Christchurch Travel Forum

I'm thinking of getting married in NZ, but have never been as I live in Sydney OZ. I want the whole European looking scenery, with mountains/lakes and green lawns etc... and as I will not be able to check it out for myself before I get married, I would really appreciate anyone who knows about these properties.
Thanking you in advance so much. :)

Cant help you with the places you are talking about but can let you know Christchurch is a great city. Beautiful parks & Gardens. Also nearby on the Banks Peninsula is Akaroa. A pretty little town with a huge French influence.

http://www.christchurch.org.nz/

http://www.akaroa.com/fpnew/fastpage/fpengine.php/templateid/204

If you need any recommendations for a honeymoon then the south island of New Zealand is the go. Wanaka was just voted 10th most romantic place in the world. Then there's Queenstown, Milford Sound, Glacier Country and the awesome Kaikoura for whale & dolphin watching.

All the best
Col & Sue

The mountains are in the distance, not right there at Christchurch. Nor will you get lakes. If you want green lawns and hills such as in Switzerland, New Zealand mountains are mostly gravel like, not grassy.
It really sounds like you are stressing, about this. You need to be more happy about finding a little bit of the unknown, or else either visit first or go to Europe. Or your day will not be enjoyable.
I can tell you though, that most people are very happy to get married in the South Island of NZ.

LOL

The Sign of the Takahe is a prime wedding spot in Christchurch, and indeed rather romantic. Looks like a knights castle in Europe, and they do outdoor weddings as well. It is in the suburb of Cashmere, up the way to the Port Hills. On a nice day you have a view over the city and the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps, and 500 metres up the hill is Victoria Park.

The Charlotte Jane is a spectacular motel/hotel/B&B on Papanui Road, north of the City. Some romantic churches are nearby but there is absolutely no scenery around. The closest romantic place for photos would be Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens.

Otahuna Lodge is a luxury lodge outside the city, in Tai Tapu (on the way to Akaroa) and extremely expensive. On the website you can see that the lodge and gardens look very romantic. The daffodils BTW flower in September. To shift your guests around could also be a problem.

May I suggest some other places:

I married in a B&B garden in Church Bay (Diamond Harbour, on Lyttelton Harbour), with private arrangements. But this would only be suitable for a wedding with veeeery few guests.

Many weddings take place in Mona Vale. This is a wonderful homestead with river (you can punt to your wedding on the Avon, as the boats stop there), pond and rose garden. I think I even have a photo with outdoor wedding arrangement on my Christchurch page on VT. And I think I have posted a photo of my wedding on the NZ page (Things to Do: Marry in NZ ;-) It is close to the city centre/Hagley Park, so a very good location.

The most romantic place somehow near Christchurch would be Akaroa. The turquoise blue water of the harbour, jumping dolphins, the mountains of Banks Peninsula - magic!

Some people choose to marry on the beach (New Brighton or Sumner) and get their photos taken on the beach. I would clearly go for Sumner because there are all amenities around, and the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula around - but when the tide is high there is no beach LOL So you would have to check the tides first to find the right time for the wedding.

A final suggestion near Christchurch would be Governors Bay. This is located at Lyttelton Harbour, and places for the reception would be the She Café and the Governors Bay Hotel, both with views of the harbour and the hills. You could have your photos taken on the jetty that reaches more than 300 metres into the harbour, with the Port Hills on one side, and the highest mountains of Banks Peninsula on the other side. Tips about all this including photos on my Lyttelton page.

My favourite place #2 in NZ would be Lake Tekapo (Church of the Good Shepherd). This scenery and the church sitting right at the lake's shore are hard to top. I know a B&B where the host is a celebrant, too, and would arrange hairdresser and everything. We would have married there if my husband had not found this magic place in Church Bay.

And Queenstown, as suggested in another VT question, would also be a fantastic place to go for.

If you have further questions do not hesitate to ask.

Sissi