Wedding venue in the Wairarapa

Lansdowne House

A truly unique

experience

WEDDINGS

Natalie & Justin on their wedding day - 18th March 2017.

Wedding venues in the Wairarapa? The first and still the best wedding venue in the Wairarapa that springs to mind has to be Lansdowne House. Nestled in an acre and a half of beautiful grounds with soaring majestic trees, rose gardens, gazebos, waterfalls and more, Lansdowne House is a premier wedding venue that has everything a bride and groom could wish for. With its historic significance as the largest house in Masterton and its romantic beginnings, Lansdowne House has to be seen to be fully appreciated. As a wedding venue it is licensed for 150 people and boasts a huge ballroom that seats more than 120 guests comfortably. With a smaller more intimate dining room for romantic dinners and smaller weddings, a light and airy lounge bar opening onto a brick walled courtyard, three open wood fires and the warm glow of candle light, Lansdowne House has something for everyone... and your beloved dog is welcome here as well to enjoy and participate in your special day.

As a wedding venue in the Wairarapa, Lansdowne House has so much to offer. The house itself is unique with wood panelling, sparkling chandeliers, polished wooden floors and antiques aplenty. Outside the gardens have been extended and enhanced to offer several private areas for the ceremony itself either in the red & white rose garden or under one of the huge old trees. Whatever the weather, whether inside or out, Lansdowne House can provide you with a special, very private venue for the wedding ceremony itself as well as countless photo opportunities to record your special wedding day with all its memories.

If you are thinking of having your wedding in the Wairarapa there are other things you need to consider as well as the venue. These include designing a very special ‘wedding breakfast’ to celebrate your marriage and commitment to one another as well as having warm, friendly, well trained staff on the day who will make you and your guests feel welcome and ‘at home’. The accommodation, too, needs to be arranged and all the little details that go into making your wedding in the Wairarapa perfect need to be organized. At Lansdowne House it is our very special pleasure, free of charge, to assist you to organize and arrange your wedding so that no stone is left unturned, everything from our very special honeymoon suite, our wedding accommodation package, a ‘one off’, sumptuous menu, the flowers and the music, the table colours and settings, special touches like Grace & Favours as well as organizing the wedding rehearsal and brunch for your guests the day after the wedding. All of these things and more we can help you with at Lansdowne House so that your wedding day in the beautiful Wairarapa is special, unique and perfect.

…ask about our romantic history!

Click here to download our total Wedding Pack!

Your Wedding

Lansdowne House is a truly unique and magical venue. It has old world charm and an ambience which cannot be duplicated in modern establishments. With spectacular polished floors, gorgeous chandeliers and splendid antiques, you have the opportunity to make your special day one of a kind.

As well as the outstanding qualities of the main house, the gardens have recently been extended and given a complete makeover. They feature many old trees of exceptional beauty, gardens full of colour and several new water features including a pond with an arched bridge and a waterfall as well as a private, walled garden with a striking water cascade.

Image courtesy of Wild Photography

Photo kindly supplied with the compliments of Donald Yee

Image courtesy of Wild Photography

Hamish & Sophie Lindsey on their wedding day - 28th January 2012 - with their family & friends. Photos by Anna Campbell

The combination of the house and the garden complex offer you the chance to enjoy your wedding day all in the one place, everything from getting dressed in one of our huge honeymoon suites, to the ceremony itself, the wedding breakfast and the dancing afterwards. At the end of the evening you can say “goodnight” to your guests and then amble up the grand staircase to your fabulous honeymoon suite. The photo opportunities are endless and mean that you can have wonderful photographs to treasure whilst still being able to stay on site with your guests.

Whether your wedding is a large spectacular, a more intimate soiree or a themed theatrical, we will work with you to create something absolutely unique and one of a kind. You will have a day to remember and memories to cherish.

Venue Hire for Wedding Day - There are no hidden or extra charges!

The fee covers

▪	The full use of three expansive, wood panelled reception rooms on the ground floor of Lansdowne House with chandeliers, mood lighting and leadlight windows.	Photo kindly supplied by Penny Towns
▪	Access to our extensive garden areas with many large, very beautiful trees, two stunning new water features and a private walled garden, all of which can be used and enjoyed for photo shoots from 11.00a.m. onwards on the day of your wedding ( or earlier by arrangement).
▪	Extensive help and advice with all aspects of planning your wedding - everything from table decorations and flowers to designing menus, photographers, celebrants and more. Richard has even agreed to act as Master of Ceremonies on some occasions.
▪	Time at Lansdowne House for your pre wedding rehearsals wherever possible.
▪	All your catering requirements – tables, chairs, table linen and napkins, table glasses, cutlery and several silver serving pieces.
▪	Flowers in all the reception areas.
▪	The main reception room set up to meet your individual requirements.
▪	A specially decorated bridal table which is set with bridal linen as well as quality china and silver and glassware.

▪	The choice of a gorgeous Edwardian silver and brass wedding cake stand or a square mirrored stand.
▪	The use of many fine pieces of antique silver and glassware to celebrate your special day.
▪	Tables, chairs and umbrellas outside for those who like to sit and chat in the sun or enjoy a glass of wine under the stars on a balmy summer’s evening.

Price

Up to 25 guests:                                         $2000.00 + GST
26 - 50 guests:                                            $3000.00 + GST
Over 50 guests:                                          $3500.00 + GST

Please note that on all Statutory days and holiday weekends there is an additional surcharge of $750.00 incl. GST.

Wedding Ceremony:

Along with your reception, Lansdowne House is available for your wedding ceremony, either:

▪

In the garden under the wonderful old willows, by the pond with the Japanese bridge and the good luck horseshoe of roses or in the private walled garden in front of the waterfall and the Dublin Bay roses, or

▪

In front of a roaring log fire.

To set up and arrange your wedding ceremony including seating and a special table & chair to sign the register along with time given for the wedding rehearsal the day before, the price is $650.00 plus GST.

Photos kindly supplied with the compliments of Penny Towns

Wedding Breakfast: (Traditionally called this because it is your first meal together as a married couple)

Your wedding is special. You have your own ideas and preferences and you know the likes and dislikes of your family and friends. This is your day and you want a wedding breakfast menu that will reflect your individuality. We recognise this and we are happy to sit down with you to design a ‘one off’ bespoke menu which will celebrate and reflect your special day.

Prices range for your wedding breakfast

For a 'stand up' cocktail style occasion offering a range of continuous hors d'oeuvres… from $55.00 – $80.00 per person incl. GST.

For a full seated wedding breakfast… from $85.00 - $130.00 plus per person incl. GST (which includes)…
· A range of pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres.

· A served buffet style main course includes a wide selection of carved meats, vegetable dishes, salads and more.

· Desserts galore all made on the premises and including a wide selection of our own homemade ice-creams.

· A wide choice of teas and filtered coffee and accompanying 'naughty nibbles'.

A full brunch for guests the following morning not resident 'in house' ... $45.00 incl. GST per head.

Whilst traditional in style, we have an extensive range of food options and we are always willing to try something new. We take pride in preparing as much as possible on the premises and our homemade ice-creams are a special favourite.

Click on the menu titles below to see sample menu selections from recent Weddings :

*** Wedding Sample Menu 1**		*** Wedding Sample Menu 2**
*** Wedding Sample Menu 3**		*** Wedding Sample Menu 4**
*** Wedding Sample Menu 5**		* Wedding Sample Menu 6

An alternative wedding day option… at Lansdowne House

Many people these days do not want the stress, fuss and rigidity of a formal wedding with a top table, lots of speeches, a big cake and guests sitting at designated tables.

For a much more informal style for up to 150 people, some couples choose to have the whole wedding and reception in our garden with tables set out randomly under the trees and guests free to wander from one area to the other. They like the idea of continuous tasty nibbles, little club sandwiches & spicy chicken morsels. Instead of a formal dinner we can set out a buffet table outside laden with platters of freshly cooked meats such as scotch fillet still pink, glazed ham straight from the oven or even a range of gourmet sausages accompanied with homemade chutneys, mustards & horseradish from the garden, huge cheese boards with crackers and bread rolls, focacia & brown breads & a variety of mouth watering quiches or a seafood platter with mussels, prawns & Galax salmon – just imagine a giant picnic with all the trimmings! Afterwards your guests can finish up with a huge bowl of strawberries to go with a variety of our homemade icecreams and a 36 egg lemon meringue Pavlova or perhaps a thick, creamy chocolate mousse!

Your day would take on a very casual, relaxed style and as the sun goes down we light the table lanterns and switch on the outdoor lighting for those who want to kick back and chat under the stars. For the more energetic guests, we can organize a live band in the main house to play until midnight. There you can dance the night away to the twinkling candles of the candelabra.

Even if the heavens open and the weather turns nasty you don’t have to worry because we can still organize your ‘casual’ style wedding in the main house. Whatever the weather, we will make sure your day is relaxed and laid back …just as you wanted it to be!

Alcohol:

We have a full On-Licence and we can source your favourite beers and wines at very competitive prices. We also have a wide range of spirits and special whiskeys to celebrate the occasion. After dinner ports or liqueurs are also available.

Music:

An ‘in house’ system for background music is available. We can also suggest musicians and pianists to suit your requirements and a top of the range English upright piano can be hired.

Lighting:

There are 12 chandeliers on the ground floor as well as a fabulous chandelier in the stairwell and period ‘up lights’ in the buffet and blue rooms. We also have a range of mood lighting and can turn pelmet lighting to a soft yellow or a warm red for evening dancing. These give a wonderful romantic feeling to the room.

Photography:

A select number of photographers can be suggested to you. The house and the grounds lend themselves to a large number of photographic opportunities and the upstairs veranda can be used for a unique group shot.

Flowers:

We provide seasonal flowers in all the main rooms. We can also assist you with individual arrangements as required. We have a variety of options or the tables which we can discuss with you including candelabra and table centrepieces. Once we know your colour preference, we will order flowers to match your colour scheme.

Brunch:

One of our most popular options to conclude your wedding extravaganza in style. Invite all your guests back to join you in a tasty satisfying brunch the next morning. It is a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to reminisce and swap stories from the day before whilst offering them some traditional home cooked favourites which everyone loves after a night of revelling and frivolity! It is also another chance for people who have travelled some distance to attend your wedding to get together again and spend quality time together. Some brides like to take this time to open their presents so that they can thank people personally for their gifts. Everyone, however, loves the extra time they can spend with their loved ones young and old. Brunch can be set up in the ballroom or outside in the courtyard on a lovely summer's morning. The choices are endless as are the menu options.

For one of our most popular options, click here A Sample Brunch menu.

Photo supplied by Penny Towns

Accommodation: Available for 12 guests.

LANSDOWNE HOUSE has two honeymoon suites and a large double room. All the rooms contain irons and hairdryers as well as the use of an upstairs kitchen to make tea and coffee and enjoy our ready supply of cookies. In the rooms there are fresh flowers as well as a well stocked fruit bowl. There is also a very large and beautifully appointed original bathroom with claw foot bath and a huge shower which all the guests are free to use. The Williams Suite also has its own ensuite.
▪	The Williams Suite is huge! It has a king size sleigh bed and a working fireplace along with two huge mirrors and several antique pieces including a Victorian dressing table. The suite has its own sitting area in front of the fire with an antique lounge suite and large brass coffee table. There are also tiffany style lights to create a romantic atmosphere as well as top quality drapery and fittings plus a gorgeous ensuite. The standard price for this suite is $275.00 which includes a full Lansdowne House breakfast for two.
▪	The Eastwood Suite is another room of very generous proportions. It boasts a queen size wrought iron four poster with top of the range Sheridan bedding. There are several antique pieces together with tiffany light fittings, a stunning central chandelier and top quality drapery. A built in dressing mirror adds to the atmosphere. The standard price for this room is $245.00 incl. G.S.T. which includes a full Lansdowne House breakfast for two.
▪	The Scott Room is a substantial double bedroom with an art deco bedroom suite including two single beds, a large dressing table and a tallboy. Both beds have top quality Sheridan bedding and are very comfortable. The room boasts an original wash basin and there are two beautiful rugs as well as period style lighting. The price for this room is $195.00 incl. G.S.T. for a double or $165.00 incl. G.S.T. for a single. The price also includes a full Lansdowne House breakfast
▪	For weddings where all the rooms are taken we will negotiate a special package price.
LANSDOWNE VILLA is a self contained, spacious retreat with 3 double bedrooms all with quality queen sized beds and top of the range Sheridan towels and linen. There is a new bathroom and a well appointed kitchen as well as a separate dining room and a large lounge with television, two bookcases loaded with books, picture windows and a log fire. The Villa with two guests sharing twin is offered at $215.00 incl. G.S.T. per night. Each additional guest will cost $75.00 per room incl. G.S.T. per night with a maximum of 6 people. A full English or continental breakfast is available on request.

Deposit:

We do ask for a deposit of $1,000.00 once the venue and wedding date have been confirmed. The balance of the final invoice is payable upon departure. This deposit is not refundable if the wedding is cancelled unless another booking of similar numbers can be found to replace it.

Modus Operandi:

Our modus operandi is to work with you to create a magical event which you can celebrate in a relaxed and carefree atmosphere with friends and family. Because Lansdowne House is one of a kind, you will enjoy a unique experience and have memories to treasure in the years to come.

If the concept of Lansdowne House appeals to you, we are open daily for viewings between 11.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. except when we have functions. However, pre arranged appointments are essential.

Phone number is: 06 3782097

Fax number: 06 3780451

or email us on: lansdownehouse@xtra.co.nz

Please note that these prices apply as of 1st July 2021 and may be subject to change.

To read some of our client's comments, please click here

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