Cliff Curtis' NZ wedding

The bride wore a strapless white dress with a sweetheart neckline, and a veil that reached to her ankles. Cliff Curtis (right) wanted a private wedding. Photos / Doug Sherring, Getty Images

A small Kiwi settlement played host to a big-time Hollywood wedding this week as movie star Cliff Curtis came home to get hitched.

The father-of-two was married on New Year's Eve at Tapuaekura a Hatupatu Marae - his family marae on the edge of Lake Rotoiti, near Rotorua.

Curtis has appeared in Hollywood films such as Collateral Damage with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Training Day with Denzel Washington, Die Hard 4.0 with Bruce Willis, Danny Boyle's Sunrise, Fracture with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling and Three Kings starring George Clooney.

A 22-seater private jet owned by an American aircraft leasing company flew into Rotorua Airport before the wedding, but it was not clear who was using the aircraft.

Curtis has also starred in Kiwi films Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider.

The 41-year-old stayed silent about the wedding this week, telling the Daily Post in an email that he wanted privacy and did not want to attract a lot of attention.

His uncle Toby Curtis said the guests, about 200, were mainly family. The bride's family had travelled to Rotoiti from Asia.

The bride sailed from the Duxton Hotel to the marae by boat.

She disembarked from the Tiua, a 53-foot luxury catamaran, accompanied by more than 10 bridesmaids, dressed in above-the-knee purple frocks, and as many flower girls, dressed in white.

The bride wore a strapless white dress with a sweetheart neckline, and a veil that reached to her ankles.

A powhiri was prepared to welcome the guests.

One of the Tiua crew said the couple booked the yacht in person, and met the crew before the big day.

"It was quite cool to be hosting him," he said, "but we've been asked not to reveal any information.

"They looked fantastic. They had a great day. The ceremony was brilliant. It was just a small family wedding."

Maurie Hill, a freelance photographer from Auckland, was holidaying at Rotoiti when he "suddenly discovered a bit of excitement in the place".

"She was a pretty Asian girl, she had about a dozen bridesmaids and a large number of whanau. They all seemed excited," he said. "They left on the boat at about 3.30pm - she was quite a doll."

Before the ceremony, Toby Curtis told the Daily Post his nephew wanted a home wedding away from Hollywood, and was pleased his family would be able to share it with him. "I think it's important to everyone," he said.