Wedding videographer in Wanaka
Films for couples marrying around Lake Wanaka. We are based an hour away in Queenstown, over the Crown Range, and we plan your day around the lake light and the mountain weather.
See how we film a wedding
Three minutes from one of our weddings: the first look on the beach, getting ready, the ceremony, the speeches and the dance floor. Your Wanaka film gets the same treatment.
Why Wanaka weddings suit a film
Wanaka is quieter than Queenstown, and the lake is the whole backdrop. The Southern Alps rise behind the water, the willows along the shore catch the evening light, and on a still morning the lake mirrors the lot. It is also a place that moves: wind across the water, cloud rolling over the ranges, the light going gold late on a summer evening. A photo keeps one frame of that. A film keeps all of it, along with the vows and the speeches.
We film the way we do across the Queenstown Lakes: cinema cameras, microphones on the people who matter, a real colour grade, and a small, quiet footprint so your guests forget we are there. Everything that comes with a FanCast wedding film is on our main wedding videography page. We already work in Wanaka, too: we filmed a night for Wanaka events brand Tribe Presents, which you can see on our event videography page.
Places couples marry around Wanaka
The lakefront
A ceremony on the shore of Roys Bay, with the town at your back and the lake in front. Check with the council whether your spot needs a booking.
Glendhu Bay
A quieter bay west of town, with an open view up the lake toward the mountains. Good for a small ceremony or portraits after one.
Vineyards
Wineries around Wanaka, such as Rippon above the lake's edge, pair a ceremony with rows of vines and a view down the water.
Roys Peak and the high country
A sunrise elopement on a ridgeline. It takes a real climb and careful timing, and the track closes each spring for lambing.
That Wanaka Tree
The lone willow growing out of the lake near town. It is beautiful and very popular, so we plan portraits there for the quieter times of day.
Planning notes for a Wanaka wedding
Getting there. From Queenstown it is about an hour over the Crown Range, the highest main road in New Zealand. In winter it can need chains or close for snow, so when the forecast is uncertain we come up the day before rather than risk the pass on the morning.
Conservation land. Much of the high country around Wanaka is public conservation land. Filming there for a business can need a Department of Conservation concession, and flying a drone needs DOC's permission. We check what applies to your spot well before the day.
Drone footage. Close to Wanaka Airport, a drone needs clearance before it flies. Where aerial footage is allowed, it is an add-on to your film. See drone videography for how we handle the rules.
The light. Summer evenings are long here, with sunset after 9pm around December and January, so there is time for relaxed portraits after the ceremony. In winter the days are short and the light is low and soft, and we plan the timeline around it.
How it works
- Send your dateTell us when and roughly where, and we will confirm we are free.
- Plan the dayA call to go through the running order, the spot, the permits and the backup plan for the weather.
- On the dayWe arrive early, stay out of the way and film it as it happens.
- Your filmsA highlight film, the full ceremony and a short clip for socials, graded and mixed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you film an elopement on Roys Peak?
Yes, when the track is open and the timing works. The Roys Peak Track closes every year from 1 October to 10 November for lambing, and the climb takes around three hours each way, so we plan a sunrise or sunset shoot with you and carry light.
Do we need a permit to get married by Lake Wanaka?
It depends on the spot. Council reserves and Department of Conservation land each have their own rules, so check with your celebrant and the landowner early. We sort out any permissions we need for filming.
Do you film winter weddings in Wanaka?
Yes. When the Crown Range forecast is uncertain we drive up the day before, and we plan the portraits around the shorter daylight and a covered option.
Can we add drone footage in Wanaka?
Often, yes. Near Wanaka Airport a drone needs clearance first, and on conservation land it needs DOC's permission. Where it is allowed, aerial footage is an add-on, arranged well before the day.
Marrying in Wanaka?
Send us your date and the place you have in mind, and we will check our availability and the logistics.