At Markovina Estate, we have a diverse range of ceremony locations, all unique in their own way, with various benefits and reasons why they are so popular. Each of them feels like its own world, despite being all contained within our 10-acre Auckland wedding venue. Furthermore, we have won several wedding awards for the diversity of these stunning ceremony locations. However, with such choice comes difficulty deciding which ceremony location to make that lifelong commitment. In this blog series, we go through each location one by one and highlight their main features, seasonal changes, as well as the rich history behind the venue and each ceremony space. In this piece, we will be going through The Barrel Waterfall.
The Barrel Waterfall
This stunning and very popular ceremony location is set against the backdrop of the barrel waterfall. Your guests sit underneath the trees on a hot sunny day. Just envision the moment the music begins, and the bridal party makes their way down the stunning pearly white stone pathway one by one. Finally, the bride is seen peeking around the corner from our bridal room, slowly walking down the white path to meet her groom. The ceremony takes place in front of the jetty on the pond, filled by our barrel waterfall. This one-of-a-kind ceremony location is one of our most popular for a reason. But how did it come to be?
The History
The barrel used to make the waterfall isn’t just a random barrel, but an authentic Markovina barrel with a story that dates back to the estate winemaking days. Before becoming the stunning wedding venue it is today, the entire estate used to be a vineyard, complete with lush rows of various grape varietals and the full distilling setup for wine, port & sherry. This winemaking was led by the late Ivan Markovina, who made wine like his ancestors had for generations back in Korcula, Croatia. Several barrels were included in this process. The barrel waterfall feature at one of our most popular ceremony locations is still one of these original barrels used in the aging process of port & sherry.
Seasonal Considerations
The barrel waterfall is one of our most popular ceremony locations, especially during the summer months. The trees on either side of the aisle, full of leaves, give excellent shade coverage. This becomes so important during the peak heat of the afternoon. All your guests will be dressed in multiple layers, ready to celebrate your special day. This attire can be warm during winter, let alone in the
peak summer heat and direct sunlight. Therefore, the shade provided at the barrel waterfall gives your guests that calm environment, allowing them to enjoy your wedding ceremony.
Other Considerations
One key benefit of the barrel waterfall is its proximity to the reception space. After the ceremony, your guests are already located near our outdoor bar, where guests often congregate during the cocktail hour. This is great for a few reasons. Guests with limited mobility don’t have far to travel to relax and enjoy themselves, and guests are usually together, making it easy to call on people for group photos with the bride and groom while still being able to enjoy a beverage or two.
Another benefit is the direct path from the bridal room to the aisle. This is excellent news for the bride and her bridesmaids. Before walking down the aisle, you can take a moment to collect yourselves and get excited for the big moment, all in a comfortable, air-conditioned bridal room.
Finally, right to the left of the barrel waterfall is another ceremony location, the barrels. While you don’t need multiple ceremony locations, many wedding parties use the barrels as a spot for their group photos. Being closely located to your group photo area makes it easy for guests to know where they need to be to take a photo with the wedding couple at our Kumeu wedding venue.
Final Thoughts
With such a rich history, great shade coverage during the hot summer months, and a perfect location on the Markovina Estate, it's no wonder this is one of our most popular ceremony locations. If you’d like to check out the barrel waterfall and explore our other ceremony locations at our Kumeu wedding venue, contact our teams to book a viewing at Markovina Estate.
