The Duke of Marlborough Hotel

The Duke of Marlborough sits right on the waterfront at Russell, looking out over the Bay of Islands. It holds the oldest pub licence in the country and has been putting up travellers since the 1820s, so a wedding here comes with a good deal of history built in. Couples marry in the hand-planted garden overlooking the bay, then move through to the veranda for drinks and into the ballroom for the dinner and dancing. The ballroom seats up to 150 with its own upholstered chairs, or holds 250 standing for a cocktail reception, and the hotel can stretch to around 300 across the ballroom and restaurant for a bigger day. There is an on-site function manager to work through the menu and the running order, and the kitchen handles the catering. The hotel has 38 rooms plus a bridal suite, so the wedding party and guests can stay on and make a weekend of it. It suits couples after a relaxed but polished waterfront wedding in the middle of Russell, with the food, the rooms and the coordination all in one place.