Freddie + Lené

A Private Family Elopement in Queenstown

Freddie and Lené chose to elope with just the people closest to them, their children. There were no large guest lists, no traditional formalities, and no pressure to perform. Just family, mountains, and a wedding day built around connection.

A family elopement in Queenstown is one of the most meaningful ways to get married in New Zealand. It blends the intimacy of an elopement with the joy of sharing the day with the people you love most, and Queenstown's combination of luxury accommodation, helicopter access and alpine scenery makes it one of the world's best regions for this style of wedding.

An Emotional First Look at Their Accommodation

Before heading to the helicopter base, Freddie and Lené shared a quiet, emotional first look at their Queenstown accommodation.

A first look can be one of the most powerful parts of an elopement day. It gives the couple a private moment to see each other, take in the significance of the day, and connect before the ceremony begins. For Freddie and Lené, this moment set the tone for everything that followed: heartfelt, relaxed, and full of love.

Taking Off for a Two-Landing Helicopter Experience

After the first look, the Heli Elopements team drove the family to the Queenstown helicopter base. From there, they took off for a two-landing Queenstown helicopter elopement experience.

The weather was perfect, clear skies, soft alpine light, and sweeping views across the lakes and mountains. With two different landing locations, their wedding day had both variety and flow: a ceremony at a breathtaking alpine lake, followed by a second stop for more time together with their children.

A Lake Erskine Wedding Ceremony with Celebrant Liz

Their first helicopter landing was at Lake Erskine, where they exchanged vows with celebrant Liz.

Lake Erskine is one of those locations that feels almost unreal. A remote hanging lake above Glenorchy, framed by dramatic mountains and alpine landscapes, it created a breathtaking setting for Freddie and Lené to be married with their children present.

The ceremony was intimate, emotional, and beautifully simple. With just their family, their celebrant, and the Heli Elopements team there to support them, the moment felt completely focused on what mattered most. For couples dreaming of a Lake Erskine wedding, this is exactly the kind of day the location was made for.

A Second Alpine Landing at Mount Crichton

After the ceremony, the family flew to a second alpine landing at Mount Crichton, a private helicopter site just minutes from Queenstown that offers dramatic mountain backdrops without the long flight times.

The second landing gave Freddie and Lené time to slow down, take more photos, and simply enjoy the experience together as a family. Mount Crichton elopement photos are some of our favourite portraits to create, the scale of the landscape and the quiet of the alpine setting make every frame feel cinematic.

Why Two Landings Make a Family Elopement Feel Bigger

For families eloping with children, a two-landing helicopter elopement is one of the best ways to give the day variety without overwhelming anyone. The first landing is for the ceremony, focused, emotional, and meaningful. The second landing becomes the family adventure: time to explore, take photos, and create memories together in a completely different alpine setting.

It's also one of the reasons couples choose Queenstown over other New Zealand destination elopement regions. The variety of accessible helicopter landing sites is incredible, and our planning team can match locations to the couple's pace, weather window, and the comfort of any children flying with them.

A Relaxed Day, Planned by Heli Elopements

From the morning getting-ready experience to the first look, the helicopter logistics, the ceremony coordination with celebrant Liz, and the on-the-day transport, our planning team handled every detail so Freddie and Lené could simply be present with each other and their children.

This is one of the biggest advantages of working with an experienced Queenstown wedding planning team. A helicopter elopement involves a lot of moving parts, transport, hair and makeup timing, photography, celebrant coordination, helicopter scheduling, and remote ceremony access. When everything is planned and supported as one connected experience, the day feels effortless.

A Real Queenstown Elopement Worth Remembering

Freddie and Lené's wedding is a beautiful example of how a private Queenstown elopement can feel both intimate and adventurous. A first look, a Lake Erskine ceremony, a Mount Crichton landing, perfect weather, and their children by their side, the kind of day that proves an elopement does not have to feel small in experience. It can be cinematic, emotional, and deeply personal all at once.