Amy + Harrison’s Elopement on Vanguard Peak
Honestly, most days the mountains decide where you’re getting married. Amy and Harrison booked our Best of Queenstown landing package — and on the day, strong winds ruled out some of the higher, more exposed peaks. Scott read the conditions and guided them to a sheltered spot on Vanguard Peak instead. It turned out to be one of the best calls of the day.
What “Best of Queenstown” Actually Means
Our Best of Queenstown landings include a whole raft of location options, all within a 5 to 15 minute flight of Queenstown. It’s not one fixed spot — it’s a range of landings we choose from depending on what will genuinely suit you and the conditions on the day.
That flexibility matters for two reasons. First, it means we can get you somewhere different — off the beaten path, away from the popular spots every second couple ends up at. Second, it means weather doesn’t have to be the enemy. Wind, cloud, or snow on one peak might rule it out entirely while leaving a dozen other landings perfectly calm. Best of Queenstown is built around having options, not around forcing one location regardless of what the sky is doing.
What’s included in our elopement packages
Vanguard Peak: A Sheltered Spot With a Big Payoff
Vanguard Peak is a landing that flies a bit under the radar and one of our favourites. On a windy day it’s exactly where you want to be. There are multiple landing options with some more sheltered than the higher exposed peaks, which makes it a reliable fallback — but it’s no consolation prize. Wide views open up across the landscape to snow-capped peaks in the distance, and in winter it looks like a magical wonderland.
On Amy and Harrison’s day, a light dusting of snow on the ground in some areas, deeper drifts in others finished the scene. It was a simple, elegant, and quietly beautiful location that suited them perfectly. It’s a landing Scott’s come to appreciate precisely because it looks so different depending on the season and the weather, winter especially.
Why we choose different landings for different seasons
Simple Is Beautiful, As Usual
Amy and Harrison kept things exactly as simple as they wanted. That’s the point of Simple is Beautiful — the package flexes around you. Add hair and makeup, flowers, a celebrant, even a ceremony video if you want the day captured in motion as well as stills, or skip anything that isn’t essential to you. No padding, no pressure to spend on things that don’t matter to your day.
A helicopter, celebrant, photographer – the rest is up to you, not the other way around.
Simple is Beautiful elopement packages
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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](https://instagram.com/sunshineweddingsnz).*
