TANTALUS ESTATE
A photographer’s guide to a luxury, Italian-inspired wedding surrounded by vineyards on Waiheke Island.
WHY I LOVE TANTALUS ESTATE
A Little Taste of Tuscany on Waiheke
The rows of vines, tall Italian cypress trees, warm earthy stone and beautiful gardens have a classic Tuscan vibe.
The setting gives you so much to work with. I love the muted, earthy colours of the building and landscape. The sandy coloured stone and brick coloured gravel look beautiful against a white dress and black suit.
For me, it's the combination of Italian atmosphere, beautiful architecture, vineyards and gardens that makes Tantalus so special.
Amanda's TANTALUS ESTATE Notes
Timeline tip: Prioritise couple photographs after ceremony, then work bridal party and family photos around them
Getting ready: Choose spacious accommodation with beautiful natural light for photos
Food: Amazing, they have a Michelin star!
Best season: Early autumn
Best for: Couples wanting an elegant, sophisticated wedding with a timeless Italian vibe
My favourite thing about Tantalus: It really does feel like a little piece of Tuscany on Waiheke.
Best feature: The Tuscan vibe created by the vineyards, cypress trees and architecture
Overall feeling: Luxury, sophisticated and Italian
Best photo locations: Vineyard gravel path, garden, building and stairs
Extra photo locations: Decanter Room and courtyard (with additional access)
Best time for couple photos: Around 6pm in March and April
Sunset: The sun disappears behind the hills around 6:30pm, so don't plan your timeline around sunset
Ceremony: The garden is stunning; the terrace is a beautiful wet-weather option
My Favourite Photo Locations at TANTALUS ESTATE
the Garden
I love the warmth of the brick coloured gravel path and the leading lines it creates in a photo. The landscaping and the grape vines in the background are beautiful soft colours and give that Tuscan vibe.
The entrance
The creamy tones of the building and the stone work beautifully compliment the Bride and Groom in their black and white. The architecture and colours are timeless and classic, also giving romantic Italian vibes.
The steps
The steps are a great place for posing the Bridal party and showing off a long veil or train. Again, love the colours of the stonework in this area.
The decanter room
If we can get access to the Decanter Room, it's another great option for photographs. It’s moody dark vibes give the gallery a completely different look. Also, great wet weather option.
Planning Your TANTALUS ESTATE Wedding Timeline
The ceremony at Tantalus is usually around 5pm, which means there is a small window of daylight left for photos. So you need to plan your timeline efficiently to suit this.
I think it's really important to plan the day around the best light for your couple photographs, rather than trying to fit couple photos into whatever time happens to be left.
March and April are the popular months for Tantalus, and with sunset around 7pm, the sun will disappear behind the surrounding hills at around 6:30pm.
I'd aim to get you away for your couple photographs at 6pm, then photograph the bridal party and family afterwards.
And I wouldn't worry about trying to get a sunset photograph here. You don't really get that big, glowing sunset because the hills block the sun quite early. I'd much rather get you beautiful photographs while the light is right and then have you back with your guests, enjoying the evening.
You've chosen Tantalus because it's beautiful — so make the most of actually being there.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIMELINE
AUTUMN
2 PM GETTING READY PHOTOS WITH GROOM/GROOMSMEN & FAMILY
3 PM GETTING READY PHOTOS WITH BRIDE/BRIDESMAIDS & FAMILY
5 PM CEREMONY
5.30 PM COCKTAIL HOUR
6 PM COUPLE PHOTOS, BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS
6.45 PM FAMILY PHOTOS
7 PM RECEPTION BEGINS
10 PM FIRST DANCE / DANCE FLOOR OPENS
10.30 PHOTOGRAPHY CEASES
Make the Most of Getting Ready PHOTOS
Because the ceremony is later in the day, there are some great opportunities to get more photographs earlier.
I'd put some thought into where you're getting ready and choose accommodation with good natural light, plenty of space and a setting you love. It makes such a difference to getting-ready photographs and gives us another beautiful environment to work in.
We can also photograph some of your family, and bridesmaids/groomsmen before the ceremony. This takes some pressure off the post-ceremony timeline and means we can concentrate on getting you away for your couple photographs at the best time.
TANTALUS HIGHLIGHTS
Amanda's Verdict
Tantalus is a venue where I think the setting really is the star.
The vineyards, cypress trees, gardens and earthy architecture all come together to create photographs that feel elegant and timeless, without needing lots of decoration or extra locations.
My biggest piece of advice is to protect your couple photo time. With a later ceremony and the hills blocking the sun relatively early, the timeline needs some good planning.
Get your photographs while the light is beautiful, then go and enjoy the rest of your evening. The food is incredible, the setting is gorgeous and Tantalus is the kind of place where you'll want to sit down, soak it in, and enjoy being there with your guests.
REAL WEDDINGS
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW A REAL TANTALUS WEDDING
NOOR & JONO
TANTALUS ESTATE, WAIHEKE ISLAND
Getting married at Tantalus?
If you're planning a Tantalus wedding and
want photographs that make the most of it’s italian vibes, I'd love to hear about your plans.