Wharekauhau Country Estate

Wharekauhau sits high on a hillside between the Remutaka Ranges and the wild coast of Palliser Bay, a working sheep station and Edwardian style lodge in the South Wairarapa. It is roughly a 1.5 hour drive from Wellington or a short helicopter hop along the coast. Weddings here are private and small by design. The lodge becomes your own manor for the weekend, with the Palliser Room for fireside dining and the Croquet Lawn for a marquee celebration. The estate works to bespoke packages for two to thirty-four guests, so the day feels intimate rather than grand in scale. Accommodation is part of the experience, with sixteen Cottage Suites and the Foley Villa spread across the property. The kitchen and cellar are run in house, so couples plan the menu and wine directly with the chef and sommelier. Between ceremonies there is time for spa treatments, clay shooting and long lunches by the pool.