Queenstown wedding planner Jacqui Spice, of Touch of Spice, said her clients would on average spend $50,000 on their Queenstown wedding.
"I think it is vital we promote Queenstown as New Zealand's leading wedding destination. The whole tourism industry here benefits from it.
"Weddings mean increased [use of] accommodation, dining out, shopping, sightseeing excursions," she said.
People from all over New Zealand and the world chose Queenstown as a wedding destination.
"Clients love the beautiful scenery combined with the fabulous cuisine and world class service they receive here.
"Queenstown provides them with a wedding destination so their friends and family can relax and enjoy either an extended vacation or a weekend away," she said.
Her company also helped book accommodation and plan holiday and honeymoon itineraries.
She said Stoneridge Estate, Millbrook, Jack's Point, Thurlby Domain, Amisfield and Canyons Lodge were all popular venues.
Over the Top helicopter pilot Louisa Patterson regularly flies couples to get married or have wedding photographs taken on top of Queenstown's "fabulous" mountains.
"People come from all over the world to get married on New Zealand mountains," she said.
Popular locations included alpine lakes and the top of the Remarkables.
Couples even returned years later with their children to have a picnic on the spot where they got married, she said.
Pilots often stand in as witnesses for weddings and renewing of vows.
"Our Over The Top Picnic on a Peak product is popular for proposals and we have in the past had clients from overseas who have proposed on the mountain top, married on the mountain top and brought their children back for a picnic on a mountain top.
"Now that is a return client," she said.
Holly and Tim Buchanan, of Dunedin, got married on January 9 in Queenstown Gardens.
Mrs Buchanan said the experience was "really beautiful".
The ceremony was held at the band rotunda, with 150 guests attending.
They had afternoon tea at the Novotel and the reception at The Winehouse and Kitchen.
"It was fantastic. The stunning views were the best part of it.
"It was gorgeous," she said.
Marriage celebrant Phillipa Cook said she officiated at more than 100 weddings a year, with most couples from outside Queenstown.
"Most people bring a lot of friends and family with them and they all use accommodation, restaurants, helicopter rides . . . so everybody benefits," she said.
Queenstown had a huge variety of venues and settings for weddings.
"A lot go to the lakefront, the gardens, the mountains - it depends on the time of year.
"Arrowtown and Lake Hayes are popular in autumn because of the beautiful autumn colours and the Remarkables are popular in winter because people can get married in the snow," she said.
Stoneridge Estate manager Wayne Gore said people came from all over Europe, the United States, Australia and increasingly from Asia to get married.
Last year, more than 100 weddings were held at the estate, performed by seven celebrants.
About 10 were "elopements", where the couple travelled alone from overseas to get married.
"A big part of it is the alpine setting, the scenery and the adventure activities . . . bring people here.
"Queenstown has got tremendous opportunities for photographs, especially for heli-weddings," he said.
Queenstown photographer Emily Adamson said she had photographed couples from as far away as the Netherlands.
The scenery was a big draw card for couples.
"You can just walk by the lakefront and you automatically get an amazing backdrop.
"You don't have to search for spots - there's just so many.
"We have the lake, the mountains, Otago hillsides with grasses or rustic schist buildings," she said.
Weddings were a big part of the Queenstown economy.
"Couples come to Queenstown with their family and friends and they all have a holiday for a week or two.
"They use accommodation but also they do so many things here - they all go out for meals, adventure activities, winery tours, lots of tourist things."
Destination Queenstown marketing manager Graham Budd said weddings no doubt had a "fairly significant" direct economic benefit for Queenstown.
