{"id":880552,"date":"2026-11-07T01:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T07:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/?p=880552"},"modified":"2026-11-03T10:19:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T16:19:25","slug":"after-their-intimate-lake-hayes-wedding-this-couple-exchanged-private-vows-on-new-zealand-mountaintop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/after-their-intimate-lake-hayes-wedding-this-couple-exchanged-private-vows-on-new-zealand-mountaintop\/","title":{"rendered":"After Their Intimate Lake Hayes Wedding, This Couple Exchanged Private Vows on a New Zealand Mountaintop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Vanessa and Ryan’s Lake Hayes wedding brought 10 of their closest family members and friends to a private villa in New Zealand for a week of celebrations. Their plans included an outdoor ceremony, food truck catering, and a helicopter ride into the mountains, where they exchanged personal vows away from their guests.<\/span><\/p>\n

The couple’s connection to New Zealand began years earlier. Having grown up in the same community in Southern Ontario, Canada, they reconnected at a local festival in 2017. Vanessa soon moved to Australia on a working holiday visa, and Ryan joined her a few months later. During their time abroad, they visited New Zealand and fell in love with the country. It was a trip they never forgot and one that eventually brought them back for their wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n

What We Love About This Lake Hayes Wedding<\/span><\/h2>\n
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A private lakeside villa accommodating all 12 attendees<\/span><\/li>\n
A day exploring Central Otago wineries, followed by dinner at Ayrburn<\/span><\/li>\n
A helicopter ride, personal vows, and Vanessa’s green Converse<\/span><\/li>\n
Food truck catering and a fun quiz about the newlyweds<\/span><\/li>\n
A sausage buried the night before the wedding to ward off rain<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Featured Vendor:
\n<\/em>Shaken and Stirred Weddings<\/a><\/h2>\n
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A Weeklong Stay at a Private Villa Overlooking Lake Hayes<\/span><\/h2>\n
Vanessa and Ryan’s <\/span>venue search<\/span><\/a> began with a fairly specific requirement: they needed somewhere their entire group could stay for a week. They pictured cooking meals together, relaxing in the evenings, and having plenty of time to catch up before and after the wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n
With help from Junebug planner <\/span>Shaken and Stirred Weddings<\/span><\/a>, they found a villa overlooking Lake Hayes and the surrounding mountains. The property had enough space to accommodate everyone comfortably, along with a hot tub, outdoor gathering areas, and a large kitchen. Both Vanessa and Ryan love to cook, so the kitchen was a particular selling point.<\/span><\/p>\n
The ceremony took place on the lawn overlooking the lake, with white flowers and greenery decorating the aisle. For the reception, a long outdoor table was dressed with white linens, floral arrangements, and simple place settings.<\/span><\/p>\n
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An Outdoor Ceremony With Their Closest Family and Friends<\/span><\/h2>\n
Vanessa and Ryan decided to save their first look for the ceremony. Before walking down the aisle, however, Vanessa shared a separate first look with her parents.<\/span><\/p>\n
Vanessa wore a <\/span>strapless white gown<\/span><\/a> with a flowing skirt and a long veil. She chose a dress she could comfortably wear throughout the day, including during their helicopter trip into the mountains. Ryan wore a custom <\/span>dark navy suit<\/span><\/a> with black accents, inspired by classic tuxedo styling. They gave their guests the freedom to choose their own outfits without a strict dress code.<\/span><\/p>\n
Their <\/span>officiant<\/span><\/a> was a fellow Canadian whom they immediately connected with. Vanessa remembers crying through much of the ceremony, while Emily’s calm manner and sense of humor helped put everyone at ease.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Private Vows on a Mountaintop and a Surprise Pair of Green Converse<\/span><\/h2>\n
After the ceremony, Vanessa and Ryan boarded a helicopter for a trip into the mountains. Neither had flown in one before, and they were particularly relieved to have clear weather after several days of rain in Queenstown.<\/span><\/p>\n
On the mountain, Vanessa and Ryan posed for portraits on rocky ledges overlooking the lake and surrounding peaks. Vanessa occasionally ventured closer to the edge than Ryan was comfortable with. She’s the more adventurous of the two, while he’s not particularly fond of heights. He spent part of their portrait session asking her to move back.<\/span><\/p>\n
Vanessa had also packed a surprise for him. When they reconnected in 2017, Ryan had struck up a conversation about her green Converse sneakers. She brought the same shoes along and changed into them on the mountain.<\/span><\/p>\n
They then took some time away from everyone else to exchange their <\/span>personal vows<\/span><\/a>. Having already celebrated with their families at the villa, they appreciated being able to share those words privately.<\/span><\/p>\n
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A Central Otago Wine Tour Instead of a Traditional Rehearsal Dinner<\/span><\/h2>\n
Several of Vanessa and Ryan’s guests had never visited New Zealand, so the couple organized a <\/span>private wine tour<\/span><\/a> the day before the wedding. Their planner arranged a bus and an itinerary based on the group’s preferences for wine and food.<\/span><\/p>\n
They spent the day visiting wineries around Central Otago, including the Gibbston wine region, before heading to Ayrburn for dinner in a private room. With only a handful of guests attending, they appreciated having an entire day to explore the area and spend time together before the ceremony.<\/span><\/p>\n
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A Suitcase Full of DIY Decorations and Family Keepsakes<\/span><\/h2>\n
Organizing a <\/span>destination wedding<\/span><\/a> from Canada was unfamiliar territory for Vanessa and Ryan. They contacted several planning companies before choosing Shaken and Stirred Weddings, with Kellie guiding them through vendor bookings and decisions about a venue they hadn’t yet seen in person.<\/span><\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Vanessa spent hours on <\/span>Pinterest<\/span><\/a> collecting ideas for the decorations. She eventually arrived in New Zealand with an entire suitcase of supplies and handmade pieces, including a welcome sign, menus, and personalized handkerchiefs for their family members.<\/span><\/p>\n
She also <\/span>made<\/span><\/a> the ceremony floral arrangements herself, assembling everything the day before the wedding using materials she’d brought from Canada. A lace sign featured their wedding date and details about their relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n
The couple wrote cards to their parents, and Ryan carried a <\/span>small charm<\/span><\/a> inside his suit in memory of his father, who passed away when Ryan was 15.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Food Truck Catering, a Wedding Quiz, and Dinner Overlooking the Lake<\/span><\/h2>\n
Back at the villa, the reception was arranged around a long outdoor dining table overlooking Lake Hayes. Vanessa and Ryan had chosen <\/span>Smoke and Pickle<\/span><\/a> to cater the meal, preferring the casual <\/span>food truck format<\/span><\/a> to a traditional plated dinner. They’d also managed to enjoy some of the caterer’s appetizers during their mountain excursion, which became another favorite memory from the day.<\/span><\/p>\n
At dinner, guests took part in a quiz to see who knew the newlyweds best. Along with the handmade menus and other decorations, it gave everyone something to laugh about over their meal.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Why They Recommend a Local Planner and Swear by an Unusual Wedding Tradition<\/span><\/h2>\n
Their strongest recommendation for couples getting married overseas is to hire a <\/span>local planner<\/span><\/a> they trust, particularly when they can’t visit the venue or meet vendors beforehand. The Shaken and Stirred team managed the logistics and vendor coordination, leaving the couple free to enjoy their time with family and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n
They also have one less conventional suggestion for anyone planning an outdoor wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n
The night before the ceremony, Vanessa buried a sausage on the property, following an old superstition that supposedly brings good weather. After a rainy week in Queenstown, their wedding day turned out clear and sunny.<\/span><\/p>\n
As far as Vanessa and Ryan are concerned, the sausage did its job.<\/span><\/p>\n
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The Wedding Team:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
Photography – Kellie Francis<\/a>
\nEvent Planning – Shaken & Stirred Weddings<\/a>
\nVenue – Sicilian Luxury Retreat Queenstown<\/a>
\nCatering – Smoke and Pickle<\/a>
\nCake – The Remarkable Cookie<\/a>
\nOfficiant – Emily Flemming<\/a>
\nVideography – Jaffe Santos<\/a>
\nWedding Dress – The Modern Bride<\/a>
\nGroom’s Apparel – The Suit Shop<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vanessa and Ryan’s Lake Hayes wedding brought 10 of their closest family members and friends to a private villa in New Zealand for a week of celebrations. Their plans included an outdoor ceremony, food truck catering, and a helicopter ride into the mountains, where they exchanged personal vows away from their guests. The couple’s connection to New Zealand began years earlier. Having grown up in the same community in Southern Ontario, Canada, they reconnected at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"kia_subtitle":"","footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"","timeOption":"","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":""},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1255,1689,1501,1321,1005],"tags":[1114,1099,1113],"class_list":["post-880552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-wedding-planners","category-lakeside-wedding","category-mountain-wedding","category-new-zealand-wedding","category-real-weddings","tag-ivory","tag-sage-green","tag-white"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880552"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":880829,"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880552\/revisions\/880829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/junebugweddings.com\/wedding-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}