A boutique vineyard estate 15 minutes from Queenstown with a chapel, heli-weddings and its own cellar door.
The Setting
Stoneridge Estate is on the Lake Hayes to Arrow Junction highway, near the shores of Lake Hayes and about fifteen minutes from Queenstown. It is a boutique vineyard estate with acres of gardens and vines, a cellar door open daily from 11am to 5pm, and a chapel among the gardens.
Accommodation comes in three forms, the Lodge, the Retreat and the Cottage. The estate holds a Michelin Key and a Qualmark 5 Star Silver Sustainable Tourism award. Around it, Central Otago is wine country, with Gibbston's old vineyards and the historic gold-rush town of Arrowtown both close. Autumn, from March to May, brings golden trees around the lakes, which photographers love.
The day itself
The estate offers a chapel, the gardens and the vineyard as ceremony settings. For couples who want drama, there are heli-weddings on remote mountain peaks near Queenstown. Small elopements of 2 to 20 guests run mid-week.
The Executive Chef leads wedding menus, from modern fine dining and sharing platters to canapé receptions and candlelit dinners for two. The Chapel seats 60 to 70 on pews and the Hayes Room takes 30 to 120 at round tables. The venue is licensed until 11.30pm, with no extensions. Celebrants must be New Zealand registered, so ask the team about the legal steps for UK couples. The vineyard and cellar door mean the wine for your toast can come from the estate itself.
Where your guests stay
Stay on the estate in the Lodge, the Retreat or the Cottage, which between them sleep about 22 guests. For a bigger group, Queenstown is fifteen minutes away. Between events guests can book a cellar door tasting or a wine tour, walk, hike, cycle or take day trips, and winter sports are on the list for a party travelling in the cooler months. Queenstown Airport is the gateway, with flights from Auckland and Wellington taking around two hours. Arrowtown, born in the 1860s gold rush, makes an easy morning-after outing for coffee and a stroll past its old miners' cottages.
Hold a pre-wedding tasting at the cellar door, open daily from 11am, so guests can sample the estate's wines and you can choose the bottles for dinner.
Questions couples ask about Stoneridge Estate
Does Stoneridge Estate have a ceremony space?
Yes. The estate offers its chapel, which seats 60 to 70, its gardens and vineyard, and heli-weddings on mountain peaks. Receptions in the Hayes Room seat up to 120.
Can we elope at Stoneridge Estate?
Yes. Elopements and small weddings of 2 to 20 guests run mid-week.
How far is Stoneridge Estate from Queenstown?
About fifteen minutes by road. Ask the team about transfers from Queenstown Airport.
When is the best time to marry near Queenstown?
Summer, December to February, brings long sunny days. Autumn, March to May, turns the trees gold around the lakes.
Where do guests stay?
The Lodge, the Retreat and the Cottage sleep about 22 guests between them. Larger groups can stay in Queenstown, fifteen minutes away.
Facts checked against the estate's own website and wedding pages, and the Queenstown tourist board. Ceremony and legal details are confirmed by the venue for each wedding.
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