Pemberton Gardens Weddings in Christchurch
One of the MVP’s of wedding venues in Christchurch, we’ve been styling Pemberton Gardens weddings for over 14 years now and it is still one of the most versatile venues you’ll find in Canterbury.
With extensive grounds which are beautifully looked after and different areas that have been thoughtfully created by high manicured hedges – it is the embodiment of a stunning English garden setting right here in Christchurch.
It has been well looked after, with a refurbishment in recent years which elevated the overall feel and vibe of the venue – without taking away from the English garden and country-style vibe that it’s so well known for.
Venue Spaces
Ceremony in the Quince Garden
The most popular ceremony location is in the Quince Gardens towards the back of the venue. Known for obvious reasons – the quince trees which provide an aisle into the entrance into the Pergola area.
The most popular ceremony placement here is either with the quince trees as a backdrop with guests facing towards the trees and Pergola area, or more popular option of being on the opposite side which sees you walking through the trees to the aisle of chairs.
Pemberton provide all seating here, aswell as a signing table.
Some of our favourite ways to style this space include:
Arch with lush florals (we also love to repurpose this behind the head table in the reception area afterwards)
Plinths at the start of the aisle with florals
Welcome sign on stand at the entrance to the hedge leading into the ceremony space. When guests enter Pemberton, it offers an easy directional sign that leads them to the ceremony location amongst the sprawling gardens.
Post-Ceremony in the Pergola
Once the kiss and roars of cheers are had, a popular choice is to head into the pergola area for champagne and bubbles.
Typically you may have a glass in this area and then move on to the courtyard, otherwise you can stay longer and mingle to take in this pivotal space at Pemberton Gardens. If you are wanting to offer a full bar service, this is available in the courtyard or reception area.
Some of our favourite ways to style this space include:
Lawn games to keep everyone entertained and to encourage some healthy competition (and conversations)!
Cocktail tables and chairs are a great addition to offer some seating. There is no seating in this area, so if you have guests who can’t comfortably stand for 30-60 minutes this is a great option. They can also be moved to the courtyard and utilised throughout the day and night.
Post-Ceremony in the Courtyard
The sunny courtyard at Pemberton Gardens is one of our favourite areas! Lit with festoon lights, and having a large outdoor fire for cooler months, it’s a great area to use for post-ceremony, and us well used for after the formalities of the reception with café style seating and table and bench seating.
Some of our favourite ways to style this space include:
Lawn games are a must, and we recommend choosing them to go here, or in the Pergola depending on which area you’re planning to spend longer in.
Reception
Pemberton Gardens weddings can seat up to 180 guests inside, and 250 standing for cocktail style weddings.
The reception space also has a small fireplace with seating area which we always style – it’s an area that is well used but otherwise forgotten when it comes to styling.
You also have the choice of round and long tables which means you can really change the look of the venue.
Some of our favourite ways to style this space include:
Fairy lights above the dance floor is our biggest request and easy to see why – it completely elevates this space
Lush hanging installation over the guest tables in the reception
Candles everywhere! Candles all need to be enclosed meaning in vases or candleholders. If you’d like to use taper candles and candlesticks these need to be in vases or otherwise they can’t be lit for safety reasons
Venue Specs
Round tables (8-10 guests per table) for guest seating and a long head table (12max)
White table linen & White linen napkins
Cake table, gift table, sideboard for dessert, an outdoor bar in the courtyard, indoor bar
Crockery & cutlery (white plates, silver cutlery)
60 Outdoor white ceremony chairs
Registry table & chair
Stage and existing lighting for entertainment
Portable speaker with wireless microphone available for ceremonies and speeches
Glassware and carafes
Cleaning of venue
Commercial kitchen for your choice of three on-site caterers
Plenty of on-site parking
Elegant bathroom facilities
A small bridal room
Stage and dance floor
Photography Spots
The grounds at Pemberton Gardens are fairly expansive, and you won’t need to go far (or anywhere in fact)!
We have had couples go as far as the Port Hills for some epic photos, while most choosing to stay on-site and utilise the many areas at Pemberton.
We also recommend sneaking out of the reception as the sun is setting for some incredible sunset shots! Speak with your photographer and check what they’ve shot at the venue, and look at other Pemberton Garden wedding couples galleries to make a decision on whether you should plan to go off-site or stick around. If the latter – it gives you much more time to mingle and celebrate with your friends and family (and we’re all for that)!
What Our Couples Are Saying…
“Thank you so much from James and I, we loved everything about our styling. Our vision came to life and that's all thanks to you guys.
I knew exactly what I wanted; you guys made it all happen. Everything was seamless and stress-free; I did not even think once on the morning of the wedding about the styling. I had so much faith and hope in you guys. It helped following you guys on socials for so long, I was able to see how much magic you had created from all of the events you have done, and I knew you were the ones for our special day. I know how much hard work would have gone into all of the preparations and it absolutely blew me, James, and our guests away.AND THE ARCH! Wow, just wow! I remember being driven from the Airbnb to the ceremony area on the day right before showtime. As we were driving down the driveway I looked to my right and the arch was the first thing I saw, and my jaw dropped. It made me feel instantly nervous because it was the perfect arch that I had dreamed of and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was all about to happen! The flower carpet, floral detailing on the signage, the signs! Everything was lush and so so dreamy.
I could seriously go on and on, but I won't. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us make our day so beautiful. I would do it all again with you guys in a heartbeat! (But not re marry lol, you know what I mean).Fallon - I hope you are recovering well, hope it all went well. Thank you for the time spent helping us with our dreams and ideas. You and your team absolutely nailed it. I am so stoked with everything and there is nothing I would have wanted to change or nothing I regret. It was something different that I wanted to go with, and it turned out beautiful. I hope you are as happy with your team's work as I am.“
- Leah and James
“We’ve really enjoyed working with yourself and Helen to bring our vision to life and you definitely did that and more.
Fallon you are very talented at what you do and you made the whole process very easy for us. You were so prompt in all your replies. As a client you took a lot of the stress out of planning a wedding.
We got so many compliments on the styling of Pemberton and we especially loved
the fairy lights above the dance floor, the fairy light curtain entrance, the festoon-floral / hanging installation and overall woody/greenery theme
Many thanks!”
- Thomas and Betty
Wedding Styling
We’ve styled for so many couples – we’d love you to be next! Let’s create something magic for the both of you, so you can pass over the baton and let us make sure your styling and wedding day is everything you wanted!
Book in a consultation so we can learn all about what you’re wanting, or jump over below and view some of our past styling work at Pemberton Gardens.
