The weather is an all important factor in your ceremony and the seasons in the mountain terrain of Queenstown and Wanaka are very defined…
Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn
a) Winter weddings are absolutely gorgeous and they make for the most wonderful photos however, you don’t want your guests to have the only thing they remember of your wedding being how cold they were. If you are coming from Australia for a “snowy” wedding, be prepared to dress accordingly and advise your guests to do the same. That way, they will be able to concentrate on how fabulous you’re wedding is. People who have never experienced snow don’t appreciate how cold it is. Wear thermals under your gown! Average temperature is minus 6 to 9 at night and through the day 4 to 6 degrees. Sunny days with dumps of snow. Very little rain. Gets dark around 5.30pm. Advisable to have early afternoon wedding if outside.
b) Spring is very pretty with all the lovely spring flowers, fresh green on the trees, pretty blossom blooming but can be windy. Temps are around 18 degrees throughout the day with chilly evenings. Light until 7pm ish.
c) Summer can be extremely hot with temps getting up into the mid thirties. Very little wind and no rain to speak of. Light until 10pm. Need to think about providing water and umbrellas for your guests while they are waiting for you.
d) Autumn is the most spectacular season of all. Crisp clear days though still warm. Amazing colours on the trees of orange, gold, yellow and red. Absolutely unbelievable. Several places like Thurly Domain with their stone ruins are very popular in autumn because of the trees. The photographers just love the clear light at this time of the year. Still good temps but getting chilly in the evenings. Still light until early evening.
Travel
I always advise my couples that if they are having a winter wedding, to allow an extra day travel just in case airports are closed due to snow or fog. It is particularly advisable to suggest to their guests to do the same. There is nothing more stressful than to find out at the last minute that key guests can’t land due to the weather conditions. This only applies in the winter months of June, July and August.
Combined Wedding & Honeymoon destination
Queenstown and Wanaka is an ideal place to be married because you can combine your honeymoon at the same time. There are so many fabulous places to visit in the region as well as world class restaurants and wineries. Milford Sound is a wonderful day trip with some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. Spend some time in Fiordland National Park, Aspiring National Park, Glenorchy, with its amazing tramps. Rivers, adventures boating, fishing, helicopter flights, hot air ballooning, skydiving… everything is right here.
Travel up the West Coast for further spectacular coastline or over to the East Coast for Dunedin and Christchurch. Or for a completely different terrain, travel over the Lindis Pass for amazing scenery through the middle of the Island. Especially in December onwards when the lupins are blooming.