We wanted to have a wedding somewhere beautiful where we felt connected to nature, somewhere with character and minimal decorating needed, we were also (like most folk these days) on a budget.
We can absolutely recommend Pukeiti Gardens, it must be one of the most magical locations in New Plymouth and the garden managers and catering team are outstanding.
Iβm afraid the photos you see on the council website donβt do the Lawns or the Lodge justice, so go see it in person and youβll see what weβre talking about.
There are 4 or 5 venue options to choose between for your ceremony and reception, and the team will make it easy to decide on which will work best for your special day.
Our choice was Founderβs Lawn for the ceremony and The Lodge for our reception.
Founder's Lawn is a decent size but feels intimate and private, being hugged by a hill on one side with large natives on the other. Our musicians (Cello and viola duet) found the shelter there a perfect place to play from, the acoustics were excellent, and we needed no amplification.
The Lodge is far from a sterile or generic. With a stone fireplace, wooden beams and leather couches, it feels both warm and hearty while simple and modern. With the picture windows in the Atrium and floor length windows and doors in the dining room, you feel connected to the joyfully lush surroundings.
We had been hesitant about Pukeiti Gardens until we arranged a visit and walk through with Zoe. It was one of those truly wet days, with a constant low cloud and pelting drops, occasionally replaced by a solid curtain of water. Inside the Lodge we felt sheltered but connected to the green world outside and there was no more doubt.
β¦Of course, we got entirely carried away and went wild with decorations. What can I say? The environment inspires imagination, there is so much you can do with the space. But it absolutely holds its own and you can also enjoy it as is.
I must make a special mention for Zoe and Laura, the Garden Managers who helped to make our wedding day, not only an outstanding success but one that felt easy to organise.
Pukeiti Gardens is a public space, council owned and a wildlife reserve so that comes with some (perfectly fair and reasonable) considerations. In our experience, this made the decision making easier. Wedding blogs and pintrest are great but they can also be a bit of a black hole. A few parameters in a design brief can really boost and focus your creative process. It was so helpful to have the likes of Zoe and Laura while we worked through some of our wild ideas, refined them and worked out the logistics. Their excellent communication, tireless and enthusiastic responses to our many questions, positivity and openness to our frequent visits was greatly appreciated, especially as we were doing much of the preparation from Christchurch! Iβm convinced they did a great many things in the background to make everything seamless without our knowledge.
Iβll never forget how especially lovely it was to see the team standing at the gates when I arrived with beaming smiles that reflected my own excitement. Having them greet me on the day just reinforced what a genuine and generous approach they took to hosting our special day which just so happened to be the happiest...
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