The
Boulevard
Is set on the edge of Studley Park,
so it has glorious views over bushland of the city, just a few kilometers away.
It means that you could potentially have a wedding by the river, surrounded by
bushland, and then take a short stroll up the hill to the reception. They also
do excellent food, which is not always par for the course with large scale
catering.
Campbell
Point House
This is a massive, pimping faux
mansion. I say faux, it is a mansion but it’s been styled to look old timey
where in fact it’s pretty new. It is set on fairly lavish grounds, the long
drive is lined with trees as you pass through acres of manicured lawns. The
mansion is set by a lake, and there is a large area just below it that is
purpose built for functions like weddings. There is a separate building that
plays host to an infinity pool. For those who really want to large it, there’s
even a helipad. There’s certainly enough accommodation to host bridal parties
for the weekend and it has a fully equipped kitchen and catering options.
Montsalvat
If you want to get married at this
beautiful old artists’ colony by the Yarra in Eltham, you’d better book early.
It is one of the most popular wedding venues Melbourne has to offer. It has
several buildings of various sizes for both ceremonies and receptions.
The
Regal Ballroom
Is an old theatre that has been
restored to glory. It’s really a very beautiful room and the prices are quite
reasonable. The room can easily be set for a wedding ceremony and reassembled
for the reception later on. The place is huge so it can cater for really big
weddings.
The
Chapter House
Adjacent to St Paul’s Cathedral in
Flinders Lane, The Chapter House is not only a beautifully maintained nineteenth
century hall, it also has extraordinary acoustics. It is now managed by Peter
Rowland, who despite their catering at huge footy matches, can also pull out
some pretty decent food when the opportunity arises.
Carome
Homestead
A very old country homestead and
mill in Mernda. Whilst this would have been all but rural a few years ago,
suburbia has crept up and surrounded this lovely homestead in recent years. The
homestead itself, however, is set on large open fields and you can look in most
directions and be fooled that you’re in the bush. The crew that run this place
are professional, but thoroughly rambunctious. You can expect to have a good
time.
Fairfield
Park Boathouse
Set on the other side of Studley
park to the Boulevard, this charming old wooden building has views of the river
and bushy parkland and not much else. It also has a genuine amphitheatre that
is a pretty awesome place to get married without amplification. It has the
added joy of being able to go boating on the river at some stage during the
day, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Flemington
Racecourse
Some people like to relive the
dipsomaniacal revelry of days gone by in a way that they may actually remember.
Outside of major race days, this is actually a very pleasant spot to be. You
can get married in the dress circle amid well maintained rose gardens and
surprisingly verdant and non-muddy lawns. The only heels cast onto the ground
will be your own and the champagne comes in large glass bottles. Just don’t go
for a wedding in the middle of spring, it will be difficult to focus.
Melbourne
Zoo
As the zoo winds down and the people
are all ushered to the gates, the more self-aware animals breathe a sigh of
relief as they are no longer on display and can eat in peace. Tucked away in a
pleasant and secluded lawn, there are likely people getting married, observed
only by their guests and the odd giant tortoise. If you haven’t been to the zoo
for a while, it is still a zoo, granted, but the environs are more pleasant
than they’ve ever been, both in and out of the enclosures. You can sometimes
actually kid yourself that you’re in a rainforest, hopefully that illusion
extends somewhat to the quadrupedal residents.
Pipemakers
Park
Located in Maribyrnong along what
used to be known as the Saltwater River, it was one of Melbourne’s oldest
industrial areas. This particular spot was home to a facility that made…wait
for it…pipes! The employees of the pipe works, many of whom were migrants and
lived in small workers cottages etc. spent their lunches and evenings tending
the parklands below the factory and turned them into lovely gardens filled with
fruit and olive trees. It is this section of the park that I recommend. It’s
lovely and a little secluded.
Royal
Botanic Gardens
Being ensconced in several hectares
of carefully maintained gardens and looking out over the city from a hill is a
lovely thing. You really need to get in ahead of time but if you do, they’ll
even give you permission to drive cars up to the spot.
HMAS
Castlemaine
A retired corvette, or small war
ship from the WWII era. The couple that run it are lovely and happy for wedding
to be held there, especially just after regular visiting hours on the weekend.
The catch is that it was designed for practical things, like withstanding
gunfire, and the designers didn’t really put in function spaces. That said, you
can squeeze your guests around the main guns on the deck, or if you have only a
few guests you could find some room below deck.
The
Kew Billabongs (Willsmere-Chandler Parks)
There are 2 vestiges of the floodplains
of yore in the lower reaches of the Yarra River, both of them in Kew, just
north of the Eastern freeway. They both have the feeling of old timey bushland
and in summer you can happily leap away from red bellies that slither through
the park. A truly idyllic bushy spots that are close to town.
Pioneer
Women’s Memorial Garden
In the Domain, just out of the city,
this is a slightly sunken spot, with a glorious water feature. It’s thoroughly
worth looking at. I have a personal romantic association with this place,
having proposed to my wife there over some French cheese. I’m happy to share
the spot with you!
Beach Wedding Venues Melbourne
In the country with the largest
number of beaches, beach weddings are popular. It is important to remember that
the weather here is not nearly as predictable as the weather in Cairns or
Perth, though I have conducted many weddings out on the beach at random spots.
Below are a couple of beach wedding venues Melbourne has very sensibly built
either right on the sands or right next to them, so that a wedding can move
indoors if the need arises.
Sandbar
Beach Cafe
Situated right on the beach at
Middle Park, Sand Bar is a barrel of laughs. There is a terrace on the beach
side that merges seamlessly with the beach, and when the wind is low and the
weather is right, big sliding glass doors open the whole place to the seaside.
Among the beach wedding venues Melbourne has, this one seems to strike a good
balance between practicality, fun, affordability and good attitude. I say that
as I keep getting booked to do services here, so something must be working for
them!