There is so much terrain to explore in New Zealand whether you are hiking up a mountain, going into the backcountry, or exploring the beaches on your elopement. To make sure your day goes off without a hitch, here’s a list of the top 10 items you need to pack for your New Zealand elopement.

1. Wedding attire. First and foremost make sure to pack what you want to be wearing on your wedding day. The clothing, the footwear, the jewellery and any other accessories. This can be particularly important if you are wearing different clothes to get to your elopement location and then changing into your wedding attire. Double-check that nothing important gets left behind. Imagine reaching the top of a mountain and realising you're missing your veil or shoes!
2. Florals. If you're carrying flowers, keep them hydrated in a dry bag with some water to avoid soaking your other gear. Don’t forget to follow Leave No Trace principles—avoid leaving any flowers or seeds that could affect the local flora and fauna of the location.
3. Food. Now this one will take some planning. Not only do you want to pack the food for the celebration, a picnic is always my favourite, but in addition to the food for your elopement celebration, you also should think of breakfast foods, drinks that provide you energy or electrolytes also if coffee or tea is your normal way of starting the day, make sure to have one of those packed. It is also smart to bring along small snacks like granola bars or fruit especially if you are hiking somewhere. You want to be well fed so that you are not exhausted and drained by the time you get to your location.
4. Hydration. You want to make sure you are bringing enough water and hydration with you. This is especially important if you are hiking up to a hut or in the backcountry as water might not be readily available and drinkable. Your elopement is an important day of your life, you want to make sure you are well hydrated to enjoy every moment of it.
5. Extra layers. Don’t forget to bring extra layers to wear over or under your wedding attire. The weather in New Zealand changes very quickly and you always want to be over prepared rather than freezing or wet.Thermals can come in a variety of colours so they aren't noticeable and are great for wearing under your wedding clothes. They take up little room in the backpack and they can be easily put on or taken off depending on your needs. I would also suggest extra layers to wear on top of your clothes, ideally something that is waterproof or windproof. Keep in mind the elements when you are choosing extra layers to pack.

1. Head torch. It is always a good idea to have a head torch in your pack. Things happen and timelines can change and you don’t want to have to miss a perfectly clear starry night because you don’t have a light to guide you on the way down. I know you are probably thinking “My phone has a light. Why do I need a headtorch?” Keep in mind your phone has limited battery and you might not have enough to get you back to your car.
2. Sunscreen and bug spray. You may have heard New Zealand has a gaping hole in the O-zone so the sun here is much stronger than it is in other places which makes sunscreen crucial. I highly recommend starting your day with sunscreen on and then having it in your backpack for reapplication throughout the day. It would not be an enjoyable experience to get sunburnt on your elopement. Also bug spray is a necessity in New Zealand. Bug spray will help fight off the sandflies that are inevitable in most beautiful locations around New Zealand.
3. Hats and Sunglasses. Now this may only be applicable to some elopements but keep in mind the sun is strong here and if your elopement involves a few hours of being outside under the sun, I highly recommend having some type of headwear and sunglasses that will protect your face. Now we don’t have to keep these on for photos but they certainly make getting to your elopement location that much more comfortable when the sun is not glaring into your eyes. To note, even in winter, the sun can reflect off the snow here and be damaging to your eyes.
4. Comfortable footwear. Depending on your elopement activities, you will want to select practical footwear. For hiking elopements, I highly recommend hiking boots that you are comfortable wearing or that you have worn before. Please break in any footwear ahead of time before bringing it on your wedding day. If you don’t want your photos to have the footwear you wore to get to your location, make sure to put the change of footwear into your bag and change when the time is right.
5. Music Speaker. Whether it’s background music to play during your elopement ceremony or music to dance to for your first dance, a speaker is a great item to have on hand for your elopement day. I would suggest having music downloaded onto your phone in a playlist ready to go as you may not have service at your location. Make sure the speaker is fully charged before the day too.

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Bonus Tip: All of the above should go into your backpack and be comfortable on your back. My recommendation for those that don’t hike often is to go to an outdoor sports retailer and get their advice on what size and fit suits your body type for a bag. If you can, I recommend practising packing your bag and carrying that weight around before your elopement day. This experience should be the most enjoyable day of your life so preparing yourself as much as possible ahead of time is ideal.

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As your photographer, I come prepared with extra essentials to make your day seamless. Here’s a sneak peek into my pack:

1. First aid kit including basic pain relief and headache relief.
2. Sewing kit
3. Extra snacks like granola bars, fruit, chocolate.
4. Extra layers
5. Extra water
6. Head torch
7. Lanterns- where necessary
8. Blanket for sitting on or cosying up with
9. 2 camera bodies with additional lenses (sometimes I throw in my film camera)
10. Extra memory cards and extra batteries
11. Tripod for starry night shots
12. Extra cosmetics- like deodorant, hair spray, bug spray

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My hiking motto is, “I’d rather carry the extra weight than wish I had something at the top.”

Are you an avid hiker? Is there something you always pack that I missed? I’d love to hear your suggestions! Feel free to email me at hello@goldenwonderphotography.com to help me improve this list.

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