Wanaka Heli Elopement. Married on a summit. Witnessed by the alps.
Everything opens up the moment you lift off.
A helicopter changes what a wedding day can be. In twelve minutes you trade the lakeshore for a summit, the road's edge for a glacier, the ordinary for somewhere almost no one will ever stand. Wanaka is built for this: a single short flight clears the foothills and the entire spine of the Southern Alps unfolds beneath you, with Mount Aspiring National Park, its glaciers and hanging valleys all within reach.
What couples remember most is the quiet. The rotors wind down, the pilot steps back, and suddenly it is just the two of you, your celebrant and a vast stillness no venue could ever hold. No passers-by, no other party waiting, no schedule but your own. It is not about going bigger or going smaller. It is about exchanging your vows somewhere that will stay with you for the rest of your lives.
Three ways to say I do in Wanaka.
Summit Heli Elopement
Lift off from the lakeside and minutes later you are standing on top of Coromandel Peak, the whole of Lake Wanaka unrolling beneath you and the alps stretching away in every direction. Just the two of you, your celebrant, your pilot and a photographer who knows how to disappear, with breathtaking alpine views in every frame.
Glacier Heli Elopement
For couples who want something even more unique, we fly into the heart of Mount Aspiring National Park and land amid glaciers, rivers and alpine lakes. Exchange vows on Isobel Glacier with the dramatic backdrop of Mount Aspiring, New Zealand's second-highest mountain, followed by a scenic photo shoot to capture the magic.
Wanaka Lakeside Elopement
Prefer to keep your feet on the shingle? Stand together on a still morning at the edge of Lake Wanaka, the Southern Alps holding the horizon, on a quiet stretch of shoreline that feels like yours alone. The same calm, all-inclusive care, simply closer to the water.
A landscape designed for love.
Six quiet reasons couples keep choosing a Wanaka heli elopement: the altitude, the silence and the unspoken privilege of standing somewhere very few people ever stand.
The Summit of Coromandel Peak
Stand on top of Coromandel Peak with the lake far below and the alps unrolling in every direction, an altar no garden or ballroom could ever match.
Isobel Glacier & Mount Aspiring
Land deep in Mount Aspiring National Park, surrounded by glaciers, rivers and alpine lakes, with New Zealand's second-highest mountain standing witness to your vows.
The Flight Itself
The scenic helicopter ride is part of the ceremony, soaring over towering ridgelines and glaciers before the skids settle and the world goes utterly quiet.
Year-Round Ceremony Weather
Wanaka's Central Otago climate gives you four genuine seasons: crisp blue winters with snow, famously golden autumns, warm dry summers and blossom-thick springs. Every month has a postcard to offer.
Golden Hour at Altitude
Latitude and altitude conspire here. Late afternoon light lingers, soft and copper, across the peaks, long enough for vows, a kiss and a quiet moment before the flight home.
A View You Won't Share
These summits and glacial basins sit far from the crowds, so the peaks, the ice and the silence are yours alone for the morning.
The lake was so still it felt like the world was holding its breath for us.Ana & Tom · Queenstown · April 2025
From first hello to "I do".
From the first message in your inbox to the moment your ring catches the alpine light high above Lake Wanaka, your day moves through four quiet steps. Every detail is held by us in one all-inclusive package, so you only have to arrive.
A long, no-pressure conversation about who the two of you are, what you don't want and the moment you would quietly choose.
We draft a bespoke sketch with location options from the summit of Coromandel Peak to the ice of Isobel Glacier, a celebrant we trust and a photographer whose work makes you feel something.
Your all-inclusive package carries the scenic helicopter flight, the marriage licence, a New Zealand registered celebrant, two witnesses, a photography package, bridal hair and makeup, your bouquet, the groom's boutonniere, celebratory bubbles and a romantic dinner for two. Want drone footage or videography? We tailor every detail to you.
And the day unfolds the way the best days always do: gently, exactly itself and over far too quickly.
"We came to Wanaka thinking we'd booked a wedding. What we got was an entire morning of our lives placed gently in someone else's hands — and a photograph we'll grow old underneath."Maia & Jack · Cecil Peak · November 2024
A few quiet moments in Wanaka.
So, where shall we elope you?
Within a day, we'll write back with a thoughtful sketch of what your Wanaka helicopter elopement could look like. We are known for organising weddings on short notice, though booking early gives us the most choice of dates and locations.