Jessica & Heath’s Family Elopement on Cecil Peak

Jessica and Heath came over from Australia with their two girls, keen for a wedding day that also meant proper snow play. Booked with our short notice discount, this was an August elopement built entirely around getting the whole family up the mountain together — and it might be one of the most fun days we’ve had all winter.

Bringing the Kids Along Is a Genuinely Great Option

An elopement doesn’t have to mean just the couple. If you’ve got kids who are part of your life together, there’s a strong case for bringing them along rather than leaving them behind — Jessica and Heath are a perfect example of why. You get the wedding day itself, but you also walk away with family photos on a mountainside that you’d never otherwise get: everyone dressed up, everyone present, no extended family logistics to manage, just your own crew experiencing a day you’ll never forget.

What’s included in our elopement packages

Embrace the Journey: Photos Before You Even Fly

Jessica and Heath upgraded to Embrace the Journey, which adds photography at a ground location before the flight. It’s a nice way to extend the day — getting ready, the lead-up, the excitement before the helicopter’s even in the picture — so the story doesn’t start only once you’re on the mountain.

They also added hair and makeup and flowers, rounding the day out properly before heading up.

Embrace the Journey upgrade for photos before the flight

Cecil Peak’s North Side: Snow, Lake, and Township Views

This time the Best of Queenstown landing options saw them on a lower spot on the north side of Cecil Peak, sitting in snow with views across Lake Wakatipu to snow-capped mountains beyond, and Queenstown township visible in the distance. A different angle on Cecil Peak to the more remote, township-free views we’ve featured before, but every bit as striking — and this lower landing kept things easy underfoot for two kids more interested in snow than scenery.

Why we choose different landings for different seasons – Elopements in August

Snowballs, Cheek, and Genuine Joy

The two girls were gorgeous and thoroughly cheeky, and it wasn’t long before snowballs were flying at everyone within range, Scott included. That’s exactly the kind of unscripted chaos that makes for the best family photos — nobody posed, nobody performing, just a family properly enjoying themselves on a mountain in the snow.

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*Sunshine Weddings arranges intimate helicopter elopements across Queenstown and Wānaka — landing, celebrant, and vendors included. Follow more real elopements on Instagram @sunshineweddingsnz