The Southern Lakes give a wedding something most venues cannot: space plus unadulterated scenery. Lakes lying still at the foot of the ranges, mountains rising straight from the shore, and the kind of privacy that comes from genuinely being away from everything and everybody else. For couples who have looked at a lot of wedding venues and found most of them too busy or generic, we’ve got some utterly unique options for you here.
What follows is a considered shortlist, not a comprehensive directory. Each venue has been chosen for a specific reason, whether that is the quality of its setting, its capacity for privacy, or the way it sits in relation to the surrounding terrain. The properties linked to Release NZ are ones we know in detail, because we host guests there throughout the year.
Speak to us about accommodation for your wedding party
Rippon Vineyard
Best for: couples who want ceremony and wine in one setting, with the lake as the backdrop
Rippon sits on the western shore of Lake Wānaka, its biodynamic vines running down toward the water on a north-facing slope. The ceremony platform looks directly across the lake to the Roy’s Bay ranges. In February, the vines are in full leaf; by April, they have turned. Either way, there is a quality to the light here that is hard to find elsewhere in the region.
The estate produces some of the most respected Pinot Noirs in Central Otago. For couples with an interest in wine, the proximity of cellar and ceremony is its own kind of logic.
Reasons to choose Rippon
- Proximity to Wānaka township for guest logistics
- Lakefront ceremony platform with uninterrupted views to Lake Wānaka
- Working biodynamic vineyard; estate wines poured on-site
- North-facing aspect; exceptional afternoon light in late summer and autumn
- Established and well-practised wedding hosting in place
- Proximity to Wānaka township for guest logistics
Horseshoe Bend Estate
Best for: couples who want the wedding and the accommodation in one private setting, with space for the whole party to stay on-site
Horseshoe Bend Estate sits above the Clutha River outside Wānaka, its grounds running across several acres of manicured garden and open lawn. The property is available exclusively through Release NZ and accommodates a full wedding party on-site, removing most of the logistical pressure that comes with remote venue planning.
The estate has a choice of ceremony locations, varying in scale and aspect, while the gardens are well-established and maintained with care. For couples who want a private estate feel rather than a venue feel, this is a workable solution.
Reasons to choose Horseshoe Bend Estate
- Private estate with on-site accommodation for the entire wedding party
- Multiple ceremony locations across manicured grounds
- Exclusive hire through Release NZ, so no other guests on the property
- River and mountain aspects, depending on position within the grounds
- Proximity to Wānaka while retaining a sense of seclusion
View Horseshoe Bend Estate on Release NZ
Wānaka Haven
Best for: couples who want a garden ceremony within native planting, with private accommodation attached
Wānaka Haven is set within native forest on the edge of Wānaka, its gardens enclosed by mature planting that creates a sense of remove from the town. The ceremony location sits within the garden proper, framed by the Alps on the western skyline.
The property includes private accommodation, which makes it possible for the couple and a small inner circle to stay on-site before and after the wedding. Release NZ hosts this property and can advise on how to structure the stay around the event.
Reasons to choose Wānaka Haven
- Native forest garden setting plus a southern Alps backdrop
- On-site private accommodation available through Release NZ
- Intimate character; suited to smaller ceremonies and close gatherings
- Seclusion within the Wānaka township boundary
- A combination of ceremony and accommodation simplifies the day
View Wānaka Haven on Release NZ
Glendhu Station
Best for: couples seeking genuine high-country scale, a lakeside ceremony, and the freedom to design the day from the ground up
Glendhu Station is a working sheep station on the southern shore of Lake Wānaka, roughly 25 km from town on an unsealed road. The scale is significant. Open tussock country runs up to the faces of the ranges; the lake is immediately to the north. There’s no fixed infrastructure here as you’d find at a purpose-built venue, which may appeal to you.
Marquee weddings, lakeside ceremonies and barn receptions have all been held here. The station supplies the land and the atmosphere, and what you build within it is yours to decide.
Reasons to choose Glendhu Station
- Substantial private estate with genuine Otago backcountry character
- Lakeside ceremony sites with free sightlines for your photos
- Flexible format: marquee, barn or open-air, depending on season and number of guests
- Working high-country station; authentic rather than curated
- Strong light, open sky, dramatic southern aspect
Minaret Station Alpine Lodge
Best for: couples who want complete seclusion and don’t mind the helicopter ride to get there
Minaret Station can only be reached by helicopter because there’s no road into the glacial valley where the Alpine Lodge sits on 50,000 acres. That fact shapes everything about a wedding here: the peaks come up fast on approach and once you land, the only sounds are your own.
Four private chalets accommodate the core party overnight, while day weddings can take up to 40 guests, flown in from Wānaka in small groups. The lodge team handles food and hosting; the terrain handles the rest. Ceremony locations vary depending on season and snow cover, from the valley floor to high-alpine positions reached on foot or by air.
Reasons to choose Minaret Station
- Helicopter-only access from Wānaka; complete separation from the road network
- 50,000-acre private station in a remote glacial valley above the Matukituki
- Up to 40 guests for a day wedding; overnight stays in four private chalets
- Ceremony and photography locations across high-alpine terrain, including snow-capped positions year-round
- Full catering and hosting on-site
- Family-owned and operated for over fifty years; managed by Release NZ
See Minaret Station on Release NZ
Mahu Whenua
Best for: couples who want total privacy and full hosting, without trading proximity to Wānaka
Mahu Whenua is a 55,000-hectare eco homestead 20 minutes from town, set against the Mount Aspiring massif with Lake Wānaka visible to the north. The scale is unusual. There are no other guests, no neighbouring properties in sight, and a hosted team on-site during the entire event.
Weddings here are fully catered and hosted from arrival to departure. On-site activities extend across several days, from heli-skiing and backcountry hiking to cooking courses and guided walks on the station. The Wānaka wedding venue sleeps the core group and can accommodate extended gatherings of up to 150 on the grounds.
Reasons to choose Mahu Whenua
- 55,000 hectares of exclusive private land, 20 minutes from Wānaka
- Mount Aspiring and Lake Wānaka as the backdrop for the ceremony
- Full hosting throughout: accommodation, catering, activities and on-site team
- Intimate configurations from 12 guests staying on-site to 150 on the grounds
- Multi-day format with a substantial programme of activities for the wider party
- A pool and spa pool on-site for the accommodation group
Accommodation for the wedding party
One of the practical challenges of a Wānaka wedding is housing guests well. The region isn’t short of accommodation, but finding a connected collection of properties that suits a wedding party across different travel styles and budgets takes local knowledge.
Release NZ holds a curated portfolio of private villas, holiday homes and lodge accommodation across Wānaka, Queenstown and Central Otago. For wedding groups, we can suggest combinations of properties that keep the party close without putting everyone under the same roof. Some couples use a single large property for the core group and supplement with nearby villas for extended family or guests travelling from other parts of New Zealand or overseas.
We work with a small number of guests at any one time. If you are planning a wedding in the Southern Lakes, an early conversation is worth having.
Explore private villas and holiday homes suited to wedding parties
Speak to the Release NZ team about coordinating accommodation
The Southern Lakes reward couples who plan with the season in mind. February and March bring long evenings and settled weather. April brings colour and quiet. If you know which month suits you, the right venue and the right accommodation tend to follow from there.