Rathmoy Estate

Rathmoy Estate is a riverside lodge on a working farm near Hunterville, set below the white papa cliffs on a bend of the Rangitīkei River. It is properly out of the way, about an hour from Palmerston North, Whanganui or Mount Ruapehu, and the owners cheerfully warn couples not to trust the GPS on the last stretch. Ceremonies are held by the river under the cliffs, and couples get exclusive use of the lodge and its grounds for the day. Rathmoy leans towards intimate, bespoke weddings but can scale up, with packages built for anywhere from 10 to 100 guests. The lodge itself sleeps up to 10 across three bedrooms, so the wedding party can settle in for the weekend, with a cedar hot tub and private river access to make the most of the stay. There are elopement, intimate, deluxe and pop-up packages to choose from. It suits couples after a private country wedding with the river, the farm and a night or two in the lodge as part of the day.