Anam Cara Gardens, Kapiti Coast wedding venue review - Georgia and Hayden

Anam Cara Gardens is one of our favorite venues in the Kāpiti Coast and we love when clients book us for photos and videos here!! The venue is spread across 10 acres of serene garden settings, includes an indoor venue and two separate spaces for getting ready making it the perfect venue with everyone on site for your day. Their venue has a capacity for up to 120 guests, and includes a modern commercial kitchen for caterers and a bar for BYO. Pick from 6 different ceremony locations and many areas for photos, including the beach which is only a short drive away for sunset photos.

Teresa and Tim are so great to work with as the venue’s owners and hosts, we can wholeheartedly recommend their venue to all of our couples. Here is a recent full-day wedding that I photographed at Anam Cara in January 2024. This was an 8 hour package, which included a second photographer for 4 hours*. We covered Georgia and Hayden’s preparations through to their first dance and sunset photos (although on this occasion we didn’t get much of a sunset down at Ōtaki Beach but we still took the opportunity to head out for 15 minutes). The examples here show parts of the full day, it is a longer blog post to scroll through but I hope it shows couples the variety of images they can receive from a wedding of this size. If you love these images and want to reach out about your wedding at Anam Cara Gardens, please do!

* With the mention of a second photographer helping me with this wedding, my packages and inclusions are subject to change in the coming years, however second photographers will always be available for packages. A special mention to Jess Dewsnap who helped me with this day!

All the talents 👇🏼
@anamcaragardensweddings
@paperswanbride @heracouture
@wildvioletcosmeticink
@styledbynicky_o
@rembrandt1946
@traveller.video
@jessdewsnap (the best second shooter!)

Wellington Begonia House - Intimate wedding ceremonies for couples

In this world where we are presented with trends online and all the ‘must haves’ ‘must dos’ it can be extremely overwhelming for couples to plan a wedding. When couples come to me with ideas for a smaller wedding or elopement-style ceremony I’m all in.

Here in this blog, I’m showing highlights from a recent intimate wedding that I felt so honoured to photograph. This was a 2-hour package and we went to 2 different locations in Wellington, did a first look and portraits before their ceremony, plus a bunch of family photos afterwards at their reception venue.

Plan to have your wedding in a way that aligns with your ideas, your vision, your lifestyle and in your own timeframe. You don't always need to have the full day captured, let’s customise it to suit. These smaller weddings have just as much of an impact on me as my 10-hour bookings.

Begonia House at the Wellington Gardens was the perfect first-look location for Brooke and William! When we arrived it was raining so being undercover in this stunning building with its impressive plants meant we could still capture the special moments before their ceremony. Just as we started to finish here the rain stopped for us to get some photos quickly outside. We then made our way to the Canape Room for their intimate ceremony.

Big thank you to Brooke and William for asking me to capture their special day! And to the Begonia house for having us (just a little note for anyone interested, if you want photos at this location it requires permission and a small fee for use of the space).

Two stunning Brides Married at Sudbury NZ - Grace and Gemma

A big congratulations to these beautiful ladies who got married out on the Kapiti Coast at wedding venue Sudbury NZ, Mrs & Mrs Prescott-Whitaker!

Grace and Gemma met through work, Gemma being Grace’s mentor in her first year of nursing practice. After 3 years of friendship they fell for each other! Grace proposed to Gemma at the peak of The Cardrona ski field in Wanaka. After convincing Gem to climb the hill in her ski boots “for the view”, Grace waited for the right moment to ask the question and she said yes!

They envisioned a day of love, family and friends, with relaxed vibes and a romantic atmosphere to create a day that everyone would look back on and smile. They wanted the mimosas flowing and the food plentiful. Some special features about their day, Grace’s brother wrote and read a personalised reading during the ceremony and their nephew who is just about to turn one danced his way down the aisle with his mum, it was the sweetest moment! Where they could they used local businesses and close friends with businesses and materials that could be recycled and used again, for example, their table names are now made into a birdhouse behind their house.

Karl and I had the most incredible time photographing and filming their special day. I’ve been photographing for the Whitaker family for a few years and had happy tears during their ceremony (did my best to keep my cool). It’s a day I’ll never forget and I feel incredibly grateful to have been a part of it. This was my last wedding for 2020, it was the best way to end the year.

Florist: Holly and Twine
Makeup: Kerry from Amber and co.
Outfits: Grace wore a Made With Love dress that she bought on Still White, second hand and in perfect condition. Gem found her dress on ASOS and it was magical.
Cake: Courtney Wylie
Catering: Sarah Senecke
Celebrant: Sarah Topliff

Our top Wellington wedding venues

Wellington and the Kapiti Coast has a range of wedding venues for your ceremony and reception. This list showcases different venues with links to their websites where you can access more information!

Anam Cara Gardens

Anam Cara Gardens offers 10 acres of serene garden settings, an indoor venue and two separate spaces for getting ready making it the perfect venue for your day. Their venue has capacity for up to 120 guests, includes a modern commercial kitchen for caterers and a bar for BYO. Pick from 6 different ceremony locations and many areas for photos, including the beach which is only a short drive away for sunset photos.

BOOMROCK

Boomrock Lodge is an out of city experience with panoramic views across the Tasman sea. The clifftops are a perfect spot for your outdoor wedding ceremony and The Lodge can comfortably seat up to 120 guests or 140 cocktail style. Their resident chef Warren Maddox will design a menu to suit your requirements and budget. Boomrock is a 30 minute bus ride from the CBD or a 6 minute helicopter transfer. They also offer fun activities for guests during cocktail hour like clay bird shooting and golf.

SUDBURY

Sudbury is a Kapiti Coast wedding venue set on a ridge overlooking a valley in Peka Peka, 40 minutes north of Wellington City. Dinner in the stables can seat up to 150 guests and their catering partner Mark Harman brings a delicious dining experience while you provide BYO alcohol with no corkage fee. The venue offers a range a stunning photo backdrops and is only a short drive from the beach if couples would like sunset photos. The onsite accommodation Cottage 103 is the perfect spot for getting ready.

OHARIU FARM

Ohariu Farm is a countryside venue found only 20 minutes outside of Wellington CBD. Their in-house catering team will cater for weddings with up to 230 guests seated and 450 standing. Their menu is prepared on-site using fresh and organic ingredients. Their wedding packages can include lawn games, a prosecco wall, a mobile gin bar and a golf driving range.

DOCKSIDE

Dockside is a venue and restaurant located on the edge of the Wellington waterfront. The Main Deck downstairs can seat 140 guests and features an opening roof, so it’s perfect for any weather and large enough to host your ceremony and reception.