The Wedding Venue Price Guide

JUNE 2027 – MAY 2028 season

Photography Credit – Charlotte Rowlands Photography

Welcome

And congratulations on your engagement!

Welcome to Backpaddock Lakes, and thank you for considering us for your upcoming celebration!

Located at the gateway to Hawke’s Bay wine country and surrounded by the ever-changing Ruahine Ranges, Backpaddock Lakes offers a beautiful and relaxed setting for your “I do’s”.

Our rustic lakeside Barn opens out to peaceful views, with plenty of space to celebrate, style and create a wedding that feels completely your own.

We cater to weddings of all sizes and styles, with the flexibility to choose your own suppliers, caterers and personal touches. Backpaddock Lakes operates as a dry-hire wedding venue.

There is no accommodation or camping available onsite from June 2027, with a more streamlined venue offering and pricing focused on the Barn, ceremony lawn and your wedding celebration itself.

Our Pricing

Bronze

THE WEDDING DAY PACKAGE

$7500

Perfect for couples wanting a simple, streamlined wedding-day hire, with exclusive use of the Barn and lakeside ceremony lawn from the morning of your wedding through to 1am.

Silver

THE WEDDING DAY PLUS PACKAGE

$8500

Perfect for couples wanting extra time to prepare, with pre-wedding access for setup and your ceremony rehearsal, plus full use of the Barn and lakeside ceremony lawn on your wedding day.

Gold

THE EXTENDED WEDDING EXPERIENCE

$9500

Perfect for couples wanting a more relaxed wedding experience, with venue access from the day before to set up and rehearse, plus time the following morning for final pack-down and collection.

The Venue

Family is at the heart of Backpaddock Lakes.

What began more than a decade ago as a simple passion project was created as a place for our family to come together, enjoy the outdoors and spend time by the water — somewhere the kids could run wild and we could reconnect.

Over the years, Backpaddock Lakes has grown into something much bigger than we ever imagined, becoming a place for our wider community and so many others to gather, celebrate and create special memories.

At the heart of the property is our signature event space, The Barn — a relaxed lakeside venue lined with home-milled timber and opening out to views across the water.

Today, Backpaddock Lakes is focused on offering a beautiful, flexible dry-hire wedding venue, with exclusive use of The Barn and lakeside ceremony lawn, giving couples the freedom to bring their own style, suppliers, catering and ideas to life.

The Ceremony

Backpaddock Lakes offers a beautiful lakeside setting for your ceremony, surrounded by a dramatic landscape that changes with every season.

Summer brings sun-kissed golden tones and big blue skies, while autumn transforms the landscape with earthy tones, deep mauves and rusty browns. In winter, the Ruahine Ranges are often snow-capped beneath wide-open skies, and spring brings fresh green growth as the landscape comes to life again.

Each season offers something completely unique, creating a beautiful natural backdrop and helping to set the tone for your wedding day.

The Barn

The Jetty

The Lake

If you choose to hold your ceremony by the lake, The Barn can be transformed into a beautiful dining space, seating up to 180 guests.

If the weather calls for an indoor ceremony, The Barn offers plenty of space to accommodate your ceremony, dining and celebrations all under one roof.

The Barn

Purpose Built

Our purpose-built event space, affectionately known as The Barn, is perfectly positioned to face the lake, with large sliding doors opening out to picturesque views.

Lined with home-milled timber from the farm, The Barn has a warm, relaxed feel and can be styled to suit everything from simple, understated weddings to more elaborate celebrations.

SEATS UP TO 180 GUESTS

The Barn can seat up to 180 guests, depending on your chosen layout.

There is also plenty of surrounding lawn space for outdoor mingling, additional covered areas or a marquee if required. The Barn includes an attached kitchen, bar and bathroom facilities, and the generous interior space can also be adapted beautifully for smaller weddings.

There is plenty of room for dining, a dance floor and relaxed mingling all within the one space.

Endless Options

As a dry-hire venue, you have the freedom to choose the catering style that best suits your wedding.

From a multi-course meal prepared by your chosen caterer through to relaxed sharing plates, grazing tables or food trucks outside, you can create a food and drinks experience that feels completely your own.

BYO alcohol is permitted, with no corkage fee.

CELEBRATE UNTIL 1AM

With excellent indoor-outdoor flow and plenty of space around the venue, you can enjoy your reception, band or DJ through to a maximum of 1am.

REHEARSAL & SETUP

If your package includes pre-wedding access, you can use this time to complete setup, meet with suppliers and hold your ceremony rehearsal — helping everything feel organised before the wedding day begins.

DAY-AFTER ACCESS

For packages that include next-day access, you can return the following morning to complete your pack-down, collect belongings and leave the venue ready for checkout within your allocated hire period.

Complete Flexibility

Our dry-hire venue gives you the freedom to create your wedding your way — from your food and drinks to your suppliers, schedule and styling. Whether you’re planning an intimate celebration or a large wedding for up to 180 guests, the space can be adapted to suit your plans.

EVERYTHING CLOSE BY

With the ceremony lawn, reception Barn, bathrooms, bar and guest parking all within the wedding venue area, your guests can move easily through the day without needing to travel between locations.

INDOOR–OUTDOOR FLOW

The Barn opens directly onto the lawn and lakeside area, creating an easy flow between your ceremony, drinks, dining and dancing throughout the day.

No Corkage Fees

As a dry-hire venue, you can BYO alcohol with no corkage fee and arrange your own suitable bar staff or beverage service to suit your wedding plans.

FLEXIBLE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

From June 2027 onwards, accommodation and camping are not available onsite.

This gives you the flexibility to choose accommodation that best suits you and your guests, whether that’s a motel, holiday home, Airbnb-style stay or another local option.

Waipukurau is only around 10 minutes away and has local motel accommodation, while the wider Central Hawke’s Bay area offers a range of holiday homes and other stays.

For guests wanting to stay a little further afield, there are also plenty of accommodation options in Hastings, Havelock North and Napier.

Cable Park Hire

Looking to add something a little different to your wedding celebrations? Cable Park Hire can be added as an optional extra, subject to availability.

Bookings are for a minimum of 3 hours and include one cable system operating, along with the equipment required, including life jackets, boards, skis and helmets.

Each participant will receive instruction before use, with an experienced operator onsite throughout the session to provide guidance and support.

Cable Park Hire can be a fun option for your wedding party, family or guests and can be scheduled separately from your main wedding celebration.

Please note: Cable Park bookings are seasonal and are not available during winter.

$300 per hour

WEDDING VENUE INCLUSIONS & ADD-ONS

The Powder Room

Located in The Barn, our new powder room features a wheelchair-accessible toilet, a large vanity with a mirror along with electrical access for hair styling and makeup.

Barn Bathrooms

Along with our powder room, The Barn also has three ladies’ toilets, one men’s toilet and two urinals. Toilet paper is provided and topped up; however, we recommend bringing any additional supplies you may require during your hire period

Wine Barrels

We have 4 wine barrels for you to use. Use our wine barrels for styling, signage, drinks stations or cake displays throughout your celebration.

Festoon Lighting

Festoon lighting throughout The Barn is included with your venue hire, creating a beautiful atmosphere as the evening sets in

Picnic Tables

Enjoy the outdoor area during your reception at The Barn with the use of our four picnic tables. Perfect for creating indoor outdoor flow. (Umbrellas not included).

PHOTOGRAPHY

Want a photographer that knows the venue like the back of her hand? Add on Charlotte as your wedding photographer! View her work here.

Chilly Bin

You have use of our approximately 300L chilly bin. Suitable for keeping additional drinks cold and perfect to station beside an outdoor bar.

Parking

There is plenty of onsite parking for yourselves and your guests however cars may only be parked in the designated parking areas. No vehicles are to drive or park on the ceremony lawn.

Lawn Games

To entertain your guests and yourselves we have various lawn games for you to enjoy. Lawn games currently include: Kubb, corn hole and giant jenga.

EVERYTHING CLOSE BY

With the ceremony lawn, Wedding Barn, bathrooms, bar area and guest parking all located within the wedding venue area, your guests can move easily through the day without needing to travel between locations.

23x Trestle Tables

Enjoy a hassle free set up of your reception by using our trestle tables. With our 23 tables (2.4 x 0.8m) you can fit 6 guests per table comfortably and 8 guests per table at a squeeze, allowing you to fit 180 guests in total.

31x Bench Seats

For your ceremony we have on site 31 of our signature wooden bench seats, these will seat up to 3 guests each, allowing up to 93 guests in total.

180 RESIN CHAIRS

Our new 180 resin chairs are included with your venue hire – they are stunning! These can be used throughout The Barn for your reception setup (not permitted outside the Barn)

Ceremony Archways

For your ceremony backdrop you can choose from our various archway options or bring your own! Options currently include: White octagon archway and wooden rectangle archway.

Vendor Recommendations

Over the years we’ve worked with so many amazing vendors. We’ve put together a list so that you can too!

The Kitchen

The barn kitchen is available to use during all our Packages. The kitchen is stocked with simple plates & cutlery however doesn’t include glassware, linen or tableware. Suitable for preparation and serving (not commercial grade) the space includes a fridge with a small freezer & large drinks fridge.

Heating

We have a large portable infrared diesel heater available on request for your day.

Wheelie Bins

All our wedding bookings include use of our four wheelie bins.

Recycling

You can use our 2 Wool Fage stands to set up a recycling station for your wedding. Wool Fage bags can be purchased from Farmland’s in Waipukurau, and are available for your use and are a great way to help reduce waste and ensure your wheelie bins go further and are only used for general waste.

Dry-Hire

Dry-hire means Backpaddock Lakes provides the venue, included furniture and facilities, while you have the freedom to choose your own caterers, suppliers, styling and BYO alcohol. Event staff, wedding coordination and cleaning are not included unless arranged separately.

Day Before Set Up

Additional setup access depends on the package you choose. Silver includes an agreed pre-wedding setup and rehearsal period, while Gold includes venue access from 9am the day before your wedding, giving you plenty of time to set up and prepare.

CEREMONY REHEARSAL

Silver and Gold packages include the opportunity to hold your ceremony rehearsal onsite during your allocated pre-wedding access period. This gives you time to walk through the ceremony with your wedding party and suppliers before the big day.

LAKE ACTIVITY ADD-ON

During a booked Cable Park session, kayaking and paddleboarding equipment may also be available for self-guided use, subject to conditions and availability. Lake activities are not included with standard venue hire.

Cleaning Add-On

Prefer to leave the cleaning to us? An optional cleaning service can be added to your booking for an additional fee.

Off-Grid Power

Backpaddock Lakes operates on an off-grid solar power system. Any electrical appliances or equipment brought onsite must be approved by Backpaddock Lakes before your event, so we can determine whether the onsite three-phase generator will be required.

Wedding Venue Packages

To Make Things Simple

We offer a three-tier venue hire structure, with Bronze, Silver and Gold packages designed around how much access and setup time you need for your wedding.

Bronze is perfect for a streamlined wedding-day-only option, Silver gives you extra pre-wedding setup and rehearsal time, and Gold offers the most relaxed experience with extended access before and after your wedding day.

For couples wanting additional support, our Platinum option is available by private quote and can include extras such as furniture setup, coordination, catering support and other tailored services.

All pricing is subject to change unless your retainer has been paid. Pricing is valid for weddings taking place between June 2027 – May 2028.

Onsite accommodation and camping are not available for weddings from June 2027. The Villa will be private property and the cabins will no longer form part of the wedding venue.