Tāwharanui Lodge
A private lodge on the tip of the Tāwharanui Peninsula, ceremony on the clifftop with the Hauraki Gulf beneath you, then dinner in the courtyard with seventy guests who never need to leave.
Where the land runs out
The ceremony lawn is at the edge of the cliff, a flat shelf of grass with the Hauraki Gulf on three sides. Little Barrier Island sits on the horizon. The aisle faces north-east, so afternoon light comes from behind your guests, every photographer who works here will tell you the same thing.
Dinner happens in the sheltered courtyard between the two lodge wings. A retractable glass roof means it works in any weather, and the kitchen opens directly onto the space, courses arrive warm, not carried across a field. After dinner, the lawn, the fire pit and the beach track are all yours until morning.
In the venue hire
- Exclusive use, Friday 3 pm to Sunday noon
- Clifftop ceremony lawn and courtyard
- Tables, chairs and linen for 70
- An on-site coordinator for the weekend
- Retractable courtyard roof for weather cover
- Ten rooms sleeping up to 70 guests
The lodge kitchen handles all catering. Menus are seasonal and seafood-forward. A tasting is included before you commit.
Jules and Rua built the lodge in 2015 on family land at the end of the peninsula. They host around twenty weddings a year and live on the property year-round, they're your first point of contact from enquiry to checkout.
The honest detail
- The road in. The last 3 km is sealed but narrow and winding, worth a note for guests unfamiliar with the peninsula.
- Capacity is firm. Seventy seated is the maximum, not a suggestion. The courtyard and the rooms are sized for that number, it keeps the weekend intimate.
- No day-of access. Setup begins Friday afternoon. If you need Thursday access for a marquee or large install, ask early, it's possible but not standard.
In their own words
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How the hours tend to fall
Every wedding is its own, but the venue has a natural rhythm, and picturing it helps couples know if it's theirs.
Ceremony on the cliff
Guests face the gulf, the islands beyond. Wind carries salt and pōhutukawa. Twenty minutes, then drinks on the lawn as the sun crosses over.
Drinks on the lawn
Local oysters, crayfish bites, and a full bar on the grass. Photos happen along the cliff walk and down on the beach.
Dinner in the courtyard
Long tables under the glass roof, kitchen doors open. The menu follows the season, always seafood, always local.
Fire pit and starlight
No curfew, no neighbours, no shuttles. Seventy guests, ten rooms, and a beach bonfire if you want it. Breakfast is at nine.