It is built from Totara wood which Ms Forlong said creates a beautiful atmosphere for a wedding.
It originally housed horses, as part of the estate set up by Mr Donald and his wife Elizabeth to run dairy farms and the Tarureka Butter Factory.
Mr Donald trudged over the Rimutakas from Upper Hutt every weekend buying pieces of land to start the farms.
The eight-acre estate also has an historic homestead and cottage for guests and four acres of gardens.
Ms Forlong said it hasn't changed much, thanks to generations of the Donald family who have maintained and protected its heritage.
"The children's horses' names are still carved into the stalls."
She said to be listed alongside other beautiful venues around the world was very flattering.
The venue is so popular it is booked out during summer, the wedding season, until 2016, she said. "People can come and stay for the whole weekend, it's a lovely holiday for everyone with a wedding in between."
Ms Forlong, who has run the estate for five years, said she was trying to encourage winter weddings because it was just as beautiful as in summer and there weren't as many bookings.
Barn venues listed included Preston Court in Kent, England, Villa Catureglio in Tuscany, Italy and Riverdale Barn in Craigavon, Northern Ireland.
