A global pandemic means weddings all around the world are being postponed, but here in New Zealand, a venue like no other is proving incredibly popular.
And now, Ōhaupō’s secret garden is finding a home in new hands.
Gardening innovator and previous Tree Church owner Barry Cox says the natural treasure was a vision that flourished in his mind 15-years-ago.
“It starts off like a blurred vision and then you see the final result and I always see what the end result is from the start,” Cox explained to Seven Sharp.
“I drink red wine, Coca Cola and dark chocolate to the point of just about having a migraine and then, say, 2 or 3 o’ clock in the morning, I come up with all these ideas.”
His legacy - a chapel made almost entirely of tress.
Cox had built the place for himself to enjoy, and had never intended for his garden to be made public, but then it "just grew and grew and it had so many people coming in that I decided to open to the public to try and control it".
In only a few years, his backyard oasis was hot property for couples wanting to tie the knot.
“If you'd said to me that you’re going to get 25,000 hits on a YouTube clip a day 10 years ago, I would’ve wondered what you’ve been sniffing.”
But maintaining a living work of art takes work and at 70 years old, Cox has decided to hand over the mantle to his unwitting apprentice, Chris Gatenby, who has been working on the gardens for the past four years.
Gatenby took over the job following encouragement from Cox and his wife Bev.
The pair have a vision of their own, too, by bringing in more people and "making it available to people for what it offers to people - for that serenity,” Bev said.
Cox said change to the garden is “inevitable,” adding that the couple are "gonna take it up to the next level".
Thankfully, there’s a wealth of experience who’s always happy to stop by.
“I come back whenever I like, I can come in when it’s all closed and wander around the garden,” Cox said.
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