Planning your Wedding at The Longhouse
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Yes. When you book your wedding at The Longhouse, the property is yours exclusively for the duration of your stay, giving you complete privacy to celebrate with family and friends.
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The Longhouse comfortably sleeps up to 12 guests in six beautifully appointed ensuite bedrooms.
Weddings can accommodate up to 100 guests for the ceremony & celebration, depending on your chosen celebration style.
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Our wedding packages include exclusive use of the property for two nights, allowing time to arrive, celebrate and enjoy a relaxed farewell together. Additional nights may be available by arrangement.
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Absolutely. We believe every wedding should reflect the couple celebrating it.
You're welcome to bring together your own creative team or work with our trusted local partners.
Please note if you are planning a 100 pax Celebration Wedding we HIGHLY recommend you use a Wedding Planner.
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We don't provide catering in-house, but we're delighted to recommend experienced local caterers who know the property well and can create anything from relaxed shared feasts to elegant plated dinners.
You are welcome to use your own catering suppliers.
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Yes. You're welcome to work with your preferred photographer, florist, celebrant, caterer or stylist, or we'd be happy to introduce you to our trusted partners.
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For elopements smaller weddings can be held indoors. Intimate weddings can also be held indoors but the style of wedding may need to be adapted to the space.
The Longhouse offers beautiful indoor spaces and flexible options to ensure your celebration remains memorable whatever the weather brings.
For Celebration style weddings a marquee hire is used and many of our Intimate weddings also use a marquee where the ceremony can be held inside the marquee.
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Yes. Many couples choose to host their ceremony, reception and accommodation all in one place, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the weekend together.
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The Longhouse accommodates up to 12 overnight guests. Additional accommodation is available nearby in Karitāne, Waikouaiti and Dunedin, and we're happy to provide recommendations.
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Absolutely. The Longhouse is a wonderful place for families to gather. We'd be happy to discuss how children can be included in your celebration.
Please note children are required to be supervised at all times.
Please not children over 12 are included in your headcount restriction and cap.
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We'd love to welcome you. Viewings are available by appointment so you can experience the property and discuss your plans.
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Simply get in touch to check availability. Once you've chosen your date, we'll guide you through the booking process and confirm your reservation with a deposit.
Trusted Partners
The best celebrations are created by good people working together.
We have built relationships with talented local florists, photographers, celebrants, caterers and planners who know The Longhouse well. Whether you choose to work with them or bring your own creative team, we'll help make the planning process feel effortless.
We can’t recommend these legends highly enough… Behind the scenes they work diligently to make your special event come off without a hitch. They are seasoned pro’s and we highly recommend their services. They all have a working knowledge of The Longhouse and are expert creators and makers in their field.
What’s Included
A heritage coastal property for slow, story-led multi-day wedding celebrations.
All of our Wedding Celebration Packages include two night's accommodation at The Longhouse (12 pax maximum occupancy).
Extra nights can be booked as required for a pre-wedding dinner, rehearsal or a post match luncheon.
WHATS INCLUDED:
Two nights' accommodation for up to 12 guests.
Exclusive use of the property.
Assistance with venue layout and logistics.
Access to your preferred supplier list.
Flexibility to create a celebration that reflects your style.Exclusive access to preferred suppliers that we are able to recommend to you.
We can help arrange extra parking and help with logistics
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
Catering
Marquees & Equipment Hireage
OUR WEDDING COLLECTION
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![Elope at The Longhouse Otago NZ]()
ELOPEMENT
2-8 guests
$4,500 inc GST weekend
$4,250 inc GST weekday
Small indoor/ outdoor wedding set-up & parking included.
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![Intimate Wedding at The Longhouse]()
INTIMATE WEDDING
9-30 guests
$6,250 inc GST weekend
$5,250 inc GST weekdays
Outdoor ceremony & dinner set-up up to 30 pax. Indoor soft music.
6x parking included. External transport & bathrooms. No marquee or loud music installation possible.
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![A Celebration wedding at The Longhouse Karitane NZ]()
CELEBRATION
31-100 guests
$9,250 inc GST weekend
$8,250 inc GST weekdays
Large outdoor ceremony & dinner set-up
Consent for loud music and curfew to 12am.
External marquee, transport, bathrooms, music installation hire on large scale.
Slow Wedding
Today’s couples are moving away from performance-driven weddings and toward celebrations rooted in meaning. The focus is no longer on spectacle alone - but on experience, emotional depth and shared presence.
At The Longhouse, your wedding unfolds across time. Guests don’t simply attend - they settle in. They walk the beach. They share long-table meals. They witness the beginning of your next chapter in a setting that feels lived-in and real.
A sample slow-wedding itinery without the Saturday pressure looks like:A timeline:
Friday
Arrive.
Welcome drinks.
Beach walk.
Rehearsal dinner.
Saturday
Slow breakfast.
Ceremony.
Long-table feast.
Sunset photographs.
Firepit.
Sunday
Coffee together.
Recovery brunch.
One last walk along the coast.
Depart slowly.
Why Couples Choose The Longhouse
Exclusive Use
Slow Wedding
The entire property is yours to enjoy.
Celebrate over two nights rather than a single afternoon.
Style it your Way
Coastal Otago
Historic architecture overlooking the Pacific Ocean & Karitane Beach - an outstanding natural landscape.
Work with your own creative team or choose from our trusted local suppliers.
A Place to Begin
Perched above the Pacific Ocean, The Longhouse is more than a wedding venue. It is a place where family and friends gather, settle in and celebrate without hurry.
Our historic coastal building and surrounding rural landscape offer a setting that feels both expansive and intimate. Ocean horizons meet long-table dinners. Native grasses frame quiet moments. Time stretches gently across a weekend designed for connection.
Available on an exclusive-use basis, the house becomes your home for the weekend, allowing your wedding to unfold naturally across shared meals, quiet moments and joyful celebrations.
Here, the beginning of your next chapter feels grounded, personal and deeply memorable. Exclusive use. Complete creative freedom. A wedding that reflects your story.
Modern couples are choosing immersive, emotionally rich celebrations over performance-driven events. This is where presence replaces pressure. Where meaning replaces spectacle. Where your beginning feels grounded and real.
celebrate the moments
WEDDINGS
Planning your Stay
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The Longhouse is a Barefoot Lux Historic Coastal Retreat and Venue. It can be hired out for private accommodation stays for up to 12 persons. We are also available for exclusive hire for weddings, events and retreats.
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The Longhouse is located in Karitane, approximately 30 kilometres north of Dunedin in Otago , South Island New Zealand.
Christchurch - 4 hours drive north
Queenstown - 3 hours drive west
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Yes. The Longhouse is available for exclusive use and private hire. We do both Long term and Short Term Hireage.
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The Longhouse can accommodate up to 12 guests.
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The Longhouse is ideal for multi generational families, friends and small intimate groups seeking an exclusive, luxury slow stay.
The Longhouse Almanac
This month we noticed....
July is a time for stillness
The sea has taken on its winter steel-blue colour.
The first big snow fall in the ranges have appeared.
Our mornings begin frosty.
The Hellebores, Leucadendron and Flowering Kowhai lift our spirits with their mid-winter blooms.
Winter has its own cadence. The fireplace keeps us warm
Stews cooked over the Aga
Not asking us to do less.
Simply inviting us to notice more.
Sense of Place
Just thirty minutes north of Dunedin-New Zealand's historic southern city, renowned for its cultural heritage, distinctive architecture and world-class wildlife experiences-The Longhouse offers a relaxed and authentic way to discover Coastal Otago.
The Otago coast has a quiet way of revealing itself.
Changing light.
Wild beaches.
Sea birds and wildlife.
Historic settlements.
Unique Geology.
Every season brings something new to notice.
Experience the history, landscape and rhythm of Coastal Otago.
Gather Well
Some of the most memorable moments are often the simplest.
Long breakfasts that become lunch.
Children running between the garden and the beach.
Books left open beside the fire.
Meals shared without watching the clock.
The Longhouse was made for gathering—and for making time to enjoy it.
Our Story
More than a century ago, The Longhouse was envisioned by Sir Truby King as a place where light, fresh air, gardens and the sea could help people flourish.
Today, while its purpose has evolved, the house continues to offer what it always has—a place where people come together to celebrate, reconnect and rediscover the quiet rhythms of coastal life.
Welcome to The Longhouse
For more than a century this house has welcomed people drawn to the Otago coast by its light, its landscape and the simple pleasure of sharing time together.
Whether you come to celebrate, reconnect with family and friends, host a retreat or simply spend a few unhurried days by the sea, we know you'll feel at home here.
STAY
A private house to share with family and friends.
An unforgettable setting for life's most meaningful occasions.
CELEBRATE
RETREAT
Time and space to restore, reconnect and begin again. Permission to pause