Beautiful Wedding Venues in Wellington & beyond

From city celebrations and dramatic coastlines to vineyards and country estates, here are a few Wellington wedding venues worth adding to your list.

One of the best things about getting married in Wellington is just how much variety there is within a relatively small part of the country.

You can get married overlooking the coast, celebrate in the middle of the city, escape into the hills or head over to the Wairarapa for vineyards and beautiful countryside.

If you’re currently venue hunting and have approximately 37 tabs open trying to remember which one had the beautiful ceremony space, I’ve pulled together a few places around Wellington and the wider region that are well worth a look.

This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, and I’ll continue adding to it as I discover more beautiful wedding venues that I love.

Boomrock, Ohariu Valley

Just outside Wellington, Boomrock is one to look at if you’re dreaming about a wedding surrounded by dramatic New Zealand scenery.

Set on the coastline in Ohariu Valley, it gives you that feeling of being somewhere completely removed from the city without actually having to travel particularly far from Wellington.

From a photography perspective, it’s the landscape that immediately gets my attention. There’s so much space to work with and the kind of scenery that can create some pretty spectacular portraits.

Location: Ohariu Valley, Wellington
Style: Coastal, rural, dramatic landscape
Explore: https://www.boomrock.co.nz/

The Boatshed, Wellington Waterfront

For couples who want to be right in Wellington rather than escaping from it, The Boatshed gives you a completely different feel.

Sitting on the waterfront at Taranaki Street Wharf, you’ve got the harbour on your doorstep while still being surrounded by the city.

I love the idea of a venue like this for couples who want their wedding photographs to feel unmistakably Wellington. You can have the elegance of the venue, then step outside and use the waterfront and city itself for portraits.

Location: Wellington Waterfront
Style: Waterfront, city, character
Explore: https://www.theboatshedvenue.co.nz/

Old St Paul’s, Thorndon

If beautiful architecture is high on your wedding venue wish list, Old St Paul’s deserves a spot on it.

The historic timber church in Thorndon has an incredible amount of character already built into the space, with native timber, stained glass and Gothic Revival architecture.

It’s also a lovely option for couples who want a traditional ceremony setting without their wedding necessarily feeling overly traditional.

And photographically, give me beautiful architecture and interesting light and I’m fairly happy.

Location: Thorndon, Wellington
Style: Historic, architectural, intimate
Explore: https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/wellington/old-st-pauls

Whisky & Wood, Te Aro

Whisky & Wood is one I’d look at for a completely different kind of Wellington wedding.

It’s an industrial loft-style space in Te Aro, with exposed brick, high ceilings and plenty of character. It feels much more city celebration than country wedding, which I think Wellington does particularly well.

For couples imagining dinner, drinks and a really good party without needing acres of gardens surrounding them, something like this could be a great fit.

And being right in the city gives us plenty of opportunities to wander outside for portraits that feel a little more editorial and urban.

Location: Te Aro, Wellington
Style: Industrial, urban, editorial
Explore: https://www.whiskyandwood.co.nz/

Pencarrow Lodge, Eastbourne

Pencarrow Lodge takes us back out of the city and into the landscape.

Located on the Pencarrow Coast near Eastbourne, it’s surrounded by the kind of rugged coastal scenery that makes this part of the country so beautiful.

If you love the idea of having your ceremony and celebration somewhere that feels secluded and distinctly New Zealand, this is definitely one to investigate.

I can already imagine what we’d do with that coastline if the weather decided to be suitably dramatic.

Location: Eastbourne, Lower Hutt
Style: Coastal, secluded, scenic
Explore: https://pencarrowlodgeevents.co.nz/

Sudbury, Te Horo

Heading north of Wellington, Sudbury offers a beautiful country setting in Te Horo on the Kāpiti Coast.

This could be a lovely option if you want the feeling of escaping into the countryside while still being within reach of Wellington.

It’s the kind of setting that gives you room for the whole day to unfold in one place, with plenty of surrounding landscape to work with for photographs too.

Location: Te Horo, Kāpiti Coast
Style: Country, elegant, relaxed
Explore: https://sudbury.co.nz/

Tarureka Estate, Featherston

If the Wairarapa is calling your name, Tarureka Estate in Featherston is one to put on the list.

It gives you that country-estate wedding feeling and also places you beautifully for a wedding weekend in the Wairarapa.

I particularly like venues where couples can spend most of the day in one place. Less driving generally means more time actually enjoying your wedding, and more opportunities for me to photograph everything happening naturally around you.

Location: Featherston, Wairarapa
Style: Country estate, relaxed, romantic
Explore: https://www.tarureka.co.nz/

The Runholder, Martinborough

For something with a more contemporary vineyard feel, The Runholder in Martinborough is another beautiful option.

Set amongst vineyards and countryside, the venue combines modern architecture with the landscape Martinborough is known for. There are ceremony and reception spaces, gardens, vineyard surroundings and even an underground barrel hall to work with.

This is one I’d be particularly excited to photograph because, from the vineyard surroundings and gardens to the contemporary architecture and underground barrel hall, there’s so much visual variety to work with in one place.

Location: Martinborough, Wairarapa
Style: Vineyard, contemporary, refined
Explore: https://www.therunholder.co.nz/

Finding your Wellington wedding venue

There are so many more wedding venues scattered throughout Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Kāpiti Coast and Wairarapa, so this list will absolutely keep growing.

If you’re at the beginning of your search, don’t worry too much about finding the venue that ticks every single box on somebody else’s wedding checklist.

Think about how you want your day to feel.

City or countryside? Formal dinner or relaxed celebration? Waterfront or vineyard? Everyone staying together for the weekend or wandering back to their Wellington hotels after the dance floor?

Once you know that, narrowing down the venues becomes a whole lot easier.

And if you’ve found somewhere you’re considering but aren’t sure how it might work photographically, you’re always welcome to ask me. I spend a slightly unreasonable amount of time thinking about light, locations and where the sun is going to disappear to, so I’m very happy to help. x