Proof
Six real couples, six real days. Each one is paired with the planning decision that actually made it work, and links through to the full story on Wonder Weddings.
Photography by Wonder Weddings · Last reviewed 21 August 2026
Real couples
Mount Crichton, Lake Erskine, Coromandel Peak, Earnslaw Burn
Six-landing Queenstown heli elopement
Six landings in one day, flown from the Queenstown heliport: a forest ceremony at Mount Crichton, an alpine lake, the Coromandel Peak ridgeline and finally the glacier amphitheatre at Earnslaw Burn.
A multi-landing day only works when the whole itinerary is treated as one weather decision, not six separate ones.
Coromandel Peak, Lake Alta
Two-person heli elopement
Just the two of them, a celebrant and the crew. A clifftop ceremony above Lake Wanaka, then a second landing at the glacial cirque of Lake Alta for portraits in completely different light.
Two landings buys two entirely different landscapes in one afternoon, and costs far less than a second flying day.
Lake Erskine, Mount Crichton
Family Queenstown heli elopement
A small family group flown in shifts to an alpine lake, then a lower landing above Lake Wakatipu so grandparents could join for the toast without a long walk.
With family aboard, the seat count decides the day. Plan the shuttle order before you fall in love with a site.
Stoneridge Estate, Coromandel Peak
Queenstown destination wedding with a heli adventure
A full venue wedding at Stoneridge Estate with guests, plus a private flight from Queenstown to Coromandel Peak for an hour of portraits away from the reception.
You do not have to choose between a venue wedding and an alpine one. A one-hour flight slot inside the reception timeline gives you both.
Earnslaw Burn, Mount Crichton, Glenorchy
Two-landing heli wedding with family
Ceremony beneath the hanging glaciers of Earnslaw Burn, then a sunset landing above the Glenorchy end of the lake with immediate family flown in for the second half of the day.
Putting the ceremony first and the sunset landing last means the fragile part of the day happens while the air is calmest.
Lake Erskine, Cecil Peak
Private two-landing Queenstown elopement
An alpine lake ceremony in the middle of the day, then six minutes across the water to Cecil Peak for the last light of the evening. No guests, no reception, home for dinner.
Cecil Peak is the most reliable summit in the district, which makes it the ideal second landing when the first one is weather-dependent.
None of these couples got a guaranteed forecast. What Bryne and Jade, Triona and Edward and Sharlene and Andrew all had in common was an itinerary built around a window rather than a fixed hour, a second landing that could carry the day on its own, and a ground alternative everyone had already agreed to. Joy and Hubert show the other lesson: an alpine hour can sit inside a full venue wedding, provided the flight slot is written into the timeline from the start rather than squeezed in later.
Films
Short trailers from real ceremonies across Queenstown, Fiordland, the Southern Alps and Wanaka. Nothing loads until you press play.
Queenstown elopement trailer
A short cut of a two-person ceremony day around Queenstown.
Planned by Wonder Weddings, filmed by Eureka Films.
Lake Erskine teaser
An alpine-lake ceremony reached only by helicopter.
Planned by Wonder Weddings, filmed by Eureka Films.
Alpine wedding trailer
High-country landings in the Southern Alps.
Planned by Wonder Weddings, filmed by Eureka Films.
Coromandel Peak trailer
The Wanaka side of the region, flown direct from Queenstown.
Planned by Wonder Weddings, filmed by Eureka Films.
Gallery
Photography © Wonder Weddings. All images on this page were made by the Wonder Weddings team on real elopement days and may not be reused without permission.
More like this
Complete galleries from real Queenstown elopements, including the days that moved and the ones that didn't.
Planning and packages are provided by Wonder Weddings, who create and maintain this resource. Links open the Wonder Weddings site in a new tab.