Adventure Weddings & Eloping in New Zealand

Adventure seekers from around the world find their way to New Zealand for ultimate exploration.  It’s the kind of place where you can be hiking to your mountainside ceremony spot in the morning, taking a helicopter to a glacier for a picnic lunch, and ending the day discovering secret waterfalls or adventuring by boat!  Eloping in New Zealand offers so many amazing possibilities for an adventure wedding!

Fun Fact About Our Fearless Adventure Wedding Leader

The owner of Your Adventure Wedding, Ann Peters an adventure and adrenaline junkie herself, found herself flocking to New Zealand as her very first international business trip!  During which she was hired to photograph skydivers in action over magnificent scenery throughout the South Island.  As a result, fast forward decades later, here she is with a whole team planning and photographing adventure weddings and elopements in New Zealand!

Traveling to NEw Zealand

So where is New Zealand?  It’s an island in the Southern Hemisphere within the South Pacific Ocean.  In other words, means the seasons are opposite of the Northern Hemisphere.  Making the best time to visit October-December and then again from April to early May (hello fall colors and less tourists!)!  Furthermore, you’ll be thrilled to know you have not just one but you have TWO amazing islands to explore as well!  To clarify, the North Island and South Island are separate so you need to either take a flight or a ferry to get between.

Certainly now you’re wondering how you get to New Zealand!  Speaking from a North American point of view, as that is where our primary clientele are from…  Firstly, you will need to find your way to an international airport on the west coast, like LAX (Los Angeles International Airport).

In addition, the most reliable and comfortable airlines to fly to New Zealand follow: Air New Zealand, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, and Etihad Airways.  Flight time will be between 12-14 hours depending on where on the west coast you begin.  Upon landing in New Zealand you will fly to Auckland (AKL) most likely and then start your adventure!

Meanwhile, our New Zealand adventure wedding planning and photography teams focus on the South Island.  Why?  Because the South Island offers a dynamic variety of landscapes closer together versus the North which makes eloping in New Zealand and forgettable adventure!

Adventure Wedding Locations in New Zealand

Above all, the big draw to eloping in New Zealand, is that the landscape is diverse no matter the season, making it an ideal destination adventure wedding location!  Can you imagine yourself getting married in New Zealand in some of the following locations?

13 New Zealand Elopement Locations
  1. Abel Tasman National Park… An ideal South Island location if you want to embark on a hiking elopement!
  2. Hands down our favorite glacier in New Zealand is Fox Glacier!
  3. Planning an adventurous elopement within Mount Aspiring National Park would be unforgettable!
  4. A mysterious magical place to find yourself eloping in New Zealand is within Milford Sound!
  5. For sure one of our favorite lakes in the South Island of New Zealand is Lake Matheson!
  6. Looking for a backdrop of volcanic landscape?  Mount Ngauruhoe would be perfect for you!
  7. Golden Sand Beaches run wild throughout New Zealand’s South Island.
  8. Caves!  For instance, you’ll find countless cave and cave systems throughout both the North and the South Island just begging you to explore!
  9. New Zealand Wine Country weddings and elopements, enough said 😉
  10. Historical lovers and scuba diving adventurers will find the Ninety Mile Beach in New Zealand’s North Island may be an ideal elopement location.
  11. At the bottom of the North Island, you’ll find interesting rock formations named the Putangirua Pinnacles. Also, the Putangirua Pinnacles adds to your eloping in New Zealand experience by offering beautiful hiking trail options!
  12. Over 200 waterfalls can be found throughout the North and South Islands.  Imagine eloping in New Zealand in front of one!
  13. Not enough time to make it to the famed Milford Sounds?  You’ll be happy to know the Marlborough Sounds can be found at the top of the South Island.  Boasting countless New Zealand elopement photo locations!

Eloping in New Zealand Schedule

Therefore, with having so many options to consider while eloping in New Zealand, you may be feeling overwhelmed on where to start.  Don’t fret!  Most importantly, we want to you stay super excited, so below we would love to share with you what a sample schedule of eloping in New Zealand could look like for you!

Sample Schedule for New Zealand Adventure Wedding:
  • 5-5:30am Wake up!  You’re eloping in New Zealand today!  Wow-wee!!
  • 5:30-7:30am Hair and Makeup comes to your room
  • 7:30-8am  Breakfast and get your wedding attire on!
  • 8-8:30pm Drive to the start of your hike!
  • 8:30-9am Hike to your gorgeous South Island elopement location!
  • 9-9:30am New Zealand wedding ceremony
  • 9:30-10:30am Explore and photos with your New Zealand Elopement Photographer.
  • 10:30-11am Drive to a private cove / beach.
  • 11-11:45am Explore and NZ wedding photos!
  • 11:45-12pm Drive to the helicopter meeting spot.
  • 12-1pm Take a helicopter to the top of a glacier!
  • 1-2pm Ever dream of a romantic glacier wedding picnic during your New Zealand elopement?  Happening!
  • 2-4pm Hike around the glacier, exploring crevasses, glacier pools, hopefully an ice cave, and 360 views!
  • 4-5pm Take the helicopter back to your hotel.
  • 5-6:30pm Rest and Refresh!
  • 6:30-7:30pm Time for stunning sunset photos
  • 7:30pm-?  Styled reception for two with New Zealand mountain views!

Perfect end to your eloping in New Zealand adventure day?!

New Zealand Wedding Fox Glacier Your Adventure Wedding

New Zealand Luxury Hotels for South Island Weddings

Combining luxury and the wilderness is often what couples seek while planning an adventure wedding or adventurous elopement in New Zealand.  There is something awesome about trekking by day and being pampered at night!  Am I right?  Our favorite luxury hotels in the South Island to book while eloping in New Zealand follow below!

  • At the top of the North Island you’ll find a luxury hidden gem The Resurgence.  You’re minutes away from the famed Abel Tasman hiking trails, the Golden Bay, Kahurangi National Park and the art, wine tasting and cycling trails around the Nelson Region!
  • Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses is alongside of Kaikoura coast and in between the Kaikoura Seaward Mountain Range.  Further, who doesn’t want to spend a romantic night in a tree house?!
  • One of the most mesmerizing places we’ve ever stayed is found in an area called Pigeon Bay and a villa named Scrubby Bay.  Staying there will give you endless romantic vibes… To illustrate, you’ll wake up every morning greeted with 360 views of the private bay and mountains behind you.  The villa boasts endless bits of luxury for you to enjoy too!
  • Private piece of heaven awaits you outside of Queenstown… Azur Lodge offers wilderness at your feet!

New Zealand Adventure Wedding Planner

By planning an experience driven wedding day while eloping in New Zealand, you take your adventure to an unforgettable level!  Whether it is just the two of you or you are bringing guests to watch you get married in New Zealand, it will be an incredible journey!

Lastly, by embarking on an adventurous elopement in New Zealand you will have everyone back home swooning in jealousy!  We’d love to custom craft some EPIC options for you throughout the South Island of New Zealand.  Feel free to contact us for more information on how to get your eloping in New Zealand adventure started!

New Zealand Adventure Weddings - Your Adventure Wedding