Your planner, from start to finish
About Donna
I’ve been planning weddings in New Zealand since 1999 — nearly thirty years of helping couples from around the world marry in the most beautiful place I know.
How it all began
My very first wedding wasn’t a business at all — it was a favour. Nearly thirty years ago I planned an elopement for my husband’s cousin, and somewhere between the planning and the vows I discovered what I was meant to do. That one wedding became New Zealand Dream Weddings, and I’ve never once regretted it.
I also married into a Japanese family, so weddings that blend two cultures are personal to me — I understand first-hand how much it matters to honour both sides of a couple’s story. Over the years I’ve welcomed couples from Japan, across Asia, Europe, the Americas and right here in New Zealand.
One planner, the whole way through
When you write to me, you reach me — not a call centre, not an assistant, not a team you’ll never meet. From your very first message to the moment you say “I do”, you deal with one person: me. I think that’s how planning something this personal should feel.
Over nearly three decades I’ve planned every kind of New Zealand wedding — helicopter ceremonies on mountain tops, quiet vows by the lake, snow weddings, glacier landings and little chapels. I know these places intimately, I know the people who help bring a day together, and I know how to make it all feel effortless from the other side of the world.
Why I keep weddings small
I plan elopements for you and up to four guests — six people in total, including the two of you. It’s a deliberate choice. Whether it’s just the pair of you or your closest few, keeping it small means the day stays calm, private and unhurried, and every part of it can be about you. That’s when the magic happens.
Planning from afar, made simple
Many of the couples I work with live on the other side of the world and have never set foot in New Zealand before their wedding; others are right here at home. Either way, I take care of it all. We plan everything together beforehand — location, celebrant, marriage licence, photography and all the little details — so you can simply arrive and enjoy your day. I’ll be coordinating behind the scenes to make sure it all runs smoothly.
If what you’ve read feels like the right fit for you, I’d love to hear your story.
With love, from New Zealand
Let’s plan your day together
Tell me your story and what you have in mind. I’ll personally guide you every step of the way — the same as I have for couples from around the world since 1999.
Elope With Us