Wellington
The Best Wedding Venues in Wellington
The Wellington venues couples keep coming back to, with a note on who each one actually suits, from a NZ wedding photo & film team.
Wellington honestly spoils you for wedding venues! Spots right out over the harbour, clifftops with the Cook Strait crashing below, garden retreats tucked up in the bush, & proper country barns just over the hill. We shoot weddings all over NZ, so here's the shortlist we'd hand a couple who's just starting to look :)
Same tip as always: lock your venue & date in first, then everything else builds around it. The best Wellington spots book out fast over summer (November to April), so if a place feels like you, get in early!
Boomrock
A clifftop with the Cook Strait at your feet.
If you want a view that makes everyone gasp, Boomrock is it. It's perched high on the cliffs out at Ohariu on Wellington's west coast, looking over the Cook Strait to the South Island, about 30 minutes from the city on a working farm.
There's an in-house chef, on-site activities to keep guests busy, & room for up to 120 seated (160 standing). Pure drama, in the best way!
- Up to 120 seated / 160 standing
- ~30 min from Wellington
- Clifftop, Cook Strait views
- In-house chef
● 292 Boom Rock Road, Ohariu, Wellington
Dockside
Right out over the water on Queens Wharf.
We shot R & E's wedding here & loved it! Dockside is a heritage wooden shed (Shed 3, built way back in 1887) sitting right out over the harbour on Queens Wharf, smack in the middle of the city.
Warm timber inside, big windows onto the water, & one of the largest over-water outdoor areas around with a retractable roof, so Wellington's weather can do whatever it likes! Seats up to 150, or 350 standing for a big night.
- Over-water, Queens Wharf
- Up to 150 seated / 350 standing
- Heritage 1887 building
- Retractable roof
● Shed 3, Queens Wharf, Wellington
The Boatshed
Right on the water, right in the middle of the city.
The Boatshed sits on Wellington's waterfront at Taranaki Street Wharf, with harbour views from basically every window & a big balcony out over the water.
If you want to stay central & keep the city & the sea as your backdrop, it's hard to beat. Lovely for couples who don't want to travel far from town.
- Waterfront, central Wellington
- Harbour views from every window
- Balcony over the water
- City-central
● Taranaki Street Wharf, Wellington Waterfront
Te Wharewaka o Pōneke
Waterfront, with real cultural heart.
Te Wharewaka o Pōneke sits right on the Wellington waterfront by Odlins Square, that striking angular building you've walked past a hundred times, with modern facilities & genuine cultural significance.
It's a beautiful, meaningful choice for couples who want to be central & on the water, with a real sense of place. Spaces seat anywhere from 20 up to a few hundred.
- Wellington waterfront
- 20 up to 230 seated
- In-house catering
- Real cultural significance
● 2 Taranaki Street, Wellington Waterfront
Zealandia
A native eco-sanctuary, ten minutes from town.
Zealandia is a 225-hectare eco-sanctuary that feels like a different world, native bush, birdsong & a lake, & it's only about ten minutes from the middle of Wellington!
Weddings happen at the café looking out over the valley & the water. If you love the outdoors & want somewhere wild & green without a long drive, it's such a special one :)
- Native bush + lakeside
- ~10 min from Wellington
- Café venue hire
- Outdoor / eco-sanctuary
● 53 Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington
Silverstream Retreat
A garden retreat in the bush, 25 minutes from town.
Silverstream Retreat sits up on a terrace looking out over the Hutt Valley, all native bush & greenery, but it's only about 25 minutes from Wellington & 7 from Lower Hutt. Easy for guests, without feeling like you're in the city at all.
There's a few different spaces depending on your numbers (up to 216 in the Boardwalk complex), a landscaped garden with a little gazebo for the ceremony, in-house catering, & accommodation on site so you're not sorting taxis at the end of the night.
- Up to 216 guests
- ~25 min from Wellington
- Garden ceremony + on-site accommodation
- In-house catering
● Fergusson Drive, Silverstream, Upper Hutt
Anam Cara Gardens
Ten acres of gorgeous established gardens on the Kāpiti Coast.
If you're an outdoors couple, Anam Cara is a dream, ten acres of established gardens out at Ōtaki Beach that genuinely wow guests, with the venue space tucked in behind.
Lush, green & full of character, & you can stay on site & make a weekend of it. Best in the warmer months when everything's in bloom :)
- Kāpiti Coast, ~70 min from Wellington
- 10 acres of gardens
- Garden ceremony + on-site accommodation
- Warmer months best
● 150 Rangiuru Road, Ōtaki Beach, Kāpiti Coast
Sudbury
A luxe 50-acre farm on the Kāpiti Coast.
Sudbury is a luxe rural spot out at Peka Peka on the Kāpiti Coast, about 40 minutes from the city, set across 50 acres with rolling green all around.
There's three different ceremony spots (a pergola terrace, a lakeside lawn & a hay barn), on-site accommodation, & you can bring your own alcohol with no corkage, which couples love. Feels like a proper getaway.
- Kāpiti Coast, ~40 min from Wellington
- 50-acre farm, 3 ceremony sites
- On-site accommodation
- BYO alcohol, no corkage
● 101 Te Hapua Road, Peka Peka, Te Horo, Kāpiti Coast
Rose & Smith at Tauherenikau
A country barn just over the hill in the Wairarapa.
Technically it's over the hill in the Wairarapa (about an hour & a bit from the city), but Rose & Smith is such a favourite with Wellington couples we had to include it.
Surrounded by native foliage, birdsong & big English heritage trees, it's got that romantic country feel without going too far. One of our favourites in the region to shoot!
- Wairarapa, ~1hr 15 from Wellington
- Native foliage + heritage trees
- Country / barn feel
- Popular with Wellington couples
● Tauherenikau Racecourse Road, SH2, Tauherenikau, Wairarapa
Your photographer & film team
Getting married in Wellington? We'd love to shoot it.
We're Selah, a NZ wedding photo & video team based in the Manawatū, just up the road! One crew for Photo, Video, & real Super 8 film, & we travel for weddings all over the country. Would be stoked to connect!
Common questions
How much do wedding venues in Wellington cost?
It's a wide range! A central city or DIY space can be a few thousand for hire, while a full-service clifftop or estate venue with catering climbs well beyond that once everything's added up. Most don't list exact prices, so send them your date & guest number & ask for a quote, it shifts a lot by season & day of the week.
When's the best time of year to get married in Wellington?
Late spring through summer (November to April) for the long evenings & the best shot at settled weather, though Wellington will always keep you on your toes with the wind! Wherever you book, have a solid wet-weather plan.
How far in advance should we book a Wellington venue?
The popular Wellington venues book out fast, often 12-18 months ahead for a summer Saturday. Lock your venue & date in first, then everything else (us included!) slots in around it.
Do these venues include catering, or is it BYO?
A mix! Places like Dockside, Boomrock & Silverstream Retreat have in-house catering, while a spot like Sudbury lets you BYO alcohol with no corkage & bring your own caterers. Always check what's included before you compare prices, because 'venue hire' can mean very different things.
More wedding reviews & resources
Dunedin & Otago The Best Wedding Venues in Dunedin Read → 
Hawke's Bay The Best Wedding Venues in Hawke's Bay Read → Hawke's Bay The Best Wedding Venues in Hawke's Bay Read → 
Northland The Best Wedding Venues in Northland Read → 
Palmerston North & Manawatū The Best Wedding Photo Locations in Palmerston North & the Manawatū Read → Last reviewed July 2026. Details change, so always confirm directly with each venue.