’s beach. Wanaka is also home to great food (Big Fig, Federal Diner, Francesca’s Italian, and the Doughbin Bakery to name a few favorites) and drink (Maude Wines, Rhyme and Reason Brewery, Cork Bar).

    Regional attractions:

    • Wanaka is one hour from Queenstown, the adventure capital of NZ where you can bungee jump, sky dive, or shot-over jet

    • Wanaka is 2 hours from Glenorchy, where many LOTR scenes were filmed

    • Wanaka is 3 hours from Mt. Aoraki, the highest mountain in NZ and home to Keas, the only alpine parrot in the world

    • Wanaka is in the Central Otago region, which is home to many stunning wineries that produce some of the world’s best pinot noirs. Check out Felton Road, in Cromwell, for a day of wine tasting

    See more local attractions and ideas at the Lake Wanaka Tourism Site and the Trip Planning page!

  • Check out the trip planning page for our suggested highlights on both the South and North Island!

    Feel free to download this Google Maps List we created to use while trip planning or while in-country.

  • February is New Zealand’s summer and Wanaka is in the Southern Alps. We recommend packing summer clothing (including sunscreen and sunglasses!) as well as layers for the evenings when it gets cooler.

    If you’ll be exploring the North Island on your trip as well, remember to pack a raincoat as summers tend to be wetter up north.