Dream wedding venue booked out? How about the bach!?

Choosing where to get married can be a big deal. Especially when you find out your ‘dream’ venue is booked out 2-3 years in advance…

Matt’s family bach has been in the family since 1964. You could almost smell the history. What made this day all the more special was that most of the guests (both family and friends) had shared experiences and rich memories of the Sinclair family bach and surrounding area. Matt literally got married in his backyard. His playground. And Sabine and her wonderful German family have now become part of its rich heritage.

After filming Sabine & Matt’s brilliant ‘bach’ wedding, and on the eve of the 9th anniversary of my own ‘scout camp’ wedding, I’ve been thinking a bit about wedding venues this past week. To get in the zone, check out Sabine & Matt’s wedding then please read on….

For some couples, it’s not a venue - it’s an extension of home.

My wife and I met through Scouts. Heather was a Cub Leader and I was a Scout Leader….so naturally, we got married at our favourite Scout Camp - Omaka, on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand. For those Canterbury couples still undecided on a venue, make sure you check it out!

We both had deep connections with Omaka and so did many of our friends and family so the choice was a foregone conclusion. We had the whole place to ourselves which meant many of our friends camped on site. There’s a beautiful river running through the camp, so we designated this our ‘aisle’ and Heather and her bridesmaids rowed to the ceremony site (an old campfire circle). We also later decided to have a water fight (despite the barmy 16 degree January day). Well to be fair, thanks to Scouts and my world class knotting skills, I had pre-prepared a hand-built catapult made of manuka poles and hemp rope for the occasion!

Due to Omaka’s discreet location and an amazing band (linked below), we partied until the wee hours of the morning.

It was the greatest day of our lives.

This blog post is dedicated to those couples who are undecided or disappointed they haven’t managed to nab their dream first choice. There are so many remarkable wedding venues in New Zealand but have you thought about something outside the box? Omaka is a great place to start…(this is nor a sponsored message!)

Our Wedding Venue - Omaka Scout Camp // Website | Facebook
Our Wedding Band // Acoustic Solution