WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GETTING MARRIED IN QUEENSTOWN, NZ.
WHO APPLIES FOR A MARRIAGE LICENCE?
The couple applies to the NZ government, 3 days - 3 months before the wedding. DO NOT apply earlier, you will have to pay twice. It costs $150 that payment goes directly to the government, not the celebrant/planner. The “Copy Of Particulars | BDM 45” will be emailed to you. Email this to your celebrant and they’ll organise the rest.
Apply here https://www.govt.nz/browse/family-and-whanau/getting-married/get-a-marriage-licence/
HOW LONG ARE THE CEREMONIES?
We do have a time frame to stick to up the mountain, and that is also your newlywed photoshoot time. So the ceremonies including vows are about 15 minutes maximum, and we begin it within 5 minutes of landing and the chopper turning off. So that way you have the time on the other side to relax and enjoy the views.
WHAT IF WE HAVE NO WITNESSES?
Don’t worry, this one is easy, you will have a pilot and photographer so we get them to sign your document.
DO WE HAVE TO EXCHANGE VOWS?
Highly recommend doing this and also writing them yourselves. Trust us, on the day this becomes one of the most magical and warming moments. You have already said everything to each other, so don’t stress about writing them, just sit down, put pen to paper and it will all come out.
WHAT SHOES DO I WEAR UP THE MOUNTAIN?
Not stilettos. A boot is best, in winter, take warm socks too.
WHAT TIME OF YEAR IS THERE SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS?
If you go on a far flight you might be able to get some snow further South of Queenstown. If you want that full white wonderland aesthetic get married in July, August, or September (the windchill up the mountain can be very VERY cold, bring a WARM layer to wear when you’re sipping champagne and taking in the view while having a break from your newlywed photo shoot). The Summer months in NZ are December - February, the ground temp in Celcius is 22-32 degrees, and the mountain peaks are about 10 degrees lower.
ARE THE WEDDING CEREMONIES A TEMPLATE OR CUSTOM WRITTEN?
Custom, personalised, and crafted to you. At Adventure Weddings, our ceremonies are written all from scratch. We send you and your partner questionnaires to fill out - separately. Your celebrant will write the first draft and send it back to you for you to check and make any changes that you wish until it’s a perfect fit for you. That way it’s full of your love story, and what marriage means to you two uniquely.
Ceremonies are fun-loving and sincere (not cookie cutter), it is written based on the stories you write to us, so it’s full of the details of your relationship’s meaning and milestones. There are only a couple of legal formalities in there but you won’t even notice. We can also add any special ideas you have - a piece of writing, doing a shot of port, inserting someone’s message from afar, or whatever weird or wonderful idea you have. Just ask and we’ll do our best to adapt it. There are no rules around the structure of a ceremony.
DO WE HAVE TO EXCHANGE A RING?
We would suggest, Yes. In the celebrant questionnaire, we ask you what these rings mean to you, so it makes the meaning and symbolism of exchanging the rings pretty darn powerful. They’re not just something pretty on your finger, they represent your favourite teammate in life.
DOES THE HELICOPTER ALWAYS FLY?
The weather is usually pretty good, and the helicopters can usually fly BUT if it’s windy, the chopper pilots are the experts and they make the call to fly or not. The weather is out of our control, sometimes we can anticipate the weather so we could bring the flight forward to early morning or the next day for example - this is one of the reasons you have a coordinator to make all the to and frow calls. Tip: plan a couple of days after your wedding day if you can. If we don’t fly you get a refund for the chopper flight.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF DAY TO FLY?
Golden hour baby. Summer around 5pm, Winder around 4pm plus/minus an hour. OR late morning 10am most days is lovely lighting. Midday lighting can be harsh, and bright and create shadows in your photos.
HOW MANY SEATS ARE THERE IN THE HELICOPTER?
The Pilot + 6 guest seats in a squirrel. The Couple - Celebrant - Photographer takes up 4 seats, the others are often filled with a videographer if that’s booked AND a coordinator from Adventure Weddings.
HOW LONG ARE WE ON THE HELICOPTER ADVENTURE?
Depends on how many stops you select. About 1-4 hours.
WHEN DO I GET MY PHOTOS?
2 days maximum for sneak peeks, and 4 weeks for the full album. Similar time for video.
HOW EARLY OR LATE CAN WE BOOK?
You can book as early as you like.
It takes 3 days (sometimes 2days) to get a marriage licence. We do have a Ready-To-Go ceremony if you really don’t want a personalised one.