Rosewood Cape Kidnappers is an estate destination wedding venue in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, hosting 10 to 200 guests in the $$$$ price range, reached from Napier Airport (Hawke's Bay Airport) (NPE), approx 30 min by car. Best months: February, March, April, October.
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers occupies 6,000 acres of working sheep and beef farmland on the cliffs above Hawke's Bay, where the land ends abruptly at the Pacific Ocean and the horizon runs uninterrupted for miles.
About Rosewood Cape Kidnappers
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers occupies 6,000 acres of working sheep and beef farmland on the cliffs above Hawke's Bay, where the land ends abruptly at the Pacific Ocean and the horizon runs uninterrupted for miles.
Ceremonies and receptions take place across three distinct spaces: a converted woolshed Clubhouse with exposed timber and a rural pastoral scale, a Four Bedroom Villa with panoramic coastal outlooks and open living volumes suited to intimate gatherings, and a stone-and-wood Wine Cellar lit by ambient candlelight for seated dinners of a more private character.
The surrounding landscape, dramatic cliff ridgelines, rolling farmland, and New Zealand's premier wine country, is not incidental backdrop but the actual texture of the experience, informing everything from the menus built on Hawke's Bay produce to pre-ceremony shepherding tours and rounds of golf at one of the world's most vertiginous courses.
Full lodge buyouts are available, giving wedding parties exclusive access to the entire property, its suites, villa, spa, and kitchens, a level of containment that turns the estate into something closer to a private country house than a hotel.
Ask about a date.
Choose a day from the calendar.
Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A first note comes back within two business days.
OMG!! I cannot say enough about this place. We’ve stayed at many Rosewood properties before, but this is certainly the best!! Beautiful rooms and common areas. Amazing service. So many special touches.
sara mathew · read the whole review on Google →Capacity, rooms and facilities
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- NPE, 30 min by carAisle estimate
Venue highlights
- The Clubhouse: a converted woolshed set apart from the main lodge
- Four Bedroom Villa with cliffside ocean views for intimate ceremonies
- Wine Cellar dining room with stone walls, wood detail, and ambient lighting
- Full lodge buyout available for exclusive-use wedding weekends
The wedding season
A sample wedding weekend
See the day-by-day outline+
Use this as a starting point and adapt it to your bookings and guests.
- 5:00 PMWelcome reception at The Clubhouse with Hawke's Bay wine and seasonal canapés as guests arrive and settle into the lodge
- 10:00 AMShepherding tour of the working farm with the estate's shepherd and Huntaway dogs for guests; golf at Cape Kidnappers Course for others
- 4:00 PMCeremony at the Four Bedroom Villa lawn or clifftop setting with Pacific Ocean views
- 6:30 PMReception dinner in The Clubhouse with tasting menu and regional wine pairings; dancing into the evening
- 11:00 AMFarewell brunch at the main lodge dining room with full breakfast; optional spa treatments or Cape Sanctuary conservation tour before departure
Costs and booking details
- Getting there
- NPE · approx 30 min by car
Guests fly into Napier Airport (Hawke's Bay Airport). Our team arranges every transfer.
- Typical total
- approx USD 200,000–350,000 for a 3-day, 80-guest celebration with full lodge buyoutAisle estimate
Full lodge buyout packages typically bundle accommodation, venue fees, and F&B minimums, but florals, entertainment, and third-party vendors are additional.
- Ceremony fee
- approx USD 3,000–6,000Aisle estimate
A one-time licence and setup fee, paid to the venue.
- Reception
- approx USD 300–500 per guest / headAisle estimate
A seated dinner with wine and service, by headcount.
- Room rate
- approx USD 1,200–3,500 per room or suite per night / nightAisle estimate
A standard room in the wedding window. Group rates on request.
- Weather window
- February – April, October
The 4 months the weather is kindest. Weather does not indicate whether a date is available.
- Direct line
- 06 875 1900
Answered by the venue in local hours. Our team picks up otherwise.
Questions about the venue
What is the maximum guest capacity for a wedding?+
The property does not publish a single hard capacity figure, but based on the scale of The Clubhouse (a converted woolshed) and the lodge's overall footprint, receptions of 80–120 guests are well within scope. Intimate ceremonies in the Villa or Wine Cellar suit parties of 10–40. For larger events approaching 150–200, a full lodge buyout with use of all venue spaces is the appropriate structure. Rosewood's wedding team will confirm exact setup capacities for your guest count at enquiry.
Are exclusive buyouts available?+
Yes. Rosewood Cape Kidnappers offers a full lodge reservation package that gives the wedding party exclusive use of the entire property, all accommodation, venues, dining spaces, and facilities. This is the most common structure for destination wedding groups and ensures complete privacy across the 6,000-acre estate for the duration of the event.
When is the best season to marry here?+
Hawke's Bay sits on New Zealand's east coast and is one of the country's sunniest regions. The harvest season from late February into April adds particular character to the food and wine program, when the region's vineyards and orchards are at their most active. Spring weddings from October–November are also viable and typically quieter.
What's the food and beverage approach?+
The culinary program is built around Hawke's Bay's exceptional produce, the region is designated a Great Wine Capital and is New Zealand's primary fruit and vegetable growing area. The kitchen team constructs menus for each wedding, tailored to the couple's brief and the season. Wine-paired tasting dinners are a signature offering, and the Wine Cellar functions as a dedicated private dining space. Canapés, aperitifs, and full breakfast programs are all standard components of the wedding packages.
Press coverage
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Sources and booking notes
Confirm your dates, guest numbers, room arrangements and inclusions with the venue before booking. An enquiry does not reserve a date. Figures labelled Aisle estimate are modelled from regional rates and public sources; they are not venue quotes.