Queenstown Bathhouse Wedding – Leanne & Steve / Fallon Photography
Leanne & Steve really wanted their Queenstown Bathhouse Wedding to be relaxed, fun & elegant. And, as it happens, that was exactly how it turned out!
Relaxed, fun & elegant
Steve & Leanne are from New South Wales, Ozstralia They love Queenstown and decided when it was time decided that it was the place they wanted to have their wedding. They chose the Bathhouse restaurant for their Wedding Venue because it was, quite simply, the perfect venue for them. Located right on the “beach” in Queenstown Bay, the Bathhouse is about as central and as scenic as a Queenstown Wedding Venue can get. It offers stunning views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains. In fact, the Bathhouse’s deck is literally 10 metres from the lake, If you walked further than that, you would be IN Lake Wakatipu. That’s how close to the lake it is!
A little bit about the Beautiful Bathhouse (a Stunning Queenstown Wedding Venue for smaller weddings).
The Bathhouse was built in 1911 to commemorate the coronation of King George V.
It began as a fashionable bathhouse, complete with changing stalls, jetty and diving platforms. Officially opened in March 1912, it became a popular public changing room and children’s play area. But in the 1960s, when a town swimming pool was built, the bathhouse fell into disuse. It then became a summer teahouse for students and was also later used by the Wakatipu Rowing Club, which tacked on an addition. Today, the Bathhouse has been lovingly restored and is a beautiful, quaint and rather historic building, It features gorgeous polished wooden floors, lots of glass and lots of views and lovingly restored vintage decor and furniture. And and food and wine that is to die for! To learn more about the history of the Bathhouse read this post. (Note: The Bathhouse was formerly known as the Coronation Bathhouse).
“A wee bit fresh!” – Queenstown Bathhouse Ceremony
As this was the second time round for both Steve & Leanne’s, they wanted to keep their wedding day really casual and a little bit non traditional. And boy did they nail it! Not only was their Queenstown Bathhouse Wedding relaxed, fun & elegant it was also stunningly beautiful! Here’s how it went down…
On the day the weather was perfect – blue skies and gorgeous sunshine. Although you could really feel that Queenstown autumn freshness in the brisk temperatures, the gorgeous sun helped somewhat. Despite cool-ish temperatures, as the ceremony time drew closer almost all of the guests were outside in the sunshine enjoying a glass of something and a catch-up.
Meanwhile, Leanne and her brother David had arrived at the nearby Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, just a stone’s throw from the Bathhouse.
The Novotel has a lovely tree lined outdoor dining area that leads towards the lake and the Bathhouse. I thought this would make a wonderful approach for Leanne when she arrived. Not only is this area beautiful, it is also private. I asked the front desk staff at the Novotel if it was ok to use it and as several of Leanne & Steve’s guests were staying there, they were happy to help. So as 5pm drew near, Leanne and David walked arm-in-arm down the tree-lined avenue towards the lake, the Bathhouse and the patiently waiting Steve…
Lake Wakatipu & a flock of golden mountains
The Bathhouse is a stunning spot for a small wedding. Bathhouse actually owns the beachfront immediately in front of the restaurant between the Bathhouse and Lake Wakatipu. So for Wedding Ceremonies they can fence off that part of the beach to help make the ceremony more private. You could not have chosen a more stunning spot to get married on this fine autumn Saturday. As Leanne & Steve exchanged vows and became Man & Wife, the backdrop was the beautiful Lake Wakatipu and Cecil Peak and a host of other dramatic mountains looking all golden and majestic.
I think one of the humorous highlights of Leanne & Steve’s Queenstown Bathhouse Wedding for their guests was the young boy swimming in the lake in the background during the ceremony. Their guests were so impressed by the boys enjoyment of the freezing cold waters of Lake Wakatipu, several of them had their photo taken with him afterwards.
Woolen blankets & hot toddy’s at the lake edge – Bathhouse Wedding Reception
After the ceremony, “Walk & fork” and champagne was served by the Bathhouse’s attentive staff. Shortly after this, as the sun was about to depart behind the mountains, we quickly did some photos of Leanne & Steve while we still had sun. After that we fired through the family photos quickly and easily. This was important so that we could get the guests back to enjoying themselves asap. Most of the guests were from Australians and not used to our climate. As a result ,once the sun dipped they found the temperatures rather “invigorating”. Luckily, the Bathhouse saved the day with warm woolen blankets and heart-warming hot toddy’s after the Ceremony. Later in the evening everybody moved inside to the cosy, romantic interior of the Bathhouse. And to that incredible food and wine….
At the end of the day…
Leanne & Steve were surrounded by friends and family who adored them and the team at Bathhouse and all the other wedding pros involved (see below for all the vendors involved) worked their butts and made the day run smoothly and stress-free for them. And I reckon that’s the way your wedding day should be – relaxed, natural and fun!
The pics…
There are so many beautiful details and moments from Leanne & Seve’s Queenstown Bathhouse Wedding – I’m going to let the photos do most of the talking.
Leanne & Steve, thanks for letting me be a part of your awesome Bathhouse Wedding! It was a true privilege to be a part of your story!
VENUE & VENDORS
Accommodation: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside
Celebrant: Philippa Thomas Celebrant
Photographer: Yours truly Fallon Photography
Venue, Ceremony: Bathhouse
Venue, Reception: Bathhouse
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