Wanaka Wedding Photography + Info
Photo stories from Wanaka
Lake Wanaka. We’re fortunate enough to call this place home. With the rugged snow-capped mountains and an epic lake, Wanaka wedding photography should be making your short-list when beginning to plan your wedding or elopement. A sleepy alpine town that slips under the radar more from Queenstown, yet offers equally powerful landscapes. There’s an incredible range of wedding venues including everything from wineries to woolsheds. For smaller weddings and elopements, the summit of a mountain via helicopter isn’t out of the question. Often as a wedding is a once in a lifetime event, saying your vows while overlooking Lake Wanaka from Coromandel Peak or up the Matukituki Valley from Alta Tarns makes for a pretty unforgettable experience.
The seasons here are very polar, from beautiful 30º+ days in the summer to raw -10º snow weddings in the winter. Even more so when you’re up in the mountain. Planning a wedding here definitely pays having some local knowledge. There’s a great network of wedding venues and vendors in Wanaka that are world-class at what they do, yet humble enough to let you in on some pointers from years of experience in the area. Check out the resource list on this page for further info.
In the Wanaka region, I photograph wedding stories, elopements, pre-wedding sessions and couples sessions. Although the duration and preparation of these shoots varies largely, the approach and formula is the same. I’ll shoot in a way that fits into your day, nice and relaxed, anticipating those unscripted moments and piecing together your story. Below is a collection of my Wanaka wedding photography, if the images you see resonate with you and you’re after a similar photo experience, then let’s grab a coffee or a beer and have a chat.
Jodie & Philip's Lake Wanaka engagement session was incredible. Beautiful people in the amazing setting of Wanaka’s lakefront. We explored the surrounding area and created some lasting, story-telling photos to look back on. Here’s how it went…
Elena & Dmitriy’s Lake Wanaka Heli Elopement was incredible. Beautiful people in the amazing setting of Mt Burke. We explored the surrounding area and created some lasting, story-telling photos to look back on. Here’s how it went…
Jess & Sam's Fog Peak Elopement was incredible. Beautiful people in the amazing setting of Lake Wanaka. We explored the surrounding area and created some lasting, story-telling photos to look back on. Here’s how it went…
The classic kiwi summer. Pretty much exactly what Limin and Julian got to experience during their Wanaka pre wedding session. Visiting from Singapore, I was stoked to be able to offer them beautiful warm temps, a helicopter flight to Roy’s Peak, a super late sunset — even enough to get their shoes off and get in the lake. Here’s how it went…
Not going to lie, I love all the couples that engage with me, and Alyce & Ben’s Wanaka Wedding was no exception. These two bought some fresh country air to their wedding, complete with a stunning dress, flat caps and two pair of New Zealand’s legendary Red Bands. The wedding ceremony took place at Wanaka’s Holy Family Catholic church, reception celebrations at The Venue, separated with a helicopter ride and mountain top photos. An incredible story I felt hugely grateful to be part of.
Love can be as strong as you want it to be. Imogen & Logan proved this to be true during the lead up to their Wanaka wedding. Studying and working across the globe and organising a wedding is no easy task, but through a supportive family and pure dedication, these two knocked it out of the park! Criffel Station were hosts to the special occasion, there were heart-felt vows, beautiful sunshine and helicopters — all a photographer could ever wish for! Aaron from Amico Films in Sydney even jumped in at super short notice to create an incredible film on the day. Absolutely epic!
Having the chance to photograph Villy & Brandon’s Wanaka honeymoon session was one of the key shoots that made me really appreciate this place to call home. For this connection session, we took upon the adventure of an incredible helicopter flight to Roy’s Peak, followed by the serene lakeside goodness amongst the pines and waters edge. Two awesome relaxed souls visiting from Canada for their honeymoon, switching from the depths of winter to heat of our Central Otago summer. With poor weather on their wedding day back home, these guys had the perfect excuse to line up some sunshine, which we had the freedom to do. Awesome people. Awesome session.
Visiting our lands from Maryland, USA, Heather and Dan's Wanaka couples session was nothing short of epic. In amongst the summer wedding season, we managed to sneak an hour session in right as the sun was setting over Lake Wanaka. These two were connected right from the get go, and had no qualms about getting their feet wet or hiking up to one of my favourite lookouts. My kind of couple!
Shannon & Chris took the time to stop in with me for a Wanaka couples session. It was only for an hour, but that was all we needed to get to a location I'd been wanting to shoot for a while. Visiting from Maryland, USA, I found these two an awesome couple to photograph, constantly drawing closer to each other — perhaps it was partly to do with the howling westerly wind. We hit it off nicely over sunset, capturing the real wild essence that Wanaka has to offer.
Possibly one of my most memorable wedding stories. Joce & Tim's Criffel Station wedding in Wanaka was easily the decider that locked in our choice to move south from Canterbury in 2015. We had always been in love with Wanaka, this just sealed the deal. Kicking off nice and early we gathered all of the little moments that show the bridal party's transition from fully relaxed to some beautiful emotional excitement. Local legend Ralph Fegan handled the wedding in great form amongst the epic surrounds that Criffel Station has to offer.
Venturing out into the start of the Motutapu Valley and Glendhu Bay amidst New Zealand's freezing winter conditions? No problem for Imogen & Logan. This Wanaka engagement session sums up exactly why my family and I chose to move here, having such rich scenery and raw wilderness right on our doorstep. Bringing couples into these special places gives me a real kick, especially when they're as fun and connected as these two!