Wanaka weddings: Joel & Chelsea

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When autumn turns the leaves into beautiful reds and gold, there is no better time to capture that perfect day. This is the story of Joel & Chelsea's Wanaka wedding.

Why Wanaka?

I (Chelsea) grew up just out of Wanaka and Joel spent most of his twenties here. When we started planning our wedding it was the first place we thought of, and the most natural fit, with many of my family and friends still living in Wanaka.

Which was the favourite part of your Wanaka wedding?

Seeing all our friends and family together in our favourite place was special. We had the wedding at The Lookout Lodge which my father built, and you can see my family home from...it was perfect. It truly was such a relaxing day, Wanaka is such a collaborative environment, all our vendors were amazing, so easy to work with, and we all went into the day knowing everything would run smoothly.

What time of the year did you get married and why?

We got married in April, we both love the colouring in Wanaka around that time of the year. We have also attended many summer weddings in Wanaka and wanted to avoid the heat!

What would be your number one piece of advice be for another bride?

The details are fun to plan in the lead up, but as soon as something becomes stressful or too hard to achieve, either get some else on board to help, or just leave it out. On the day the only thing you notice is the person beside you and your loved ones around you.