How to choose a wedding venue in Auckland
Auckland has wedding venues on vineyards, farms, beaches, islands and city rooftops. These five steps help you narrow a long list to the two or three worth visiting.
Start with guests, budget and date
- Guest numbers. Ask for seated and standing capacity, and whether there is a minimum number of guests.
- Budget. Compare the full quote, not the starting price. Check whether GST is included or added.
- Date and finish time. Ask how long the venue is yours on the day and when the music has to stop.
Choose the setting, then the area
Rural and island venues can mean a long drive or a ferry, so check how guests will get there and home again. On-site accommodation is most common in Kumeū, Matakana and Clevedon.
Decide on one venue or two
Having the ceremony and reception in one place saves moving guests between sites. If you split them, allow travel time between the two and plan transport.
Check exactly what is included
- Food: in-house catering, or can you bring your own caterer?
- Drinks: bar tab, drinks package or BYO? Is there a corkage fee?
- The space: furniture, styling, sound, staff, set-up and clean-up.
- Exclusive use: will yours be the only event on the day?
Ask these before you pay a deposit
- Is our date free, and how long will you hold it?
- What is the deposit, and what are the cancellation terms?
- What is the wet-weather plan?
- Can we visit on a day set up for a wedding?
How to read the venue pages. A tick on a venue page means the venue's own website says it. "No information yet" means the site did not cover it, so ask. Read each rating with its review count: a 4.9 from 9 reviews tells you less than a 4.6 from 600.