Wanaka Weddings: Mat & Rose

Why Wanaka?

Why not Wanaka? It’s one of - if not THE - most beautiful spots in the country! We were always going to get married in a place that we knew well, had spent a lot of time in together and meant a lot to us. That narrowed it down to Mat's hometown of Te Puke or Rose's hometown of Wanaka... No competition really; the scenery in Wanaka is too amazing to pass up.

What was your favourite part of your Wanaka wedding?

We can't pick just one, so here’s three…

1. Our two families coming together for the first time was so cool to see. We’ve been together for almost five years and our parents had only met once, while our siblings never had. Now we’re just one big happy family!

2. Having all our North Island friends and family make the trip down and get to see for themselves why the amazing Wanaka is so special to us was also really important.

3. Mat's surprise first trip in the helicopter to get some mountaintop sunset photos. The whole day went so fast that to be able to take an hour just to ourselves was amazing

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

We chose Autumn for a few different reasons, mainly because it is just so beautiful in Wanaka and we wanted those colours to be a part of our flowers and in our photos. Rose had also always wanted a romantic Winter wedding without the Winter temperatures. The un-romantic reason is that it also worked in well with Mat's schedule on the dairy farm.

Any advice for other brides?

Just relax – if anything doesn’t go to plan, what can you do about it? Nothing. So just carry on and enjoy your day. I had moments at 9pm the night before thinking ‘oh no I haven’t done or gotten this and I really wanted it.' None of our guests noticed or knew that though and it made no difference to the day at all. Once in the moment I forgot all about it!

Oh and don’t buy your dress too early... just in case you change your mind….

What is your “must-do” when getting married in Wanaka?

You’ll be surprised how much time will be taken up with the set-up and running around town picking things up and doing little jobs for the wedding, so extend your trip by a few extra days so you can take the time to get out and do some of Wanaka’s non-wedding-related activities with all your family and friends. Encourage your guests to do the same, especially those who have never been down there before!