Milton Street Substation Events and Weddings in Christchurch
It is no secret Milton Street Substation is one of our favourite Christchurch venues. It is one we have worked with countless times ever since it opened in. We styled the very first wedding at Milton St, and we are there most weeks for events and weddings.
Milton St Substation is a urban, edgy event venue close to the Christchurch CBD, offering 4 distinct areas for guests to mingle. The venue itself can accommodate up to 290 guests, with 200 seated in the various spaces, with upstairs mezzanine area seating a max of 110.
Walking through to the basement area, where the entertainment area is often situated. This also then opens up to the courtyard which has been well utilised for casual seating.
The Specifications
Capacity: 290
Seated: 200 (over both levels)
Mezzanine Seating: 110
Carparking: Off-street only, with regular bus transportation less than 2 minutes away.
Chattels list included with hire –
full use of the building, balcony, courtyard, and rear service yard
6 x wine barrel tables & 1 x 1⁄2 wine barrel table
4 x black outdoor umbrellas
Commercial dishwasher machine and bench
Power (incl. 3-phase), water supply, indoor & outdoor bathroom amenities
1 x tap and sink in lobby and 1x tap and sink on mezzanine
High speed WiFi and data point on the mezzanine for high speed live streaming
6 x heaters in ground floor area and 6 x heaters on the mezzanine
5 x fully stocked bathroom facilities, cleaned and maintained throughout your event.
Double-Height Entrance
Guests are first met with the grand size as they step through the small green front door (and just a PSA – we 100% recommend making full use of the winch with a hanging installation here, we’ve done many and they look epic)!
Best ways to enhance this space
- Hanging Installation
We have created small 2.4 metre fresh greenery and floral installations up to 3x3 square epic floral installs. These can be seen from the moment guests walk inside, and also from the Mezzanine floor where they provide an incredible backdrop for your wedding ceremony or event cocktail hour.
- Bar Service
The bar is set, and just need some adding in of cocktail leaners and a lounging space tucked near the stairs gives a great breakout space while also allowing for guest flow to and from the bar, to the stairs and basement areas. Milton St Substation also have their own service bars on-site, and also can provide a unique truck bar experience. If space is sparse or you have a large guest list of 130+ then we recommend keeping with the standard service bar – just noting the truck bar takes up just under half the available space in the entrance area.
- Photobooth Area
Photobooth hire works really well just under the stairs, and can be set-up easily with powerpoints nice and close to this back area.
Basement
Reminiscent of an underground club, the ‘basement’ is just a nickname due to having no windows, and is in-between the double-height area and the courtyard. It houses the main toilets and makes a great space for a hang-put or break-out spaces, or often for the entertainment space for the night with DJ or band.
Best ways to enhance this space
- Dancefloor
We highly recommend having a dancefloor in this area for guest comfort. The concrete floor and heels work only for so long before stiff and sore feet from bounding around to the music! Our dancefloor hire is available in white or oak look, and gives much needed cushioning to keep your guests feet happy and dancing all night long!
- Cocktail Furniture
Adding in some leaners and cocktail chair hire in this area along the room’s perimeter is a great way of filling out this space and keeping guests comfortable.
Courtyard
Soak in the city sun in the outdoor courtyard – vintage festoons hanging overhead with wine barrel and stool seating. There is even an outdoor fire pit you can utilise here.
- Food Trucks
If you’re going for the social and casual vibes, then having your food trucks in this area really adds an element of entertainment all by itself.
You’ll Love This Venue If -
- You want an industrial vibe – something a bit different than a vineyard or garden venue
- A venue right in Christchurch city really appeals
- You want guests to have easy access to accommodation and transportation options
- You have a budget that allows for furniture hire – the venue comes with some chattels included but you’ll need to hire in chairs, tables, leaners and other styling items.
Our Biggest Takeaways
Thinking through how you utilise this space is essential to the overall guest flow and experience. For smaller guest numbers, we would recommend using the bottom floor only rather than allowing guests to sprawl themselves over the two levels.
Having a professional company who know the venue well, and can setup and packdown for you is essential. With access the day of your wedding, and having a full set-up required this can be incredible tiring and overwhelming. This is something we do exceptionally well (if we can toot our own horn), and we can work with you on how you’d like to best utilise all spaces well.
Adding an On-The-Day Wedding Coordinator should be high on the priority list which will really help with the overall flow of the day. All vendors are external, which means you’re hiring them all in to work at the venue. Having someone manage all timings and manage the flow of the day is something we certainly recommend to make sure you remain a guest at your own wedding. You don’t want to be checking on the caterer, or welcoming in your band and DJ on your own wedding day!
Costs
If you’re looking at having your wedding or event at Milton Street Substation, we find most clients spend between $3,000 - $4,000 on furniture and decor hire, with fully styled weddings that include all hire, florals, signage, styling support, setup and packdown costing between $10,000 - $15,000.
We also highly recommend adding on our Wedding Coordination service for this wedding given it is standalone, and pricing starts from $2,400.
Are You Planning?
Let’s chat! We’ve worked at Milton Street Station in Christchurch more than anyone – we love the space and we can guide you on what will work best for your event, guest flow and vision.
Have you been to Milton Street yet or are you planning your next move?
Contact us to book a consultation to get a helping hand!