Legal and permits
Getting married in Wānaka: licence, witnesses and permits
Two separate things: the paperwork that makes you married, and the permission that lets you stand where you want to stand.
Short answer
You need a New Zealand marriage licence, arranged before the ceremony, and a registered celebrant. Separately, using a public reserve for a wedding may require a permit from Queenstown Lakes District Council. Confirm both on the official sources below.
A ceremony on Coromandel Peak. Photograph: Wonder Weddings.
Verified
The marriage licence
- New Zealand marriage licence cost
A New Zealand marriage licence costs NZ$158.
New Zealand Government · last checked 2026-08-22
- Marriage licence lead time
Arrange the licence at least three working days before the ceremony.
New Zealand Government · last checked 2026-08-22
- Marriage licence validity
A licence expires three months after it is issued.
New Zealand Government · last checked 2026-08-22
- Overseas application
You can apply for a licence from overseas.
New Zealand Government · last checked 2026-08-22
Sources New Zealand Government · last checked 2026-08-22
Verified
Public reserves and permits
- Reserve permit requirement
A wedding or civil-union permit may be required to use a public reserve. Queenstown Lakes District Council directs applicants to its Services team.
Queenstown Lakes District Council · last checked 2026-08-22
Some of the best-known spots around the lake sit on public land. Permission depends on who manages that land, and it is not something a supplier can grant on your behalf. Ask the council early, and get the answer in writing before you build the day around a location.
Private venues, farms and stations handle their own permission, but access conditions, noise limits and finish times still apply.
This page is a plain-language summary of publicly available information, not legal advice. Requirements and fees change. Always confirm the current position with the New Zealand Government and Queenstown Lakes District Council before acting.
Talk to a planner
Permits and licence deadlines are easy to miss from overseas. A planner can hold those dates for you.
Planning by Wonder Weddings, an affiliated brand.
Reviewed by Cristian Batista, CEO and founder, Wedding Machine Group on .
Want someone to keep track of the deadlines?
Wonder Weddings plans and runs weddings in Wānaka and the wider Southern Lakes. If you would rather talk it through than read another guide, start there.
Planning and photography by Wonder Weddings, in the same group as this guide.
This guide is written, maintained and funded by Wedding Machine Group, founded by Cristian Batista. Enquiries sent from this site go to Wonder Weddings, the planning and photography brand in the same group, and some readers become its clients. Heli Elopements and Eureka Films are also brands within Wedding Machine Group, sister companies, not independent recommendations.