YOUR STORY DESERVES A ONCE UPON A FOREST…

A wedding that feels like yours.

Some weddings are produced. Yours should be lived.

There’s a version of your wedding where you’re present for all of it, the ceremony, the dinner, the dancing, the slow morning after. Where the day moves at a pace you recognise. Where the people around you are exactly the ones you wanted there.

Old Forest School exists for that version.

A former country school, built in 1933, set in five acres of romantic garden outside Tauranga. When you’re here, the whole place is yours — the gardens, the buildings, every quiet corner of it. We host one wedding at a time, and we hold your day with care.

The Place

Five acres entirely surrounded by forest. Heritage buildings that have been here since 1933 and have been loved ever since. Walled gardens, a wildlife pond, open lawns, long light in the afternoons.

It photographs beautifully, but more than that, it feels like somewhere. Your guests will notice it the moment they arrive. Here you can gather the people who matter, slow the pace, and be held by an environment that makes everything feel easier.

This is a place where authenticity matters more than perfection. Where you can cry during your vows without worrying about your makeup. Where your grandmother can wander the gardens at her own pace. Where your friends can linger over dinner instead of shuffling through a receiving line. Where the day feels like yours because it actually is.

We’re not for everyone, but for some we are perfect. We’re for couples who are tired of being told how their wedding should look and brave enough to ask what it should feel like instead.

What Makes Old Forest School Different

It’s Not Trying to Be Perfect

And that’s the point. Things rust and age here. Paint peels (a little). Flowers grow where they want. The old tennis court softens with time, its edges blending into the landscape.  We’re not fighting nature…we’re collaborating with it.

In a world obsessed with performance and control, Old Forest School is refreshingly, honestly itself.

You’re Not Performing Here

Exclusive use means exactly that. When you’re here, Old Forest School is yours. No other bookings. No interruptions. No strangers wandering through your frame. No performance for an audience that isn’t yours.

Just you, your people, and permission to let the day be what it wants to be.

The Scale is Right

Not so large you lose intimacy. Not so small you feel restricted.

This is the Goldilocks problem, solved. Thirty to one-twenty people feels abundant without feeling anonymous. Sixteen people for a retreat feels spacious without feeling lonely. You won’t get lost, but you also won’t feel crowded.

Time Moves Differently

Perhaps it’s the forest. Perhaps it’s the absence of wifi pressure. Perhaps it’s simply what happens when you stop rushing long enough to notice.

People arrive wound tight. They leave softer. That’s not our doing—that’s the place itself.

Forests, Ponds, Ferns & Gardens That Shift With the Seasons

We’re ringed by mature native forest that was here long before us. The morning birdsong is almost absurd. Tui, kereru, fantails. Sometimes you’ll hear nothing human at all.

Wildflower meadows ripple with light. The walled garden catches afternoon sun. The pond reflects morning. Everything here is alive, changing, genuinely beautiful without trying.

A Place Shaped by Care

Thoughtful staff. Gentle hosting. Genuine warmth. We’re not here to manage you—we’re here to hold space for what matters.

Things rust here. Paint peels (a little). Roses grow where they want. We’re not fighting nature—we’re collaborating with it. In a world obsessed with curation and control, Old Forest School is refreshingly, honestly itself.

Planning Support & Clarity at Every Step

For weddings, you’re supported from booking to your day. Access to our beautifully designed Planning Library. Seasonal Return to the Forest Sessions where you wander the grounds at your own pace. A team who actually cares that your day unfolds beautifully.

This is the Old Forest School difference. Warmth. Organization. Beauty. And a level of care no one else offers.

Seclusion Without Being Remote

45 minutes from Rotorua and Tauranga. Remote enough to feel removed from the world, close enough to actually get to. You can’t see the road from most of the property. You can barely remember there is a road.

Choices to make the day feel like yours…

Ceremony

Seven locations, each with its own character.

The Round
Beneath the canopy, encircled by the gardens. Dappled light, the sound of birds.

In Front of the Little Barn
Open, relaxed, the barn as a backdrop draped in wisteria and roses.

The Terrace
Eevated, overlooking the gardens and lawns below.

The Walled Garden
Enclosed and private. A hidden world that feels entirely your own.

The Wildlife Pond
Framed by old working buildings, reflections shifting in the afternoon light.

The Games Lawn
Open sky, the garden at the edges, space all around you.

The Schoolhouse
inside, when the weather turns or the mood calls for it. Honest timber, good bones, nostalgic in the best way.

You’ll likely feel drawn to one of these the moment you walk the property. We’ll make it yours.

 

Cocktail Hour

After the ceremony, the property opens up. Guests roam the gardens, settle onto the terrace, gather on the games lawn or in front of the Little Barn. Lawn games are out. Garden furniture appears where it’s needed.

This tends to be the part of the day couples say they didn’t expect to love as much as they did. Unhurried. Everyone together. Nowhere else to be.

Dinner

Long tables. Good food. Speeches that run longer than planned and nobody minds.

Dine outside on the Schoolhouse terrace, in front of the Little Barn, or in the Noshery as the light softens. You choose your own caterer. No corkage. Bring what you love.

Dancing

Then the Little Barn. Festoon lights. A disco ball that has no right to work as well as it does. Music that starts gentle and builds until it doesn’t need to anymore.

Real dancing. Not choreographed. Not content. Just people who love you, celebrating.

The Morning After

If you’ve stayed in the forest cabins — and we think you should — wake slowly. Walk the grounds before anyone else is up. Make coffee on the cabin porch. Let the day settle.

Couples tell us this is often their favourite part. The place, the quiet, the feeling of it all still being there.

Planning Support That Actually Helps

From the moment you book, you’re not just a number. You’re part of something we care about deeply.

Return to the Forest Sessions

Seasonal open-door mornings and afternoons held exclusively for our booked couples in spring, summer, and autumn.

These aren’t rushed appointments or clipboard inspections. They’re self-led, restorative hours where we open the property just for you. You wander at your own pace, revisiting spaces, noticing seasonal changes, taking measurements, capturing inspiration, bringing family, or simply enjoying being here again.

The forest looks different in every season, and these sessions help you understand your day in ways no email or Pinterest board ever could.

Every session has its own atmosphere. Spring brings cool drinks and fresh green canopy. Summer opens every door, warm air drifting through. Autumn often features a crackling fire and gardens glowing bronze. Sometimes there’s home baking. Sometimes a barista. Sometimes just quiet.

We’re always there, not to lead, but to support. To answer questions, problem-solve, help you see your day with new eyes.

Because weddings aren’t planned on paper, they’re shaped by place. Seeing how autumn light hits the ceremony lawn. Understanding how spring flowers frame the schoolhouse. Walking the exact path your guests will take.

These real-world moments make everything click. Couples tell us these sessions remove stress, bring certainty, and help their vision come together far more naturally than anywhere else they’ve visited.

The Old Forest School Planning Library

Our private, beautifully designed collection of guides, forms, checklists, and planning resources. No one else in New Zealand offers anything like this.

Every single piece has been written, designed, and refined by us, based on more than a decade of hosting weddings at Old Forest School. It’s not generic. Not repurposed from templates. Not borrowed from Pinterest.

Inside you’ll find:

• Uploadable forms that make planning easy and intuitive
• Clear, friendly guidance for florals, bar service, cake delivery, transport, timings
• Beautifully designed explanations written in our warm voice
• Pro tips and things you may not have thought about yet
• The exact information we need to run your day seamlessly

Couples tell us they can’t believe how detailed, thoughtful, and useful it is. Some say it’s better than having a planner, because it’s written by the team who will actually be hosting their day.

Because clarity creates calm. The Library answers questions you didn’t even know you had. It helps you make decisions earlier, avoid last-minute stress, and understand exactly what will happen—from setup to last drinks.

Where do I begin…Thank you so much for allowing us to have the wedding of our dreams! I can’t tell you how much we are in love with old forest school. The incredible work you both put into the school to make it what it is for all the couples and guests every season is just magical. I don’t think any amount of time will be enough to soak in the beauty for the grounds without wanting to say goodbye. It was such a gorgeous day for us, couldn’t have asked for better! Thank you for your help leading up to the day, you are both just so lovely and have been a pleasure to work with in the lead up to our day, and our day itself. Old forest school will always hold a special place in our hearts and I hope we get the privilege to visit again one day.

Victoria and Brooke 

 

WEDDING PACKAGE INCLUSIONS 

Our pricing is made up of two parts: the Base Venue Fee and the Per Guest Rate, which applies to every guest and reflects the individual hospitality and amenities we prepare for each person. This simple and transparent approach ensures everything is tailored to the number of people you choose to share your day with, while honouring the care and love we pour into maintaining a heritage property and welcoming each guest to Old Forest School.

BASE VENUE FEE

Exclusive hire of Old Forest School. Email support throughout planning. Access to our Planning Library. Invitations to our Booked Couple Open Days. Full opening and presentation of the property on your day: gardens, buildings, lighting, power, cleaning, and a dedicated team.

PER GUEST RATE

Bar and event staff. Beautiful cut glassware. Non-alcoholic drinks and bar snacks. Tea and coffee service. Lawn games. Decorative setup of your supplied items. Everything prepared individually for every guest.

We are fully BYO, no corkage, no alcohol charges.

Two ways to celebrate at Old Forest School

The Feature. Our full wedding offering. Flexible timing, up to 120 guests, midnight close on Saturdays. The full property, the full day.

The Edit. A contained celebration for smaller gatherings, up to 60 guests. Shorter format, playlist-only atmosphere, closes at 9pm. Sunday through Friday.

THE FEATURE 

THE EDIT 

If you’re choosing between the two, we’ll help you land on the right fit quickly.

“Oh we had just the absolute best day! For us we felt everything ran so perfectly from start to finish! Such an amazing venue that will forever have a place in our hearts. It was just a magical fairytale, all that we could have wanted and so much more! You were also awesome to deal with too, we love your passion for OFS and you run such a smooth operation too, made for a seamless day!

Elizabeth and Daniel

Ready to chat? Our arrange a viewing? Then get in touch with us via email at info@oldforestschool.co.nz

We are a total BYO: NO Corkage or Alcohol Charges
All prices inclusive GST. Some date exclusions apply. Public Holiday Rates apply.
Prices valid at January 2026, but are subject to change, deposit secures current hire rate.
Terms and Conditions apply. Above times indicate access time for commercial vendors only, guest arrival time from 2pm. *Finish Time indicates lights out, gate closed everyone vacated the venue.

THANK YOU

We give a massive heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful photographers and couples who over the years have shared their photos with us, welcoming us to use them on websites and socials.  We love having you here, seeing how you see our world and enabling us to share.

You are awesome.  

Many photographers have moved on to doing different things in their life, some incredibly exciting, so won’t be listed below but are always in our thoughts…looking at you http://rosemcmahon.com

https://alexandraweddings.co.nz/
https://www.andreastephensphotography.com
blackrobinphotography.co.nz
davidle.co.nz
https://www.dear-white.com
radial.co.nz
https://www.justinaitken.com
http://katelittlephotography.com
https://www.kennychickphotography.com
https://www.leroexmedia.com
https://lydiarachel.com
https://www.mhbphotography.co.nz
https://newfound.co.nz
https://www.pureimages.co.nz
https://rambo-estrada.com
https://melissakingphotography.myportfolio.com/about
https://www.roseminneephotography.com
https://stateofgraceweddingphotography.com
https://bhanaphotography.co.nz
https://theweddingguys.co.nz