Songbird Retreat Garden Wedding

Peak Season (November to April) - up to 150

Off-peak season (May to October) - up to 60

Songbird Cottage Intimate Wedding - Up to 12

Read about elopements at Songbird Retreat here.

Each wedding is unique and there are numerous wedding suppliers offering varying levels of service. However, for a marquee wedding with 150 guests we would expect a minimum spend of $30k for the basics and up to $80/100k for more extravagance. We provide vendor and some budget guidance for couples marrying at Songbird Retreat. Email hello@songbirdretreat.co.nz now to find out more about budgeting for a wedding at Songbird Retreat.

It all depends on what style you want as there are clear marquees, Hampton style, tipis, stretch tents…the list goes on! Expect to pay a minimum of $5200.

Questions to consider are:

Do I want to have a formal sit down dinner reception in my marquee?

Do I want round or long tables?

How many guests do I want seated at each table?

Do I want a dance floor inside or outside the marquee?

All these questions and many more can be discussed with our experienced marquee hire vendors.

Grand Lawn - 30m x 20m

Cocktail Terrace - 12m x 12m

Ceremony Terrace - 15m x 12m

Round Lawn - 20m diameter

The unique offering at Songbird is that every wedding is personal to the couple getting married.

It's all about having 'your wedding your way'. We provide the beautiful backdrop and you create your own vision of perfection by selecting your favourite style of marquee, furniture, florals, lighting etc. Check out more about designing your own unique wedding event here.

We have a permanent luxury toilet trailer on site that can easily accommodate up to 150 guests and is included in the venue hire price.

Peak Season

We are open for marquee weddings from Labour Weekend (end of October) to the end of April each year.

Off Peak Season

May to Labour Weekend (end of October)

Our Songbird Cottage Intimate Wedding season extends throughout the year.

Read about the various seasons here.

Our weekend weddings include the ceremony on a Friday or Saturday and our mid-week weddings normally have the ceremony on a Wednesday. Having a Wednesday wedding will often save around $1000 in venue hire. Read about the benefits of Wednesday weddings at Songbird Retreat here.

18 months in advance is ideal but 3 months is fine too. Just remember, we only have a limited number of wedding dates available so it’s best to get in quick! Email hello@songbirdretreat.co.nz to ask for a wedding timeline for a wedding at Songbird Retreat.

We often do tours on a Sunday afternoon. We advertise our ‘Guided Tour Days’ on our social media pages and the Home page of our website. These are strictly by appointment only and include a guided tour of the venue and bridal accommodation.

We can accommodate private tours with prior notice.

Yes, bring the entire family if you so wish, even the dog can come too!

Including the set up and pack down of your marquee the hire period usually stretches over 3 days and includes a luxury night accommodation at Songbird Cottage for the newlyweds.

Read about eliminating the stress of a rushed wedding here and about helping your guests make the most of a weekend wedding at Songbird Retreat here

We would suggest 3 months is the minimum period you should allow yourself to organise a marquee wedding, but ideally 12 to 18 months is a suitable timeframe. Email hello@songbirdretreat.co.nz to ask for a wedding timeline for a wedding at Songbird Retreat.

As part of the Garden Wedding package we provide the optional services of a wedding day co-ordinator who has worked alongside many of our couples to ensure their wedding day ran smoothly.

We also have an excellent list of ‘tried and tested’ wedding suppliers, which we provide you with when you are ready to book the venue.

We have many couples who have organised their own marquee weddings succcessfully. However, if you are time constrained or a little nervous about doing it all yourself then engage the services of a wedding planner or stylist.

Our own in-house wedding co-ordinator offers additional wedding planning services for you to select from. Find out more here

Like all venues there are times when the weather just doesn’t behave as we want it to! However, the quality and integrity of marquees are excellent and often equivalent to a permanent structure – they are built to survive the New Zealand wind and downpours.

Like any venue, inclement weather just means you have to stay inside the marquee until it passes – have another drink and join in the dancing!

Check out our blog for more advice on how to enjoy a marquee wedding on a rainy day

We have beautiful lawns that don’t require flooring. However, we do allow flooring to be put down on the lawns and our marquee vendors can assist you with this.

Music must be turned off by 10.45pm, with guests departing by 11pm (weekend wedding). Further information on our sound policy can be requested.

We invite the newlyweds to stay at Songbird Cottage on the night of their wedding day to enjoy its peace and tranquility.

However, the accommodation can sleep ut to 5 guests and extra nights can be booked. Please enquire for further information.

No, we hire out the entire venue for your exclusive use only.

Yes, we love dogs!

However, too many dogs can upset our beautiful birdlife and therefore only the dog of the bride and groom is allowed and must be kept on a lead around the wedding venue.

Any droppings must be picked up and disposed of in the rubbish bins.

Yes, we love children and the lawns are great for running and playing on. However, we do have large ponds on site without any barriers so please inform your guests of this prior to attending

We provide a designated and signposted area for those that wish to smoke or vape.

We do allow the use of confetti, only if it is dried flower petals or made from biodegradable material.

We strictly don’t allow any open fires on the venue.

Yes, you can have candles in your marquee (as long as this is agreed with your marquee hire company). The candles must be contained within glass jars or similar or they are the type that go out if they fall over.

We provide you with an excellent selection of ‘tried and tested’ caterers when you are ready to book with us.

If you have a special catering request, we will always consider it so please ask!

Yes, we have mains power supplied to strategic locations throughout the venue, along with water supply from our on-site bore ( this is NZ drinking standard but you are required to bring your own drinking water or advise your drinks supplier to provide bottled water).

We even have 3 phase power for the Grand Lawn and catering area.

Yes, we are completely BYO drinks with no extra costs like corkage.

We recommend hiring a drinks caravan bar to serve your drinks, as not only do they look great and act as a social gathering point, they also offer a professional and seamless service.

Find out more about the benefits of BYO alcohol at Songbird Retreat weddings here.

Yes, we have parking, along with a large turning circle for coaches and other larger vehicles.

For those less able to walk up the steps to the top Ceremony Terrace we have a grass covered track to transport them there and back down again.

Yes, we have installed a mobile phone repeater to provide 4g/3g coverage on Vodafone and Spark throughout the venue or you could have an ‘unplugged wedding’ where you ask guests to stay offline and not take any photos.

Your caterers will usually remove their own rubbish from site and any remaining rubbish will go into the bins that we provide on site.

We do ask that you clear up the remaining rubbish around the site yourselves to leave the venue as you found it.

Once you have visited the venue and have a date in mind you will be asked to complete a booking form. When we have received the booking form from you we will send you an invoice for payment and when the payment has been received we will confirm your booking.

We don’t hold or pencil in dates.

Yes, we ask for a non-refundable 50% deposit at the time of booking.