Frequently Asked Questions

We get it – planning a destination wedding can be stressful! Lucky for you, we’ve done this a few hundred times before…BUT we also understand that every wedding is different and that you will no doubt have a few questions along the way! We wanted to provide a place for you to find easy answers to some of our most commonly asked questions, so welcome to our FAQ page!

If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to get back to you with what you need to know.

How do I secure my wedding package with you?

The first step in securing your wedding date with us is to let us know which package best suits your needs. From there we can confirm date availability with the package suppliers and then draw up a contract for you to review. Then it’s just the signed contract along with the deposit in order to secure your wedding date with us. Easy!

How much of a deposit is required to secure my wedding date?

In order to secure your wedding date with us, we will need a 50% deposit to begin securing the arrangements for your wedding package. The final payment is due 30 days prior to your wedding day. If you are booking more than 12 months in advance, we do offer the option to confirm the package with a 25% deposit and then the remaining 25% would be due on the one year pre-anniversary to your wedding date.

Can I pay by credit card?

Sure can! We do accept credit card payments via the secure PayPal system, which does incur a 3% surcharge to cover the fees of the service.  

Most of our overseas clients prefer arranging a bank transfer, and many choose to use services such as Transfer Wise or Orbit Remit to process international payments through to us.

How many weddings have you planned?

That’s a good question! We’ve been planning weddings here in Queenstown for over 10 years and have been lucky enough to help close to 500 couples get married here. We seriously love what we do and have built an incredible team of talented and world-renowned suppliers that we know will provide you with the best experience on your wedding day. So you can rest assured that your wedding plans are in good hands when you book with us, but don’t take our word for it – why not check out our online reviews from our previous couples – here, here, and here!

What if I am planning a wedding with more than 60 guests?

Our all inclusive wedding packages are designed for smaller weddings and are priced accordingly. If you think you will go over by just a few guests, just let us know and we will be happy to provide an additional per person price for you and confirm if the venue space will suit your wedding size. If you are planning a much larger wedding (70+guests), we do assist with several larger weddings every year, so still very happy to help!

We offer a wide range of a la carte planning services that are designed to assist with larger weddings and you can find more details on those options on our Simply Perfect planning website here

What if I don’t know my exact guest numbers at the time of booking?

No worries, it’s hard to know for sure how many guests will definitely be able to make it on your wedding day when you are just starting out with the planning. What we recommend is booking the package for the MINIMUM number of people you would expect on your wedding day, as it is much easier to add guests on to our wedding packages than to remove them – primarily due to the structure of venue fees and space requirements.

Please also let us know at the time of booking what the maximum number of people attending could be, as we will need to ensure the venues can accommodate your final numbers – should everyone decide to attend. 😊

What if I want to take something out of the wedding package?

No problem at all, just let us know if there are any package inclusions that you would like to remove from our wedding packages and we would be happy to provide an updated quote for you. Simple!

Is there an additional cost to have children attend our wedding?

There is no charge for children not requiring a children’s meal, so any children under the age of 2 years old.

The cost for children above 2 years old is dependent on the children’s ages, however this cost is less than that of an adult, so please let us know if there are any children included in your numbers, and we can provide an updated quote for you.

Is there a list of suppliers that you regularly use? Or are these pre allocated?

We work with a range of the best wedding suppliers in the area and where possible we will always try to provide you with a choice of photographer, celebrant, hair/makeup, etc.

One of the best parts of our wedding packages is that we work with a team of preferred photographers here in Queenstown. This means we are able to provide you with a choice, based on date availability, to ensure that your photography and wedding preferences match the photographer we partner with to capture your special day. Rest assured, no matter which one of our preferred photographers you choose – you will be in excellent hands as they are all incredibly talented at what they do and have been shooting gorgeous weddings with us for many years.

If you do have any particular vendor preferences when you enquire, just let us know – we are always happy to tailor the package to suit your preferred suppliers.

What if your packages are out of my budget range?

While we do strive to keep our wedding packages as competitively priced as possible, there are times when our wedding packages will fall outside of your budget and/or you may find a more affordable option with another supplier. We don’t aim to be the ‘cheapest’ wedding option here in Queenstown, but we do aim to provide the best value for your money. So don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss where your budget sits in relation to any of the packages you may be interested in, and we will be happy to provide ideas or options of where we may be able to tailor the wedding package to suit your budget a bit better.

We are also always happy to provide a comparison as to how and why our packages may differ from other providers in the area (remember all our pricing includes GST).

Let’s chat and see what we can do to bring your wedding dreams to life here in Queenstown!

Can we mix and match venues in a package to accommodate our preferences?

Sure can! Our wedding packages are fully flexible, so it would be no problem to mix and match some of the package inclusions from one package to the other.  Just let us know what you are thinking and we can provide an updated quote for you as needed. We also offer a Custom Wedding Package option that you will find outlined in our wedding package pricing, where we can work with you to create a wedding package that is uniquely suited to your wedding ideas – including venue options that may not be included in our standard wedding package options.

What if I want to look at a venue not included in your wedding package options?

No problem at all, we do offer a Custom Package option which is designed specifically for couples who feel like their wedding vision doesn’t perfectly fit into one of our current all-inclusive wedding package options. There is a small initial planning fee involved with this service, to cover the time it takes us to research additional venue options and pull together tailored quotes just for you – but those fees can be directly credited towards any of the custom wedding package options that we create for you (meaning this personalised service won’t cost you a thing if you do book with us!).  

When is the best time of year to get married in Queenstown?

Honestly every season here in Queenstown is beautiful for different reasons.  Some of the most popular months are December, January and February for summer weddings with long/warm days, while July, August and September are perfect for those snowy winter weddings. October and November are wonderful for spring weddings and the autumn colours are gorgeous in late March, April and early May.

Keep in mind that as we are an island nation, the weather can change dramatically from one week to the next – no matter the time of year, so we always recommend packing layers (especially for our mountaintop weddings) and you may just get to experience the magic of all 4 seasons in a week here in Queenstown! 😊

For more information on the seasons in Queenstown, check out our recent blog post here !

What happens if it rains on my wedding day?

Good question! The good news is more often than not we are able to work around the weather, as it is fairly rare for it to rain ALL day here in Queenstown. Saying that, we do always have a Plan B ready to go…and sometimes even a Plan C, D, E…we are planners after all!

Intimate and Small Wedding Packages

We will always have a backup plan if the weather poses an issue on your wedding day. This may involve moving the ceremony to an indoor location at the same venue or moving it to a Plan B location – the options will vary depending on the package you choose. We do always try to remain as flexible as possible and if the weather is only mildly inclement, then we also have a stock of large white wedding umbrellas that we can make available to your guests for the ceremony period.

Elopement Weddings

For elopement weddings, as it’s just the two of you, we have a bit more flexibility and can always look at moving the time of the ceremony/helicopter earlier or later in the day to work around weather where possible. At times, we can even look to move the wedding to a different day if possible, however this is dependent on the package suppliers’ availability, as well as your availability (hint…we recommend booking a buffer day before/after the wedding where possible). If Plan B and C don’t work out, then we also work with some beautiful private indoor venues, or could even look at your accommodation (depending on where you book) as alternate options (upgrade fees may apply for private ceremony venues). No matter what, we promise to get you married and we promise it will be amazing! 

Are there any beverages included in the wedding packages?

Unless specifically stated, we do not include any beverages in our wedding packages as these will be paid directly to the venue and will be based on consumption.

As a starting point, we suggest budgeting around NZ$60.00-75.00 per person for the beverages on the day, but this can vary depending on your guests and their drinking levels. Each venue will provide you with a range of beverages to choose from and you can decide which options you would like to make available to your guests on the evening. We will also help you decide what limit you would like to place on your hosted bar tab, and then you can be advised during the course of the wedding when that bar limit is nearing the end – so that you can decide whether or not to extend the limit or move the beverages over to a cash bar for the rest of the evening.

Can we have a priest or pastor perform our wedding ceremony?

It would be no problem at all if you prefer to have a religious priest or pastor perform your wedding ceremony. In this instance, we would remove the celebrant fees from the wedding package and put you directly in touch with one of the local churches (depending on your preference) so that you could arrange that directly. We would still coordinate all the ceremony arrangements on the day and have worked with these religious leaders many times in the past.

Can I add additional décor/florals to my wedding package?

Absolutely! We can certainly look at any preferences you have to add on additional florals or décor to your wedding day and will assist with obtaining quotes for all of those during the planning process included in the wedding package. The cost of additional décor and floral items varies depending on the style, volume and seasonal availability (as well as your personal preferences), so we find it is best to do this during the planning process, after we have all your ‘essential’ package arrangements booked in. You are always welcome to arrange these details directly if you prefer, but we are happy to help if you need it and any upgrades to the package can be added along the way if you prefer.

Is the bridal hair and makeup inclusion just for the bride?

Yes, the package includes hair and makeup for the bride only. However, you are welcome to add on additional hair and makeup appointments for bridesmaids and/or family and friends during the planning process. These appointments are generally charged at NZ$150.00 per appointment, so $300.00 total per person if they wanted both hair and makeup done alongside you on the day.

Is there bridal transport included in the wedding packages?

Typically the only transport included in our wedding packages is the guest transportation. We find that most of our wedding parties travel in a hire car to the ceremony or arrange their own transport on the day. However, we can certainly look at upgrading the package to include a wedding car/s, if you prefer something a bit more special. Wedding cars typically start around NZ$550.00 for up to 3 hours, which is the minimum time period for most wedding car hire. 

Are there any other costs I should consider when planning my wedding?

Our packages include what we consider the essentials needed for your wedding day, however we do offer a wide range of upgrades if you are looking to make your wedding day extra special. These could include the below:

  • Wedding videography to capture your special day
  • Luxury wedding car transportation
  • Hair and makeup trial prior to your wedding day
  • Additional floral and/or décor details for your ceremony and reception (e.g. bridal party flowers, wedding arch, centerpieces)
  • Additional photography time as requested

There are also some other expenses that you may like to consider while planning your wedding. Some of the typical costs you may like to keep in mind, outside the wedding package, are below:

 

  • Wedding dress
  • Groom’s attire
  • Bridal party attire
  • Bridal party transport on wedding day (if required)
  • Wedding rings
  • Wedding stationary (invitations, menus, name cards if preferred)
  • Reception bar tab/beverages
  • Marriage licence fees (approx. NZ$150.00) 
  • International and domestic flights
  • Accommodation during your stay in Queenstown (unless specifically included)
  • Transportation during your stay in Queenstown 
  • Meals and activities during your stay in Queenstown 
Where should I stay while in Queenstown?

There is a wide range of accommodation options available here in Queenstown to suit varying budgets and styles, but before we make personalised recommendations we would want to discuss with you in a bit more detail your preferences (hotel vs. holiday home, etc). For this reason, we typically provide these recommendations during the planning process, once you have your wedding date secured with us.

When do we apply for our marriage licence?

The marriage licence can be applied for up to 3 months prior to your wedding date, however we usually suggest getting it underway around 4-6 weeks prior. It is a simple online process and we will provide all the details you need to complete the necessary forms alongside your celebrant as the wedding date nears.

You will apply for your official marriage certificate at the same time, which will be mailed to you at your home address around one month after the wedding (after the celebrant files the signed marriage licence with the registrar post-wedding).

Please note the fees for the marriage licence and certificate will need to be paid online during the application process, and those fees are not included in our wedding packages.

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?