Aug 25, 2021
On the hunt for the best small wedding venues in Melbourne? Here we have created a list of the most stylish, intimate and well-managed wedding and event spaces in the heart of this great city of Melbourne.
For various reasons, we’ve enjoyed seeing an explosion in beautiful intimate small weddings (or, micro wedding packages Victoria and beyond, or, straight up elopements), which means you’re probably looking for small wedding venues in Melbourne: and if we do small venues as well as we do croissants or… anything, really, that means that this won’t be a compromise, but instead, something awesome.
If there’s one thing we’ve noticed in photographing celebrations of all shapes and sizes, there’s always a certain brilliance in intimate gatherings that just doesn’t exist in larger ones, and having a small wedding in the short term still means you can have a larger celebration down the line, with less planning infrastructure.
Pair that with the classic Melbourne tendency to get creative with things, and it makes for a brilliant range of Small wedding venue options. If you’re looking for a cheap wedding venue Melbourne or beyond, dialling things down and hosting a smaller wedding with a more intimate guest list can be one way of doing that. (See also: small Yarra Valley Wedding venues).
Ahead of the curve in the small-wedding game, The Altar Electric has been championing the power of intimate weddings for years, and is the brainchild of The Wedding Anarchist, Sarah Dobson, and Anthony Cribbes.
One of the more characterful small wedding venues in Melbourne and nestled in the industrial back streets of Collingwood, The Altar Electric warehouse wedding venue can cater for weddings up to about 30 people, and right down to a cracking shotgun-wedding with just the two of you and your witnesses: either way, it’s one of the few elopement or wedding venues under $100 per person out there.
To top it all off, they just upgraded their space, thanks to the incredible styling handiwork of local design and party heroes, Good Day Club.
So whether you’ve got a small elopement, 5 guests, 10 guests, 20 guests, 30 guests, 40 guests, 50 guests, 60 guests, or 70 guests (I think that’s where they cap out) this brilliant peach palace is a great place to have a small wedding, and doubles as one of the more affordable wedding venues melbourne has to offer.
Enquire about their Collingwood Small Wedding Packages
The Altar Electric website: www.thealtarelectric.com.au
The Altar Electric wedding gallery: Altar Electric showcase
Venue size: Intimate, from 2, up to around 50 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: 81 Rupert St, Collingwood VIC 3066
When Covid19 hit full-steam and we were locked down to having weddings and elopements with a maximum of 5 people in total, local genius Mel of The Ceremony Store came up with a hit elopement concept that quickly spread throughout Australia, and right over into the USA: I Do Drive Thru.
I Do Drive Thru gets you married in a whirlwind elopement ceremony from the safe confines of your car, or anywhere in a public space: just you two, and the very closest of your crew. Get it said, get it done, and get away to celebrate what matters: just the two of you. Given that, this also technically makes them the most affordable wedding venue melbourne has available.
Don’t be mistaken by the name: while I Do Drive Thru might sound like, it’s a drive-thru thing, that’s only one side of what it can be. I Do Drive Thru is a small wedding ceremony and elopement planner, done anywhere you like, in exactly any style of intimate celebration that you can imagine. From loud, to quiet, to classy to crazy, and everything in between. If you’re looking to elope Melbourne or beyond, be sure to check these legendary lunatics out.
Read more about I Do Drive Thru here, each out to them to see if they’re the right fit, and ask about their small wedding packages Melbourne and beyond (they are now based in a tonne of cities). And if you loved this incredible dress, check out this lis of the best unique wedding dresses in Melbourne.
Enquire about their Drive Through Wedding Packages
I Do Drive Thru website: www.idodrivethru.com.au
I Do Drive Thru wedding gallery: Drive Through Weddings
Venue size: Scaleable, from 2, up to as many guests as you like
One of the best small wedding venues in Melbourne or places to elope in industrial surrounds, Rupert is the hidden gem of Collingwood, supporting both large wedding celebrations (80 guests, 90 guests, 100 guests and beyond) and smaller intimate ones (10 guests, small wedding venues for 20 guests, 30 guests etc) via clever use of one or more of it’s three areas. Rupert isn’t necessarily known as a Small Wedding Venue in Melbourne but is super unique in how it can be scaled to suit any size celebration, and might be one of the better elopement venues Melbourne has on offer.
To see a larger wedding in full with more examples of this incredibly stylish small wedding venue, check out this Rupert on Rupert wedding, and you’ll see why it’s one of the best intimate wedding venues Melbourne has on offer.
Enquire about Rupert on Rupert Wedding Packages with their wedding and event planner
Rupert on Rupert website: www.rupertonrupert.com.au
Rupert on Rupert wedding gallery: Rupert on Rupert Wedding
Rupert on Rupert wedding capacity: 40 – 200 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: 73 Rupert St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Two Ton Max is a repurposed, blank-canvas warehouse wedding venue in the heart of North Melbourne. One of the most simple wedding venues melbourne has on offer. Two Ton Max can support elopements and small weddings of all sizes, but with the way it’s space can be compartmentalised, it is ideal for small Melbourne weddings of 20 people, up to 50 people and beyond.
Enquire about Two Ton Max Wedding Packages
Two Ton Max website: www.twotonmax.com.au
Two Ton Max wedding gallery: Two Ton Max wedding
Two Ton Max wedding capacity: 40 – 300 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: 124 Langford St, North Melbourne VIC 3051
The Deck in St Kilda might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a small wedding venue, but the unique, angular layout of the internal space, as well as the L-shaped external deck, make it ideal for creatively arranging it for a small wedding. With so much natural venue detail both inside and out, there’s plenty to keep the senses entertained without having to fill the space with 150 people.
Not only that, but The Deck has several other little spaces that can be used. Just ask.
Want to see The Deck in action at a wedding? Then check out the deck wedding of Emily and Tony.
Enquire about Prince The Deck Small Wedding Packages with their event planner
The Prince Deck website: www.theprince.com.au
The Prince Deck wedding gallery: The Deck Wedding
The Prince Deck wedding capacity: 20 – 450 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: 2 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182
Tess and Sam, married on their family property in Australia’s Kangaroo Valley.
If larger wedding venues aren’t a part of the plan and you’re looking towards an elopement or intimate small wedding, sometimes it’s best to look inwards to what’s closest: our own family property. With some thoughtful catering and preparation, having a wedding at your home makes for an intimate experience, and something potentially more meaningful when you look back at your photos.
The only concern usually had around having a wedding on family property, is that of cleanup. But keep your crew small, keep the food simple, and it’s a great way to have a meaningful celebration where the only timeline you’re working to is your own, and one of the best elopement venues Melbourne has on offer right in yours (or your mates) backyard.
An Air-Bnb has all the intimacy and timeline benefits of hosting your elopement or small wedding on your own family property, with the added bonus of being able to get married at any spectacular geographic location of your own choosing. Select a location with adventure nearby and a good kitchen within.
Here, Sarah and Simon had a beautiful small elopement ceremony at an Air-Bnb in a spectacular piece of nature, before enjoying a beautiful afternoon with 4 of their closest friends, and an evening of home cooked meals and games. If you’re looking to elope Melbourne or beyond, be sure to check out some of the beautiful nearby Air BnB’s for your small wedding.
Sarah and Simons Australian wedding was featured on the wedding blog Rock n Roll Bride, so head over there for more of their story.
One of the more colourful elopement venues Melbourne has going, we left this one last, because it leads into some thoughts written under it, so read on. Kenny Lover is a brilliant little Thornbury shop, offering chips and ice-cream.
Together at last.
Not only that, but they have the most jaw-droppingly beautiful interior. If you don’t believe me, head over and check out this Kenny Lover wedding, where Paul and Sam, Thornbury locals, headed there after having an intimate small wedding ceremony at their home. Fabulous, colourful elopement venue in Melbournes inner north. An elopement or small wedding that has Kenny Lover involved somehow will make for an incredibly unique wedding experience in Melbourne.
Glasshaus Inside and Glasshaus Outside are two brilliant small wedding venues in Melbourne, sitting just outside of the Melbourne CBD, tucked in Richmond. Glasshaus Inside doubles as a warehouse jungle, and Glasshaus Outside swaps the warehouse vibe for an aviary. A small wedding venue in melbourne for folks seeking a grittier feel where nature is a part of the celebration. Imagine a grand ballroom, with the roof ripped out, and a glorious jungle spread around it’s interior.
That’s about right.
Enquire about Glasshaus Small Wedding Packages
Glasshaus Richmond website: Glasshaus Website
Glasshaus Richmond wedding gallery: Glasshaus Wedding
Glasshaus Richmond wedding capacity: 20 – 140 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: 44 Cremorne St, Cremorne, VIC, 3121
Gather and Tailor aren’t the smallest wedding venue in Melbourne (that crown probably goes to the Altar Electric), but their dual warehouse spaces, particular warehouse one, are blank-canvasses that can be arranged any way you like. The incredible, forward thinking folks at Nudo run Gather and Tailor, and their expert planning team can host you a unique small wedding at their venue.
Gather and Tailor have both Warehouse One and Warehouse Two – beautifully distinct urban spaces that can host weddings large and small.
Enquire about Gather and Tailor Wedding Packages with their event planner
Gather and Tailor website: www.gatherandtailor.com.au
Gather and Tailor wedding gallery: Gather and Tailor wedding
Gather and Tailor wedding capacity: 40 – 200 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: Unit 11/41-59 Sims St, West Melbourne VIC 3003
I feel this is generally overlooked when folks are looking at the small wedding venues Melbourne has to offer, but if you know what’s what, you know that a classic heritage environment is a beautiful surrounds to have a celebration in, and just as good to dress up in your own way or with the hand of a great florists (check out the best wedding florists in Melbourne). The Melbourne Town Hall is a beautiful, ambient space, protected from the weather, and perfectly sized for a small wedding.
Enquire about Melbourne Town Hall Small Wedding Packages with their event planner
Melbourne Town Hall website: Wedding information
Melbourne Town Hall wedding gallery: Coming shortly, check back soon
Melbourne Town Hall wedding capacity: 20 – 400 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: Small Wedding Venue Address: Unit 11/41-59 Sims St, West Melbourne VIC 3003
One of the great joys of this Covid business wrapping up will be seeing the best small wedding venue in Brunswick, the Brunswick Mess Hall, back in action. An incredible mixed-bag of design sensibilities that works a treat, and every time we’ve been there photographing a wedding, the space has been taken over in a unique and different way.
Enquire about Brunswick Mess Hall Small Wedding Packages
Brunswick Mess Hall website: www.thebrunswickmesshall.com.au
Brunswick Mess Hall wedding gallery: Kirstyn and Nicholas
Brunswick Mess Hall wedding capacity: 20 – 400 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: Small Wedding Venue Address: 400 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Nudo, owners of The Wool Mill (a grand ballroom – but industrial style), say they run the best wedding planning service in the world, and given how well oiled their machine is, that statement is about on-point. Nudo look after all the moving parts of your wedding, and as well as Gather and Tailor (see point #9), they also have Brunswicks The Wool Mill in their venue stable. A wonderful blank canvas, modern small wedding warehouse venue.
Enquire about The Wool Mill Small Wedding Packages
The Wool Mill website: www.thewoolmill.com.au
The Wool Mill wedding capacity: 20 – 200 guests
Small Wedding Venue Address: 161 Donald St, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Not a venue as such, but Picnic Styling Co must be included here. If you’re looking for a brilliant small wedding experience that you can enjoy anywhere out in public or indoors, you must check out the popup Picnic Styling Co. Picnic Styling Co create bespoke picnic experiences for any number of guests, brilliantly styled with no work to do by you. Turn up, have fun, walk away, and Picnic Styling Co take care of the rest.
Enquire about Picnic Styling Co Small Wedding Packages
Picnic Styling Co website: Picnic Styling Co Website
Picnic Styling Co wedding gallery: Picnic Styling Co Wedding
Picnic Styling Co wedding capacity: 2 – 40 guests
Sometimes the goodness is right in front of you: get some food-trucks or a Paella station, and host the party right at home. Check out this Porch article on Backyard Weddings.
Micro weddings—where you get to dodge the small talk with distant relatives you barely remember. Melbourne’s on board with this trend, and for good reason. A smaller guest list allows you to actually enjoy your day, minus the need for crowd control. And when it comes to venues, Melbourne’s got more to offer than just oversized ballrooms and function spaces that double as conference rooms.
So, how do you actually go about planning a micro wedding in Melbourne without getting sucked into the vortex of ‘wedding package’ spreadsheets? The key is curating an experience that’s intimate yet refined, with the right pieces in place to make it uniquely yours—while avoiding the pitfall of wedding bloat.
In Melbourne, crafting a micro wedding package is less about following the typical wedding formula and more about curating an experience that reflects who you are as a couple. You don’t need an extravagant guest list or an endless series of add-ons to make your day memorable. You need the right space, the right people, and a focus on the things that actually matter.
Melbourne gives you plenty of options to work with, so embrace the small and make it a day that sticks with you for all the right reasons.
We recomment this Recoleta wedding, this Cutler and Co wedding, and of course, The Altar Electric.
When we think about it, there aren’t that many mandatory moving parts to a wedding: you need a Melbourne Wedding Celebrant to take care of the papers and the ceremony, but really, the rest is up for grabs. One thing thats come out of the Covid pandamic, is a general willingness to be fluid and break new ground from both wedding vendors and small business in general.
Why do I say this? Because if you’re looking for a small wedding venue, consider what it would look like, to simply plan to have it in your favourite cafe, restaurant, take-away place, or any other business. Literally.
So with all that in mind, let us present this little idea: make a list of places that are meaningful to you: cafes, take-out shops, or even shops that sell knick-knacks, books, or anything else under the sun. A wedding ceremony doesn’t need to be an hour, and you don’t need to have your wedding ceremony in a place that can also feed any guests you have present.
Spend every Saturday morning in that quiet, beat-up cafe around the corner that no-one knows about? Ask them if you can sign the papers and say some words in there, and ask them what they’ll charge for the honour (they’ve probably never been asked).
The idea of “what is a wedding venue” is going to change pretty dramatically, as we change our idea of what a wedding is.
So make a list of bucket-list places that are either meaningful to you or quirky in their own right, and just give them a call! You might find that they are actually incredibly receptive to the idea of having a ten minute ceremony in their space where they get some cracking photographs of it for themselves afterwards too, and there’s something extra special about making that commitment in a meaningful space.
We see it all the time with the portrait part of the day, with brilliant wedding portraits captured in cafes and thrift shops, so why not the ceremony itself?
Everything can be a small wedding venue, if you’re creative enough.
All you can do is ask.
While we’re dealing with only having small gatherings, many of Melbournes most incredible venues are able to scale themselves down to accommodate a more intimate wedding.
To discover a whole lot of other options, including some larger ones to keep in mind for when your community can all celebrate together again, here’s a list of incredible Unique Melbourne Wedding Venues, or further out on the coast, check out these Mornington Peninsula wedding venues.
Looking for a large venue? Check out their Indian wedding reception.
If you’re hosting an elopement rather than a small wedding, you’re probably the type of person that’s less about the full theatrics about a wedding, and more about enjoying an intimate space with just your partner and maybe a friend or family member or two. Many of the venues on this page are suited to small weddings, but also consider that if you’re planning an elopement, you can really twist it however you want.
For example: while Rupert on Rupert is more suited to medium and small weddings, it doesn’t mean you can’t sign your papers nearby in a small elopement ceremony, and then head to Rupert to enjoy some drinks and a meal together. To craft a bespoke elopement experience in Melbourne, also be sure to hit up I Do Drive Thru (who plan intimate elopement ceremonies anywhere you can imagine, not just from the car as their name might imply), or even reach out to a Melbourne wedding celebrant as they are always more than happy to take more of a hand in crafting you a brilliant Melbourne elopement experience.
Our personal vote goest to Rupert on Rupert, but here you can also find 20 of the best Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne.
A Small Wedding can have 5 guests, 10 guests, 20 guests, or 30 guests, but any more and it can become something larger and less intimate.
It’s hard to go past the brilliant Picnic Styling Co, who will setup your Small Wedding anywhere in Melbourne, leave you to celebrate, and then come and pack it all up for you.
If you carefully consider the style, wedding catering, and length of your small wedding, you can easily host your wedding for under $100 per person. Reach out to an incredible Small Wedding Planner such as Will and Jac or Popup With Style for assistance on planning your wedding budget.
To find Small Wedding Packages in Victoria, you should make an enquiry with the best small wedding planners and venues: The Altar Electric, I Do Drive Thru, and Picnic Styling Co. Each of these services can help you plan your small wedding in Melbourne, with all-inclusive wedding packages.
Enquire with a small wedding venue on this list, or reach out to a small wedding planner such as Popup with Style.
A small wedding is considered anything from 2 guests (anything less is really an elopement), up to around 50 guests.
Check out all of the micro wedding venues on this post. My own favourite might just be Rupert on Rupert.
The best micro wedding packages Victoria and beyond can be found with I Do Drive Thru, as well as The Altar Electric.
For more information on weddings or elopements at short notice, head over to our post on how to get married quickly in Australia.
Briars Atlas- Small Melbourne Wedding Photographer – https://briarsatlas.com
Dec 19, 2020
Since Covid has put a stop to conferences and wedding photography workshops, I wanted to give a little back, and so have created a free wedding photography workshop in an online course format. This contains around 7 years of my workshop content (head over here for wedding photography podcasts), drawn from an award-winning background in design and photography, and I have separated the best bits into easy to consume, bite-sized chunks, and released them on Instagram as a 100 frame wedding photography workshop.
To see these for free, scroll further down.
STRANGE ATLAS – anti-hustle wedding photography workshop: delivered to your inbox, every Monday morning. Sign up for free
Each of the 100 frames speaks to one of those. The current climate of workshops I found doesn’t appeal to my style of learning personally, and it made me wonder if other folks out there were the same, so I tried to create something to fill that gap!
I remember thumbing through MAD magazine, comics, and encyclopaedias, and found that a curiosity-driven approach to learning, where you can open a book up at any page and take something away without feeling like we have to complete a full course: the best way to learn for me, personally.
So that’s how i’ve crafted this.
I want this to be useful no matter what page it’s opened up at: rather than me dictating the learning from front to back (there’s plenty of brilliant other options for that out there), so this is something where I hope there’s a nifty surprise useful to wedding photography, and photography in general wherever it’s opened.
The workshop is available from frame 35 onwards on my instagram, and as new ones are uploaded, old ones will be removed, so follow along and catch them (save, screen grab) them while they’re available.
At the end, i’ll be releasing them all, along with a set of bonus annotations totalling 400+ pages. It’s the exact wedding photography workshop resource I would have liked starting out, and has been tailored for both new photographers and working professionals 5+ years in the game.
Follow it on Instagram while it’s there.
Sign up for the School of Strange, 52 weeks of free wedding photography mentoring, for access to the full 400+ pages.
Some conferences i’ve had the brilliant honour of sharing this at:
It was such a treat sharing with photographers such as Briggsy, Ashleigh Haase Photography, Sarah Tee, and even inter-staters like Cassie Sullivan at the most beautiful wedding venue in Victoria. Here’s a mugshot of the last ones left standing after it was all done. Tanglewood Estate hosted “Transplant”, my one-day workshop on alternative-thinking strategies for wedding photographers, with a day full of hands-on techniques and follow-up mentoring for wedding photographers. This format is one I have delivered over a period of 5 years all over the world.
The day began with roundtables, building community through sharing everyones own current journeys, pain-points and joy-sparkers from the job. Many of the points were known ahead of time as the onboarding process ensured everyone felt heard as an individual and was able to share these things before the day. We then moved into a day of interactive content and thinking strategies and follow up strategies to action the content.
I’ve always had a “eyes at the back of the classroom” approach. I know what it’s like to be sitting at the edges, a little intimidated by the scale of a room and structured offering, and ending up feeling like you weren’t seen. For this reason these workshops have been anti-clique, and pro embracing new faces. So it’s been such a treat to advocate this way in my own courses, and then see students such as Ashleigh Haase (also an attendee of Story and Light in NZ, co-facilitated with Bayly & Moore – it’s incredibly flattering to see folks come along for the ride to more than one workshop) move on to take their learnings from Transplant into their own education offerings, sharing adaptations of Transplant into their own education community.
I don’t look at others work anymore, I’m finding inspiration from lots of things I learnt whilst at the workshop.
Ashleigh Haase Photography, who since Transplant has launched Ashleigh Haase Education!
1 – Participant introduction and journey sharing
2 – Context-setting: creative thinking holistically rather than wedding industry specific
3 – Don’t do what you love: servitude and people mindset
4 – Challenging biases: fundamental mindset strategies 101
5 – Bias challenging: 3 specific techniques, and applying them to a small business
6 – Storytelling is dead (also the title of my Los Angeles Field Trip talk)
7 – Anti-storytelling techniques
8 – Separating yourself through community and branding
9 – Practical magic: separating yourself through the art of image-making
10 – An analogue primer: introduction to the world of analogue
11 – From the ad-agency, with love: simplified business and marketing techniques
12 – Actionable follow up strategies
Nov 9, 2020
Alex Perry Wedding Dresses challenge any ideas of convention around bridal couture. So much so that this one wasn’t even in their wedding category! This incredible Alex Perry Dress was seen in another part of the Alex Perry catalogue, and Liv immediately knew it would be the perfect wedding dress.
Liv and Adams beautiful Melbourne wedding was photographed by Briars Atlas and featured inside the pages of Together Journal and you can purchase it here in issue #19, and their incredible sense of style has also been picked up worldwide and seen on Yahoo and Popsugar.
Thanks to Liv and Adam for having us down for your brilliant day in the beautiful gritty centre of Melbourne, at Longsong.
Liv’s Wedding Dress is also featured in our post on the 5 best modern wedding dresses.
Alex Perry wedding dresses offer a refreshing take on bridal fashion, steering away from the overly traditional and into something more refined and modern. His designs are sleek, with a focus on sharp tailoring and clean lines, appealing to brides who want a polished look without all the frills.
These elements come together in a way that feels contemporary yet timeless, perfect for the bride who wants her wedding look to feel effortless and chic, but still a bit unexpected.
Alex Perry Wedding Dresses online: https://www.alexperry.com.au/
Check out Ella and Macks wedding as featured on Vogue Australia, and also Elishas gown in this beautiful Zonzo Estate wedding. Also see what Kyha Studios, formerly One Day Bridal, are up to. For elegant wedding venues in Melbourne, check out the deck circa.
Briars Atlas Wedding Photography: Enquire
Nov 3, 2020
Lauren and Cam invited me along as their Geelong wedding photographer, out near the Bellarine Peninsula, for a day of sunshine and glory. No stranger to the Geelong food and wine scene (they run Centra restaurant together), it’d be easy to imagine they’d rave well into the evening, but they instead had an early day, with an early finish: their wedding wrapped late afternoon, their guests went one way, and then we went the other into the sunset for some final portraits, before they went to enjoy the rest of their evening together.
Lauren herself is a wedding planner, so it was an extra honour being involved knowing she knows of pretty much every photographer in Victoria! It certainly upped the stakes and it was a real treat to bring along some wacky old analogue gear for the ride too.
Miracle musician Abe Anderson came along for the music, and my side-hustle, The Arbourists made an appearance as their ceremony backdrop.
All hands on deck for a beautiful intimate wedding in Geelong.
This beautiful private wedding (head here for more private property wedding venues in Victoria) in Geelong was featured both on the Geelong wedding planning site GT Bride, as well as Polka Dot Bride.
While you’re here, check out a list i’ve made of the Best Melbourne wedding celebrants, and for something more industrial you might like this Rupert on Rupert wedding, or a list of the most unique wedding venues in Melbourne.
Laurens Dress – Made With Love
Bridal Salon – Bluebell Bridal
Bride’s Shoes – Christian Louboutin
Groom’s Attire – Hugo Boss
Groom’s Tie & Bowties – Declic
Invitations & Stationery – Rebel Reflect
Flowers – JCRC Events + Styling
Ceremony Officiant – Mike Larkan
Ceremony Arbour – The Arbourists
Geelong Draping – Active Draping
Geelong Marquee – Tent Luxury Hire
Geelong Wedding Catering – Centra Hotel
Rental Furniture – Dann Event Hire
Band – Abe Anderson
Wedding Ring – Rod Elmer
Geelong has some incredible wedding venues both in and around the city, and the region itself is a bit of an unsung gem. Here are some of the best wedding venues in Geelong.
Anywhere in and around Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, and greater Victoria. No travel charges are payable within VIC.
Read just above in this post for ten of the very best.
Way up north in Nagambie, see this Mitchelton Winery wedding.
Wedding photography Geelong – enquire at briarsatlas.com
Oct 16, 2020
I am thrilled to share the Hello May wedding of Pepe and Sam as their photographer, featured in the September issue of HELLO MAY MAGAZINE on news-stands now! Is this the most colourful wedding ever? Grab yourself a copy of Hello May to find out. Hello May Wedding photographers / Briars Atlas
I was thrilled to be the Hello May wedding photographer for these two marvels, and their wedding was put on at the gritty Melbourne warehouse venue, The Line, with an all-star cast of the most incredibly talented vendors which doubled as their cheer-squad.
Let’s just say, this was a wedding of firsts.
The first wedding where nearly all the vendors got actual tattoos at the reception.
The first wedding where the caterer and the bride ended up in (in) the freezer. It was a hot day.
The first wedding with an inverse neon-crucifix gracing the centre of the reception, and the first wedding where the dance-floor was opened up by the screeching of Slayer, and half the bridal party ended up on a bed in the middle of the reception in a pasta-fight.
It, was, and had, everything, all for this beautiful couple and their intimate community (right before Covid made it cool).
I won’t show the whole shebang just yet, you’ll have to pick up a copy of Hello May on newsstands now.
Wedding Celebrant and Concept creator: Nat Sproal Celebrant
Wedding Photographer: Briars Atlas
Wedding Venue: @the_line_melbourne
Wedding Creative direction + Styling: Good Day Club
Wedding Florals: Babiana Botanic
Wedding Video: Lunar Red Films
Wedding Hair and Makeup: Killer Queen Creative
Wedding Catering: @fatandskinnycatering
Wedding Cake: Torte By Mirjana
Wedding Rings: @midnightkissjewellery
Wedding Ceiling Installs: Bangin Hangins
Wedding Tableware/ table styling: @bettymayvintagehire
Wedding LED crosses and bad jokes: The Arbourists
Wedding DJ: @dj_hot_wheels
Wedding Music: @justme_plusone
Wedding Wine: @minimwine
Wedding Beer: @moondogbrewing
I’m a Melbourne wedding photographer, and I photograph weddings all over Australia, New Zealand, Europe and beyond. Check out this wedding I photographed featured on Hello May – Amy and Bronson. On the hunt for a small wedding venue in Melbourne? See this post on small wedding venues.
Sep 27, 2020
Putting “Covid wedding Melbourne” at the front of Adriana and Calebs wedding title seems to relegate the marriage part (the bit we’re actually all here for) to the back seat. Sooooo, let’s reword that: Adriana and Calebs awesome little elopement (which happened to occur in the middle of the Covid pandemic that they thumbed their noses at and got it done beautifully anyway while staying well within all of the rules and regulations currently in place including the wearing of masks, social distancing, and limitations on who can be present).
Better.
Adriana and Caleb had their first date at this park in Coburg, in Melbournes northern suburbs. So that was where they decided to say their vows, and lock it down, with the inimitable Melbourne wedding celebrant Zena Lythgo doing the honours via I Do Drive Thru. I joined up to photograph it and play one of the witnesses.
Since their dogs can’t hold a pen.
I Do Drive Thru is a brilliant, agile initiative out of Melbourne that has enabled couples wanting to get married to get it done in the middle of this coronavirus pandemic, while playing to all the necessary current restrictions around social distancing and the wearing of a mask.
These two marvels got the important bit done – the marriage thing – with themselves and Adrianas mother, and then enjoyed the rest of the day together. Beautiful.
It’s been especially interesting in Melbourne, as our state has been… not playing ball with the restrictions, which has meant the pandemic has had several new clusters of outbreaks, further locking things down.
So the fact that initiatives like I Do Drive Thru and other small wedding venues such as The Altar Electric exist, has been such a brilliant thing for couples putting love and marriage first, and opting to save the party for later.
If you’re looking at getting it done in the middle of the Covid pandemic in Melbourne, head over here for more information on Melbourne City Elopements, and read this article on how to get married quickly in Australia.
The Altar Electric have been the other frontrunners in this Covid pandemic craziness, and their brilliantly unique wedding venue warehouse space in Collingwood has seen all sorts of celebration playing exactly to all of the rules and requirements in place in the middle of this pandemic.
Head over and read more here: Melbourne city elopements.
Sep 10, 2020
Glasshaus Outside and Glasshaus Inside are two brilliant sister wedding venues in Richmond (the latter in Cremorne, depending on how you look at it). A Glasshaus Wedding is like nothing else, in this unique jungle setting that can only come from a wedding venue that also operates as a nursery during the day (side-note: be sure to check out these other small wedding venues while you’re here).
The team at Glasshaus are master party-starters as much as they are master green-thumbs. So you can pick up your carbon-offset during the day, and then knock down drinks in this incredible sleepy jungle of an evening.
A Glasshaus Inside wedding leaves guests wondering what scene from a Tim Burton film they’ve walked into, as the place is something of a unique fantasy land. Or maybe that was my 5th Negroni speaking. Either way the walls are lined with beautiful greenery, and it’s the best realisation of an urban jungle that you’re likely to walk into.
Over the road a short jaunt away, a Glasshaus Outside Wedding happens under a transparent nursery roof, in a jungle that in many ways is similar to Glasshaus Inside, except with the industrial warehouse feel replaced by open air as you walk though gentle canopies of greenery in the more exposed setting.
Plenty of beautiful gritty Richmond streets surrounding the area make it the ideal loop for wedding portraits, and so it’s a no-brainer that for couples having their wedding ceremony at Glasshaus Outside and then moving the party to Glasshaus Inside, the portraits can be done during that walk between venues.
Glasshaus Florist website: https://glasshausfloristonline.com/
If you’re looking for a wedding venue similar to Glasshaus, it’s hard to go past Collingwoods Rupert on Rupert. Not a nursery by day, the space operates instead as an iconic casual restaurant that can transorm into any number of arrangements for events and weddings.
To see more images of Rupert on Rupert, head here to see Tim and Alix’s Rupert on Rupert Wedding, and for more venues like this, check out some of the best small wedding venues Melbourne has on offer.
Briars Atlas Wedding Photography – Enquire
Sep 3, 2020
Babiana Botanic makes incredible, unique floral designs, thanks to the fine-art background of it’s founder, Anna. We worked together on the wedding of Pepe and Sam at The Line (officiated by Nat Sproal), and we chat a little about her incredibly unique approach to Melbourne florals.
To see more of her impossibly innovative work, check out the wedding of Pepe and Sam featured here (Hello May Wedding Photographer), available on news stands today.
I’m Anna of Babiana Botanic. Most people think working with flowers “must be so lovely and relaxing!”
And yeah, sure – I love what I do and it is at times, lovely and relaxing – but its also 3am wake-ups to get the best flowers at market, long days creating arrangements, carrying buckets up and down stairs of beautiful old venues that don’t have lift access, hands covered in cuts, 1am pack-downs – it can be a brutal job – which just shows you’ve got to really love it – and I do!
I have a Bachelor of Fine Art and have always loved flowers and nature.
My love of Art Nouveau inspired me into the floristry industry where I can create works of art with nature, for people on their wedding days or for other amazing events.
I love doing weddings in Melbourne because it is such a melting pot of people. It means you get such a wide range of clients with a diverse set of needs. There are also so many creative people in Melbourne who want a wedding that stands out and is unique to them.
It means that I get to create amazing colourful weddings, weddings with nods to the couples cultures (Indian, Macedonian, etc), and contemporary weddings that are a little different.
What makes Babiana Botanic special is that we are not afraid to use colour and create something unique. We like to think about flowers as an art form and creating works of art specific to each couple.
We’ve been offering flower delivery to people’s homes during this time off so that we are still working with flowers and offering something to brighten people’s days. We’ve also been in contact and working with all of our couples who have had to postpone their weddings and events to ensure we can go ahead when all these restrictions ease.
I think post-covid, there will be a move towards more intimate weddings with just your closest family and friends, and a move away from feeling the need for a big wedding where you have to invite your third-cousin-twice-removed and that friend you haven’t seen since high-school.
I love colour and doing things differently – and that’s the mark I would like to leave. I want couples to come to me wanting beautiful, quirky, colourful and different designs.
Babiana Botanic website: https://www.babianabotanic.com/
Head to this post for more incredible unique florists in Melbourne.
Aug 13, 2020
Here’s a rundown of some of our favourite Melbourne wedding photo locations, organised by the mood they give, to show you what brilliant variety we have in our own inner city for weddings: from gritty industrial, all the way over to the most incredible nature within a stones throw of the Melbourne CBD. Included in all locations are Google Maps pins.
These are our top 15 Melbourne wedding photo locations (I have plenty more hidden gems, but you’ll just have to head out on foot and go exploring yourself to find them, or book us as your Melbourne wedding photographer).
Be sure to tune in for the very last one – some of our favourite little slices of Melbourne alleys. If you’re getting hitched in the city or inner city or eloping in Melbourne, I know these like the back of our hand as well as a whole bunch of wonderful other little known spots.
These are somewhat more popular locations, but when looking at where to take photos in Melbourne i’ve found they’re ripe for putting a unique spin on each and every time, especially if you’re planning a Melbourne elopement.
The Melbourne Treasury building is the go-to photo location for registry weddings in Melbourne, and one of the most iconic spots for Melbourne wedding photos. With its incredible historic design and layout, it’s one of the best places to take photos in Melbourne. What people often miss though, is that the immediate surrounds of the building have the most brilliant wedding photo locations, perfect for rain-shielded photo sessions, sunset sessions, all of it. If you look closely, you can see some of these at this Fortyfive Downstairs wedding.
I take so many couples around here, and it can’t be overstated how beautifully soft and moody the light is around the structures themselves. Head down Treasury place and explore, it’s all an easy and quick whip around, especially if you’re then heading south to somewhere like The Deck at Circa.
Melbourne Treasury Building photo location on Google Maps.
Just west of the Melbourne Treasury building, is the Treasury gardens. While the gardens themselves are beautiful and lush, what I personally prefer from this photo location is to use them as context against the treasury buildings behind it.
Walk about halfway up Treasury Place, head down the paths inserting themselves into the gardens, turn around, and you’ve got beautiful lush greenery depending on the time of year, with the incredible heritage buildings right behind you as the backdrop.
Treasury Gardens Photo Location Google Maps pin.
The Collingwood and Fitzroy back streets contain some of our earliest historic houses, since they were the first suburbs inhabited when Melbourne did, well, what we did back then, clear everything and everyone in sight and build lots of stuff.
As a result some of the architecture in the surrounding streets is particularly cute and interesting in equal measure, and make for some of the best Melbourne wedding photo locations.
As a general area, this is a personal favourite and one of the best places to take photos in Melbourne and a go-to for all the best wedding photographers doing their thing.
Something more of a sleeper wedding photo location (ie: more classic, and not immediately striking), Carlton has some understated alleys that are beautiful soft backdrops without fighting the rest of the frame, and an ideal subtle place for Melbourne wedding photos.
Enormous stonework, subtle signage and fittings, the laneways here are worth exploring and just a small dash out of the Melbourne CBD.
One of the best lanes. Find this photo location on Google Maps here.
One of our favourite general areas in Melbourne, and a brilliant wedding photo location to explore. Further north we hit Thornbury, which has an endless amount of textures, historic structures, and all sorts of weird and wonderful signage and exteriors – oh, and Kenny Lover.
30 minutes here will be spent pretty quickly heading up, down and around High St, with art-deco design left right and centre.
See more of Sam and Pauls wedding on Instagram.
Find Northcote Town Hall wedding photo location here on Google Maps.
Northcote Town Hall is a must visit for simple Melbourne heritage vibes, beautiful columns and light. If Fitzroy Town Hall isn’t accessible, then this isn’t a compromise as a wedding photo location, and it provides the same kind of feel, shelter from rain, and beautiful soft light, with no chance of being disturbed, and super close proximity to bars, cafes, and all of the standard Northcote glory.
There’s also plenty of beautiful textures and walls to find on Eastment st and Westbourne Grove, down the side of the town hall.
This one gets a header all of it’s own. The incredible artwork on the side of the Fonda building is a joy to walk past and pop off some frames in front of, and one of the most distinct wedding photo locations around. Punchy, colourful, geometrically satisfying, this is located just off Smith st, with spades of bars and other historic streets right near it.
A great little stopover if you’re getting hitched at Panama Dining Room wedding a Rupert on Rupert wedding.
Find this Collingwood photo location here on google maps.
I’ve had so many couples stay at the QT Hotel on Russel St, and turning just around to the right of it’s entrance, down Portland Lane, is a no-brainer for some quick portraits when exiting the building to head to the ceremony.
The wall of the Portland Hotel is painted a rich black, and feeds down into deep bluestones below, creating something of an impossible infinity-wall, where it feels like the bluestone is a shelf at the edge of the universe. One of the more unique wedding photo locations in Melbourne.
As if we’re about to lean into the ether, or into Gandalf’s embrace, etc.
Until fairly recently, sweeping sections of South Melbourne have somehow managed to mostly avoid being exploited by our general lack of regulation around architectural design for a suburb so close to the city, and so unlike other heritage suburbs, still has plenty of great things to explore without yet looking like a second-year students first foray into geometric design elements.
As a result, as well as easily feeling like it’s a jaunt into the old world, the entire area around the Town Hall, Clarendon St, and industrial back areas have plenty of textures to explore, and is an ideal wedding photo location just 5 minutes out of the Melbourne CBD.
Abbotsford may just be our closest answer to anything resembling the back streets of New York or Brooklyn (see these Melbourne wedding venues). Abbotsford has it all: incredibly close proximity to Yarra Bend Park (which doesn’t seem like it should or could sit so close to the city), old heritage streets, imposing industrial buildings, and everything in between. Abbotsford is a brilliantly diverse wedding photo location.
A 30 minute session in Abbotsford can get chewed up very quickly, and that’s without stopping off at any of the beautiful little cafes littered around the place. One of the best photo locations in Melbourne, at just a short jump outside of the Melbourne CBD itself.
Looking at the map, Fitzroy Gardens almost sounds ripped out of a Tolkien book. The Faeries tree, Tudor Village, Temple of the Winds. These are all great, but the best parts of these gardens aren’t etched on the map.
Enter from the midwestern paths along Lansdowne St, and some of the more incredible tree-tunnels are visible, then head further in to a couple of “secret” little jungle areas with tight greenery, stone stairs and more. Gorgeous wedding photo location resembling a jungle.
One of our favourite places for Melbourne wedding photos.
Carlton Gardens join the Royal Exhibition building. Carlton Gardens are more known for the aisle of trees leading up to said building (and a water foutain) but the best parts of these gardens are actually around the northwestern edge of the exhibition building.
Architecturally there’s a bunch of textural options around there, but what I like most is the setting sun against some of the smaller characterful pieces of garden around there.
Find this Carlton photo location on Google Maps here.
Prahran isn’t necessarily the first place you’d think of when looking for the best Melbourne wedding photo locations, but when I lived there, I made a point of taking any couples eloping here from overseas there, for two reasons.
Firstly there’s more than it’s fair share of architecturally stunning historical charm, and secondly, while there’s the allure of taking portraits in the CBD, in our opinion Prahran punches above it’s weight, and saves all of the regular hassles associated with parking in the city itself, while allowing folks spending a little bit of time here to explore a neighbourhood they might have otherwise missed.
Also, don’t miss this moody art-deco gem. Add Prahran to the list if you’re planning a Melbourne City elopement.
First stop from the Melbourne CBD as we head west, Footscray is a gritty gem, and enormously misunderstood suburb (especially from our dear friends of the east). All the right ingredients for a subversive photo location.
Footscray has buckets of charm in it’s back streets, and as you head over to Seddon (i’d never heard of it either until I moved there), you’re hit with some of the most incredible cottage-style residences you’ll see in Melbourne.
The pièce de résistance. Melbourne has bucketloads of beautiful alleys, and the main choices become things like how much heritage do you want, vs graffiti, vs tourists, vs calm.
All of the major alleys have their own character as a wedding photo location, and at any quarter of the CBD there’s a good handful within walking distance, and are usually crowned as the best Melbourne wedding photo locations.
These aren’t necessarily the “main events” here (sorry), i’m instead sharing some of our favourite Melbourne wedding photo locations containing simple light, and simple texture.
For more of our secret ones, keep an eye on our melbourne wedding photography workshops.
Briars Atlas – Wedding Photographer Melbourne – enquire
Aug 10, 2020
Briars Atlas – Melbourne Wedding photography documenting the calm and anarchy of beautiful couples all over Melbourne and Victoria. I’ve been fortunate to be noted as one of Melbourne’s top wedding photographers both locally in Australia’s Capture Magazine, and abroad in New Yorks Rangefinder Magazine, as part of their Top 30 worldwide.
But none of this stuff matters – what matters is that i’m lucky to have one of the best jobs in the world: chasing party-starters and anarchist lovers all over the planet to make something that matters for and with them.
I work with you to make your wedding photography absolutely bangin’, and not something that makes you want to chew a cyanide pill. Read on to see some of the wedding photography i’ve been commissioned on all over Melbourne and beyond.
Vogue Wedding – Zoe and Adam
Hello May Wedding Photographer – Pepe and Sam
Looking for an elegant wedding venue? Check out the deck circa.
Jul 29, 2020
Tess and Sam had their Kangaroo Valley wedding in the beautiful rolling hills of the Southern Highlands, New South Wales. While the wedding venues Kangaroo Valley holds are plentiful, that this was held on Tess’s parents homestead made for a private setting (further south, see these private property wedding venues in Victoria) and beautifully intimate and personal backdrop, with all hands on deck from their community putting their day together.
The most special moments in this gig are often less about the kiss/dance/standard stuff, and more about doing justice to the little bits of quirk on the day… family quirk, friend quirk, subtle things that mean a lot.
We bought along a 1980s 3d camera for the ride. See why we continue to use Kodak as a film wedding photographer.
Tess’s close friend was assumed as not being able to make it to their wedding from overseas, so naturally, given that he was in fact making it there, he hid himself in a tractor trailer underneath a tarp, and then sprung out in front of Tess in a gloriously divine moment of reveal.
Beautiful!
Enjoy their little story below.
Enquire: https://briarsatlas.com/enquire
Visit New South Wales: https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/jervis-bay-and-shoalhaven/kangaroo-valley
In Sydney? Check out this Beta Bar Wedding, and this Kittyhawk wedding. In Victoria? Find a radical wedding venue here.
Jul 22, 2020
Will and Jac are the agile Melbourne wedding planner duo made up of Catherine and Clare, who as well as being event planners of all sizes and styles, are portable transportation units for infectious smiles. We’ve worked together with brilliant couples in venues from historic Melbourne stables over to bluestone homesteads in northern Victoria.
As two of the best wedding planners in Melbourne, they have a wealth of knowledge to share on how to plan your Melbourne wedding, as well as sharing some reasons on why you might want to hire a wedding planner.
Clients approach us at all stages of their planning journey – some 2 years out, others with only a month or weeks to go (when things might have turned a little more ‘tense’ – we are counselors too!).
Typically with private property Weddings, couples and their families realise from the outset that it’s a bigger ball game and that professionals are needed to ensure the process is well executed – not only on the day, but in the days leading up when suppliers commencing setting up, as well as when the celebrations are over and you need to return the space as it was originally.
With venues it can be early or late in the piece, with some locations offering more hands-on planning via their onsite coordinators, while others leave it completely to the client to make the space and Day exactly as they wish.
Life has curveballs and with this, there are numerous scenarios when people realise they need help – perhaps work hours have increased, the couple don’t know where to start (this is absolutely normal), the client want to start enjoying the days prior to the Wedding and move from “planner” to “getting married” and like all of us, sometimes there’s just not enough hours in the day!
Absolutely! And we prefer to approach the planning with our couples by having them make and decide who they wish to engage – we do all the leg work to provide them with options and our industry experience, but at the end of the day it’s their celebration, we just make it all reality.
We believe that generally people still foresee Wedding Planners as those referenced in movies like The Wedding Planner and Father of the Bride – but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
We get our hands dirty and have completed all manner of duties to get our Weddings in tip-top condition – our role includes horticulturist duties (repotting plants for styling), seamstresses (being underneath a Brides dress and re-hemming gowns on the day), Sous Chefs (plating up in the kitchen when extra hands are needed), Accountants (budget management) and everything in-between.
We are also both meticulously painful in terms of attention to detail, and will create multiple scenarios for our Weddings so that no stone is left unturned that we can’t then manage on the day.
We are Chief Fire Fighters too and on the day we effectively ensure we have a calm and positive disposition and manage numerous underlying curveballs that pop up – such is life! – while ensuring no-one (except us) are any the wiser.
We can’t go past Private Property wedding venues – they are all unique and we love the experience of a blank space going from ‘nothing’ to ‘something’.
These occasions are a logistical beast, the time that we spend curating a working event order and communicating between all parties can’t be imagined, but at the end of the day when we see magic form in-front of our eyes, it’s worth every minute.
Venue wise yes, Melbourne has unlimited options for every celebration, but a few we love are Polperro Estate in Red Hill, The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Tanglewood Estate and Alfred Place by Rockpool Events.
We’ve received many a phone call from concerned parents who have noticed that the somewhat ‘simple Wedding’ picture that their child had wished for has been hijacked by concerns, so they call us to find out how we could elevate these doubts, and then we meet directly with the couple to showcase our services and story.
We generally then join their planning and they are able to start re-enjoying their engagement journey. We’ve been brought on-board to manage family dynamics and play the role of mediator. It’s one scenario where we are “good cop” and “bad cop” (guess who is who?!) and take any unwanted strain off the couple.
But mostly couples realise after the fact what our services are worth.
It’s the ‘big picture’ stuff that we specialise in – we are all about making the day not only seamless for the couple and their guests, but also for their contracted suppliers, as together, the day is all the more memorable!
We can do as little or as much to assist with a Wedding Day. But to be honest we’re both control freaks, so Full Planning is our preferred option.
Personalised service is paramount. We are all about ensuring their peace of mind, bringing their story to the Day, and exceeding expectations at every turn.
These were also concepts that we had as individual planners therefore when brought together as Will&Jac, this has doubled and is exactly why we do what we do!
1. Ensure your Melbourne Wedding Planner quotes are reflective of your needs. White Top Venues are known as one of the most premium planners in town and can take care of everything
2. Utilise what’s at your location as much as possible – repurpose furniture, ensure event conclusion times/noise limits are in line with your wishes
3. Planning a Wedding is a full time job, so allow a professional to manage your process and keep your ticking towards your date in the right manner. A ‘relaxed’ Wedding Day comes from months and months of planning, it doesn’t just happen!
1. Consider public holidays/special events (surcharges etc)
2. Always have a Plan B for your Ceremony and Reception – you just never know!
3. Ensure you ‘click’ with your supplier tribe. You need lots of positivity and stressless spirits with you towards and
1. Work out what your ideal wedding day looks like. Have you considered an elopement?
2. Work out how much you’re prepared to spend – using a best case and worst case scenario
3. Find your ideal vendors. See the best wedding venues, wedding celebrants, wedding bands, and videographers for some ideas.
4. Hire a planner! They will save you time, money, and stress. I recommend Will and Jac (featured on this page)
If you read a shady bridal magazine, the average cost of a wedding is around $65k. Fortunately, you can host an incredible wedding in Melbourne from as little as $1k if you use I do Drive Thru or The Altar Electric, up to whatever you are comfortable spending.
Will and Jac / Melbourne Wedding Planner website: http://willandjac.com/
Melbourne wedding photographer – Briars Atlas: Enquire
While you’re on the planning train, check this post out for how to plan your wedding music, and this piece on the best Melbourne wedding photo locations.
Jun 19, 2020
The perfect wedding setting for thoughtful, contemporary couples who know how to appreciate a great piece of art, Heide Museum of Modern Art allows for both a stunning ceremony and an inspiring reception. The Museum boasts spectacular photography opportunities throughout the grounds and the Gallery. Let’s take a sneak peek at this amazing, artistic space and check out some photos from a recent Heide Museum of Modern Art wedding I was fortunate enough to capture.
Heide Museum of Modern Art brings an air of sophisticated creativity to Banksia Park in Bulleen, a north-eastern suburb of Melbourne. It’s not too far at all from the CBD – only around a 20-minute drive. It practically oozes convenience.
The Yarra River flows, snake-like, through Banksia Park, just a short walk from Heide Gallery. Bulleen Art Gallery and Garden is also within the vicinty. Another interesting point, Bulleen Hungry Jacks is only a short way down the road. Post-wedding burgs? Count me the hell in.
You’ve got a golf club nearby if there’s time to fit in a quick game with the lads (or ladies) the day before the wedding. And, as mentioned, Melbourne CBD is a short Uber ride away. You can get up to all kinds of mischief, eat some amazing pre-wedding noms and pick up any last minute bits and pieces for the wedding that may have slipped your mind.
As a wedding venue, Heide Gallery is the gift that keeps on giving. From the picturesque, natural grounds to the vibing Gallery and sculptures, this place is a photographers dream. Seriously. There are almost too many spots that are perfectly suited to capturing stunning images.
The Heide grounds and gardens span majestically across the 15 acres this Gallery calls home. The heritage gardens contain sprawling lawns, gorgeous flower beds and huge trees with trailing limbs that form cosy hidey-holes.
A river glade with towering trees and shrubs provides a shady spot for an intimate ceremony, or a wonderful photography or videography location.
The views from various sites throughout the grounds sweep across the surrounding park and provide a truly awe-inspiring atmosphere.
Upon gazing around the venue, your view will be obstructed slightly – for good reason – by contemporary sculptures and architectural wonders that are dotted throughout the grounds.
All your wedding catering needs will be taken care of by the Heide Cafe, the exclusive catering service for Heide Gallery weddings. Both the wedding ceremony and the reception are able to be covered. The cafe has an amazing range of seasonal produce with a huge variety of menu options to choose from.
The Cafe is also a great place to swing by for a pre-wedding brunch with the bridal party or a post-wedding coffee if you’re feeling a little worse for wear (horrifically hungover) after the previous night’s celebrations.
The Museum itself is an awesome place to spend any spare time and fight off any pre-wedding jitters. A range of indoor exhibitions including the Main Gallery and the Modernist House are home to some amazing collections of contemporary art. Wander the grounds to experience Rick Amor’s Running Man, Neil Taylor’s Theoretical Matter, and the rest of the outdoor exhibitions and sculptures that add an artistic, modern flair to the sweeping, naturalistic elements of the grounds.
It’s safe to say that this Melbourne wedding venue is the perfect place to celebrate love, serenity and an appreciation for delightful modern art.
Have you visited to the Heide Museum of Modern Art? What was your favourite installation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
For more images of a decadent art space, check out this piece by Firecraker Event on grazing tables.
Jun 10, 2020
Melbourne is known for its eccentric and eclectic foodie scene. Of all the Aussie states, its probably the most innovative and experimental when it comes to its hospitality industry. Bacon gelato? Yup. Lamington Jafles. Um, hells yeah. You name it, Melbourne is comfortable going gourmet, or going gonzo. In the spirit of amazing, innovative wedding catering, I’ve created a rundown of the best wedding catering Melbourne has to offer. Grab a knife and fork and settle in. Let’s do this.
Much like an actual firecracker, the spreads created by this awesome team absolutely GO OFF! Firecracker Event are pretty much a turnkey operator for all your event needs. They combine styling, service and, of course, food to turn your event into a guaranteed winner. Be sure to check out this feature on Firecracker Event where they chat all things grazing tables)
“Firecracker is built on the concept of Enlightened Hospitality—a term coined by New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. It means that every person you engage feels safe, welcome and at home with you. It’s about going the extra mile and prioritizing relationships over transactions.“
– Firecracker Event
Firecracker Event can cover everything from platters to full service dining. Some of the glorious foods included in their packages are:
Does that not sound entirely, mouthwateringly delicious to you? It’s a big fat ooft here from me.
Firecracker Event website: https://www.firecrackerevent.com/
The bloody wonderful ladies at Fat and Skinny catering are a team of hardworking, hospitality driven human beings who love a good laugh. They’re all for a song and a dance and they can always be counted on to match (if not exceed) the excitement you have about your event, and are some of the best caterers Melbourne has at hand.
They’re fun, they’re friendly and they’re focused on giving you the best food they can possibly muster. I’ve personally seen their head honcho, Naomi, go to excruciatingly loving means to make a surprise dish for a bride that used a unique ingredient that her late father used to produce. Absolutely magic stuff to see.
“Come for the love. Stay for the party.”
– Fat and Skinny Catering
The sheer range of foods available at Fat and Skinny Catering make them one of the best wedding caterers Melbourne has to offer. It’s just a bonus that every single dish they serve up is *chef’s kiss* noice.
Their wedding catering range includes, but is certainly not limited to:
Lordy! I simply cannot.
Fat and Skinny Catering website: https://www.fatandskinny.com.au/
If you want the best wedding cake Melbourne has to offer, this taste-queen is coming at you with some of the best wedding cakes this side of the northernmost tip of the north pole. The finesse and artistry that goes into each and every cake Mirjana creates is out of this world. It seems obvious that wedding cakes should taste great, but Mirjana is time and again the benchmark for giving the same amount of love to their interior as their exterior.
With a Croatian and Serbian heritage, she grew up watching her Baka (grandmother) work as cake decorator and the apple does not fall far from the generational tree.
She’s also a designer by trade which really shows in her delectable dessert creations.
Check out the cake design gallery on her website and you’ll see why she has sealed her place as one of Melbourne’s best wedding cake makers.
To find out a little more about the maestro herself, check out the feature on Torte by Mirjana.
Torte by Mirjana website: https://www.tortebymirjana.com/
Another crafty wedding cake maker, Miss Ladybird Cakes is here to kick ass and bake cakes, and she’s all out of asses to kick. Gina makes the best wedding cakes in Melbourne.
Having been in the business for 12+ years Gina, Miss Ladybird herself, is the creative mind behind this amazing cake baking venture, and it’s no small feat being around for that amount of time – which translates to a hell of a lot of happy faces catered for at weddings. She’s always been super creative and is actually a qualified chef.
Miss Ladybird has brought two of her greatest passions together, food and design, to build a beaut business and we get to reap the benefits.
“Our main aim is not to be the best, but to make a product we are proud of, and one which interprets the love we have for an industry we have spent our lives immersed in.”
– Miss Ladybird Cakes
Check out her online gallery here.
Miss Ladybird Cakes website: http://www.missladybirdcakes.com/
Now, last but 1000% not least, we’ve got Food And Desire who fully customise the menus for every single event they cater. Like, who has the time or the energy to do that? These maestros are insane.
Their food is sourced from local suppliers and they incorporate only the best seasonal produce into their bespoke menus.“Collaborating with some of Melbourne’s most influential event experts, producers and suppliers, we cater different. We do it awesome, and we love it.”
You can see the kind of menus they’ve created for wedding parties up in lights on their website. Food and desire also helm the inimitable Melbourne Warehouse Wedding venue Half Acre, featured in image below.
Food and Desire website: http://www.foodanddesire.com.au/
Check out my top 15 Melbourne wedding photo locations for some nuptialistic (is that a word?) inspo, or head to this post for some great ideas on the best small wedding venues Melbourne has going.
Nab one of the incredible caterers up above (unless you’re at Zonzo Estate and enjoying their wizard pizza makers onsite), and link them up with this incredible Melbourne wedding planner.
Also for some incredible catering outside of Melbourne, check out the wood fired wedding pizzas at the Cosmo Hotel near Castlemaine.
Jun 8, 2020
Tanya and Ryan are Jiu-Jitsu diehards, who train together, and Mario-Kart together. These legends had their Two Ton Max wedding in Melbourne right at the 11th hour before Melbourne’s first Covid lockdown. In one of Melbournes most brilliant warehouse wedding venues, these two got it done in style with a crew of the best. I was lucky to be along for the ride with my dear old mate Michelle Grace Hunder, photographing this together for the first time in years (we started out as a wedding duo before going solo).
Enjoy this little peek into Tanya and Ryans Two Ton Max wedding, featuring Melbourne wedding celebrant Shannon Jeans running the show. For more beautiful warehouse, rustic, or alternative wedding venues in Melbourne, check out this post on unique Melbourne wedding venues, featuring a Rupert on Rupert wedding and Gather and Tailor.
Two Ton Max are also featured in this post on small wedding venues.
Two Ton Max website: http://twotonmax.com.au/
Mar 25, 2020
When Sam and Paul got married at their house in Thornbury, right up there as far as “level of importance” to the getting married bit, was a quest to local iconic culinary heroes, Kenny Lover Ice Cream. Just a few frames from a little stopover break between their ceremony and their reception at their Thornbury home. With some of the most incredible colour and light anywhere in Thornbury, take a look at their sort-of-nearly-but-mostly Kenny Lover Wedding (and while you’re here, see some of my nearby other favourite wedding photo locations in Melbourne, as well as these unique small wedding venues).
Kenny Lover Ice Cream website: https://www.kennylover.com.au/
796 High St, Thornbury VIC 3071
Nov 1, 2019
Planning a wedding at Metropolis Events? Metropolis Events is one of the most prestige venues in Melbourne to host weddings, dinners, galas, conferences and more. Fortunately though, we also have plenty of other venues that have all of the character of Metropolis and more. Have you considered our other options both in and around the city?
Check out these incredible images from nearby Melbourne rooftop wedding venue, Luminare, The Prince Deck and a few secret ones that may not have draped themselves across your radar yet.
If you’re considering a wedding at Metropolis Events, these alternative wedding venues also have incredible views and a similar design sensibilty, and most importantly – all of these wedding venues have brilliant planning teams that care about you, care about and your team of vendors, and are known for creating the most brilliant wedding experience for you and your guests in Melbourne.
I photograph a small number of weddings each year, capping out at around 20 so that each couple receives an extraordinary level of care and attention.
Your friendly neighbourhood wedding photographer, Briars Atlas
Below is a selection of weddings in some of the most stunning locations in Melbourne. If you’re looking for a Melbourne wedding photographer for your Metropolis Events wedding or want more advice on alternative wedding venues that have the same type of feel and are supported by a professional team, drop me a line at the bottom.
Metropolis events wedding venue (see their website) has a cavernous, New-York warehouse style feel to it. Luckily for us, there are plenty of other incredible wedding venues in Melbourne that also have a similar feel, that are helmed by a crew of legends that will make sure your wedding runs incredibly smoothly, with buckets of care put into your day being trouble free.
Here are a list of my favourite wedding venues in Melbourne that you will also love, if you are considering Metropolis Events.
Here’s a comparison chart of venues similar to Metropolis Events, so you can compare some key features of the venues.
Venue Name | Venue Style | Freedom of vendor choice | Venue Capacity | Example gallery |
---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolis Events | Modern | No | N/A | |
The Deck | Classy modern | Yes | 300 | The Deck at Circa |
Luminare | Rooftop | Yes | 400 | Luminare |
Rupert on Rupert | Stylish warehouse | Yes | 200 | Rupert on Rupert |
Vogue Ballroom | Stylish | Yes | 370 | Vogue Ballroom |
State Library | Heritage Stylish | Yes | 500 | Wedding venues |
Half Acre | Modern Warehouse | Yes | 400 | Half Acre |
Looking for even more brilliant modern wedding venues in Melbourne just like Metropolis? Check out this incredible list of the most unique wedding venues in Melbourne.
See also: in the heart of Melbourne, this Higher Ground wedding.
Make an enquiry: https://briarsatlas.com/enquire
Check out these beautiful Melbourne wedding venues that if you like Metropolis Melbourne, you might also like: Luminare, and The Deck at Circa.
Jul 10, 2019
Wedding portaits: you’re getting married, you’re organising your vendors, and you’re at the point where you’re facing the classic conundrum that is working out whether you do or don’t want your day turned into a Hollywood film-set, and whether you are or aren’t going to be dragged away from your guests for 3 hours for a portrait session.
Originally published on Polka Dot Bride
There’s no right or wrong way of going about your wedding portraits: the main thing is to look at a lot of images from a variety of photographers, and build up a vocabulary of photos that you connect with (Pinterest being one of the great ways of storing that vocabulary), and understand how and when the portrait session (or sessions) fit into your wedding day.
Here’s a few helpful little home truths and things to keep in mind about your wedding portraits that I’ve found useful in navigating all this:
First up, someones gotta say it: while being totally necessary, your wedding portraits are still, simply not the most important part of your day. Not by a long, long stretch! I say this as a photographer who adores that part of the day and invests a hell of a lot of personal energy into them, both on the day and at 1am in my editing cave in the weeks after. Your photographer should be able to advise on the ideal amount of time for them to get images up to the standard that you’ve fallen in love with on their website.
At the same time, they should be able to confidently make you great images, in a small window of available time. I’ve been in situations where 45 minutes have been allocated, and then rain has erupted, and that reduced to just 5 minutes because they wanted to get into the warmth of their packed barn and on to the beers.
I think that’s fair enough.
And a photographer should be able to confidently deliver you some glorious wondrous images, in that 5 minutes. While I personally recommend 30-50 minutes total to my couples, split across two parts of the day, I was able to work out what was important to do in that 5 minutes, work like a crazy-person and get them a beautiful set in just 5 minutes.
So, step back and ask your wedding photographer how long they recommend for the wedding portraits. Work out how long you’re prepared to spend and have a mutual understanding that on one hand its a beautiful window of calm where you get to be with just each other and on the other hand, it’s also precious time away from your guests.
The first-look is still a little bit of an unknown out here in Australia. It doesn’t help that it’s name has this kind of scary grandeur attached to it. Let’s dispel a few myths, and look at a few of the positives.
The first look is, simply, a moment where you get to meet each other before the ceremony, and inhale a little bit of calm together. It doesn’t take off the magic of seeing each other in the aisle (if anything, it amplifies it).
It does give you the chance to make some portraits immediately after and reduce how much time is spent away from guests later on. Most folks often miss out on the canapés hour, of course there’s no right or wrong approach here, but personally, I’d want to be hanging around my crew for canapés! Remember you can still head out at sunset together, and get the best of all worlds.
This is about having an all-in attitude. This is the test. How far are you willing to go for your portraits, in the moment? This is worth thinking about briefly ahead of time, as it can help you slip into the right state of mind on the day if the weather goes south.
There’s no right or wrong answer: but from a photographic point of view, the more risks you’re prepared to take (within reason), the more wild the photographs you’ll receive will be, and fitting to that particular moment.
Maria and Ingo leapt out into rain and rainbows for their wedding in Tuscany, and I think it was worth every second of that 1-2 minute sprint. Us photographers are a weird bunch, and you can probably always consider us up for running out in a hail storm to get the best shot, so this is really just for yourselves to consider.
The worst thing that can often happen is a bit of dirt on your dress and water in your hair. So get out into the rain, make some wild photos, then load up on some whiskey. That’ll get you warm again.
It’s taking every ounce of strength for me to say this, but, when it comes down to it, there’s no such thing as bad light, only bad photography. Us photographers – we might moan and groan about overhead sunlight (I certainly do!), or about harsh green fluorescent light, and there’s some truth in there being something extra special about sunset, twilight, and all that jazz.
But, this is really important: your photographer should be, first and foremost, a problem solver.
There’s no such thing as bad light – only light that might make them uncomfortable. And if they’re good at their job, they’ll be able to work through that discomfort, solve the challenge of whatever the lighting situation is, and still be able to deliver you magnificent images, and be comfortable in solving problems caused by un-ideal lighting.
A lot of what makes this image work was about carefully bringing it to life in post-production, but a photographer should be able to see great opportunity and know what to do with it. Mix up the indoors, with the outdoors.
With all of that said, I’m still a big believer in crafting the optimum scenario where possible: your photographer will be able to work with you on your timeline and styling to offer any advice to make things that little bit more magic for both your guests and your images.
I’m no stranger to being asked about festoon arrangements, or timings for portraits. Put your faith in your photographer and ask if they have any suggestions. Chances are, we’ve got a brain full of ideas that we’re willing to share, all in the name of getting you the best wedding photography.
Try and prioritise at least some of your portrait shoot later in the day, around sunset and into twilight. This is when the dance of light does some especially magic things.
Like every area of your wedding, you want to do the hard work on the back end, not the front end. What this means is connecting with caterers, stylists, and photographers you feel you can trust, so that on the day you’re not having to intervene. This is especially important with photography and specifically, wedding portraits. A shot list can hinder your photographer, and take them away from doing what we do best: which is being responsive to unfolding moments.
Don’t meet a million vendors for each category, meet a few and spend time with them. Make sure you get those little bells of trust ringing that tell you they’re the one. And then let them do what they do.
Because the best wedding portraits – the ones you’ll print and find yourself sending to everyone – fundamentally come out of ignoring nearly everything I’ve written above, and enjoying a couple of carefree windows with a photographer you feel entirely comfortable with, wherever they end up being taken.
These are a fun couple of portraits to close this article up – because this should all be, well, fun!
Jul 2, 2019
We get a lot of the most beautiful enquiries for weddings, from all sorts of humans and all types of celebrations. But every now and then one stands out as something of a… unique first. An enquiry asking if we’d shoot their Albanian Rock n Roll Warehouse Rave Wedding stands out as one such enquiry. We teamed up with the brilliant Nat Sproal (also headlining my piece on the best Melbourne wedding celebrants here), for this incredible Fortyfive Downstairs wedding in Melbourne, which began with gentle calm and after the rave stuff, ended with Saranda putting a fire-hose on Brendan enthusiastically trying to corral some last portraits at the local Maccas.
Legends.
For more at this mighty little venue, see Sharni and Michaels Cumulus Up wedding.
Fortyfive Downstairs website: https://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/wp2016/private-events/
Apr 4, 2019
It’s such a thrill to work with the most discerning couples week in week out, and it brings me enormous pleasure to offer a style of work and personal investment that isn’t available anywhere else, and so on this page are some of my melbourne wedding photographer reviews.
WOW Oli we just watched the clip. And again. And another time, ha! Absolutely floored by them all. We bow down to the master! So incredible.
Thank you so much.
Also, I absolutely love how much these photos show how much fun we were having that day. It seems like a dream, did it really happen? Can’t wait to see the entire set, absolutely no stress or rush on any of it.
So thankful to have received what you’ve pulled together for us so far. We’re absolutely blown away with them all.
Like seriously, absolutely overwhelmed with how amazing they all are. Thank you so so so much from the bottom of our hearts!
Where can we start? Sarah and I have just sat down to revisit your marvellous work and we’re stoked that you were there on the day capturing the magic of the land, the people and the joyous moments that flowed.
Thank you so much for giving yourself and your creativity to our party on the hill. It kinda feels like a world ago now, these very photos taken moments before a pandemic was ever on our minds. So many humans in close proximity(!). So thank you, really dig it man.
I’m going to pass it over to Sarah and she is going to share a few words 😉
Oli it was such a pleasure to hangout with you on the first of March 2020!! Thanks for being so down for the barefoot walks and the early morning in Sth Gippsland. Sooo appreciate your Very Generous extra time on the day, too. Adore your work and CAN’T WAIT to get some things printed!!
Bless you and bless your life-giving skillz x x x
You Sir are a genius!!! Our world’s aligned for a reason.
You have us two captivated, as you captured every emotion and moment – obviously we’re blubbering messes at the moment! What a marvellous showcase.
The preview was exciting and the main event has blown us away.
You captured us and each and every moment of our Wedding day spectacularly. You are quite the story teller!
Oli, we are crying. I think I’ve already ‘previewed’ it 5 times this morning. Thank you for helping us relive it.
We really can’t thank you enough.
We are over the bloody moon mate. So many incredible memories and they all came flooding back. Both very emotional. Has absolutely made both of our days.
You did such and amazing job capturing our friends, the architecture, the property and nature, the moments and the feeling. Seriously mate. Cannot wait to see anything else you have.
We particularly love our posed shots. The moody black and whites are amazing. Your colour grading is so beautiful. The way you frame. Just all of it mate!
It was one hell of a day for you starting at 6am till about midnight. I can’t thank you enough for everything you did for us.
You blew all of our expectations and still are. You have given us another shot of wedding love and vibe. Let’s see how long we can stay on this high!
Oli… wow… I knew you were incredible, but that blew me/us away.
Many many tears.
They’re beyond beautiful and we couldn’t have pictured them anymore perfectly. THANK YOU SO MUCH, you fucking maestro. And those film ones, I’m drooling.
These capture everything I love about photos, moments being encapsulated in time and feeling like you’re right there. They’re all beautiful.
And I’m so glad you took film for us because there truly ain’t anything like it!
(I do love shooting film at weddings – read this post on film wedding photography to see why)
For more Melbourne wedding photographer reviews, head to my Google reviews.
Mar 25, 2019
Best Grampians Wedding Venue: Royal Mail Hotel. Through the wedding of Hannah and Ben we’ll take a look at this bloody majestic gem of way northern Victoria.
The Grampians is renowned throughout Australia for it’s stunning scenery, numerous hiking trails, perfectly preserved National Parks and gleaming lakes. It’s also home to a diverse range of native Australian flora and fauna, and one of the most beautiful untouched utopias in all Australia. The last time I ventured there was to photograph an absolutely phenomenal wedding for a couple of gems under the gentle guidance of legendary Melbourne wedding planners Will and Jac. Take a squiz here at the very best Grampians wedding venue, the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld.
Anyone who has visited the Grampians knows why it’s such a hot-spot for loved-up couples planning their nuptials. For those of us who are yet to visit, the Grampians is a gorgeous area just 3 hours north-west of Melbourne. It is full of rolling hills, gleaming lakes and some truly breathtaking scenic views. The natural countryside exudes a rustic cheer that seems to welcome visitors at any time of the year.
If you’re keen to stay on in the Grampians after the wedding is all said and done, there are plenty of interesting activities to sink your teeth into. You can check out the Halls Gap Zoo for a chance to make some furry friends. Or go to the Grampians Grape Escape wine, food and music festival if you’re there around the beginning of May. A simple hike through the Grampians National Park is enough to have you feeling at one with nature and about as relaxed as you can get. See, there’s plenty to do once the “I dos” have been exchanged. It’s the perfect place to spend a few days away from it all.
The Royal Mail Hotel and its sister property, Mount Sturgeon, make for one hell of a wedding. There’s this Pioneer-esque vintage feel about the place that just makes for such a timeless setting and atmosphere. The hotel has plenty of accommodation options for guests (as hotels are wont to do) and the Homestead at the Mount Sturgeon property conveniently sleeps 12. On offer are some super affordable wedding packages that include:
For more options, you can check out their 2020 Brochure or browse their blog posts that provide inspo for both Winter Weddings & Summer Weddings at their magnificent venue.
On that note, I’m going to love you and leave you with a few of the country vintage inspired snaps I managed to capture at this sweeeet Grampians wedding venue. To see more, head to Hannah and Bens wedding here, and for something rustic in New South wales (book us as your Byron Bay wedding photographer, we travel, m8), check out Deux Belettes.
Dec 15, 2018
Gather and Tailor is an incredible rustic, industrial wedding and events space on the edge of Footscray, just slightly west of the Melbourne CBD. Couples of all types book at Gather and Tailor Wedding as there are two distinct spaces available to cater to all sizes and scales of celebration: Warehouse One, and Warehouse Two.
I’ve been fortunate to photograph weddings at Gather and Tailor Warehouse every other year, and so here are three couples with different types of celebrations, so you can see how they’ve each used both Warehouse One and Warehouse Two, and hopefully it gives a little insight into what can be done in their incredible spaces.
Gather and Tailor isn’t just available for weddings, but the venue is also regularly host to cocktail event, fashion parades, corporate dinners and more.
An incredibly detailed blank-canvas industrial wedding venue in Melbourne, Gather and Tailor’s two unique spaces can be hired separately depending on the size of your wedding and the flavour of industrial that you prefer.
Gather and Tailor Warehouse One is the smaller of the two, but as with the specs below is still plenty large enough for weddings on the larger end of the dial, while having the space arranged in such a way that it’s also suitable for smaller weddings. The wedding you’re about to see was for Carli and Ennis, and was a communal gift from all supplies involved after a bushfire approached their first wedding in rural Victoria and forced them to evacuate. Incredible to see just how close the fire got.
Take a look at how everyone came together to get them the wedding they didn’t get to, at literally the last minute, have.
Gather and Tailor Warehouse One capacity:
200 cocktail
150 seated
Warehouse Style, flexible blank canvas
Gather and Tailor Warehouse Two is significantly larger in floor space, and one of the most epic blank canvases you can imagine. If having a smaller wedding here, the space should be used and styled in such a way that it doesn’t feel like a tiny huddle in the corner of the Vatican.
The weddings you’re about to see are of Ash and Karan, and Anna and Anna – theirs of which was featured on Australia’s largest modern wedding blog, Hello May.
Gather and Tailor Warehouse Two capacity
500 cocktail
350 seated
Warehouse Style, flexible blank canvas
Celebrant Gabriella Christopher Rings Julia Deville BRIDE ONE Dress Ellery Shoes Nicholas Kirkwood Makeup Ross Andrwartha BRIDE TWO Dress Dion Lee Entertainment The Elwood Community Shoes Proenza Schouler Earrings Ellery Makeup Ross Andrewartha Florist North St Botanical Venue Gather & Tailor Catering Pot and Pan Candles The Supply Co Lighting Technical Events Sound Hire DJ Warehouse
Heres some more of my wedding photography, made with couples from all over Melbourne, to the Yarra Valley, to Geelong and beyond.
Gather and Tailor website: http://www.gatherandtailor.com.au/
Unit 11/41-59 Sims St, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Gather and Tailor on Google Maps:
Wedding Photographer Melbourne – Briars Atlas: Enquire
Looking for more unique wedding venues in melbourne? If you’re stoked on Gather and Tailor, load yourself up with one of Melbournes best wedding celebrants, and reach out to the team at Gather and Tailor. If you want me along for the ride to capture images exactly like those here, you can book me here.
Oct 23, 2018
Located just 50km north-east of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is the perfect road trip destination. With over 70 wineries (see Zonzo Estate, and this Mitchelton winery wedding), a huge range of tours, and some of the most quaint little hamlets this side of the moon, the Yarra Valley is a true hidden gem. Nestled amongst the hills and valleys of this spectacular region is the incredible venue Stones of the Yarra Valley, one of the best wedding venues the Yarra Valley has to offer, and a place where i’ve been fortunate to photograph weddings at year in year out.
So, here is a Stones of the Yarra Valley wedding guide (as much as we can cover in just a few page scrolls anyhow).
Planning a wedding can sometimes feel orchestrating a symphony after necking a keg of port. You’ve got everything from accommodation, venue, food and guests to consider – plus the addition of all the little things that seem to skyscraper into the clouds and out of sight. When all the little things seem to become too much, allow Stones of the Yarra to kindly step in and offer a helping hand, thanks to their well-oiled team of wizards helmed by venue owner, Vonnie.
Here are just a few of the convenient pre-wedding services they offer:
The entire Yarra Valley region consists of amazing wineries and beautifully scenic attractions that everyone can enjoy. If you don’t find yourself too entangled in the wedding prep itself (ie. if you have an awesome wedding planner), you can check out tours, trails and townships in the surrounding areas.
We were blown away with how perfect everything was and our family and friends are still talking about it.
Stones of the Yarra Wedding Clients – Phoebe & Rob, April 2017
When it comes to creating the perfect wedding atmosphere, Stones of the Yarra Valley run a super slick operation due to the services they offer. You are in consistently good hands when you choose to exchange vows and carry on celebrations at Stones itself or at one of their two gorgeous sister properties, No7 Healesville or The Warehouse at Meletos.
The lengths that this venue goes to in ensuring their happy couples are pretty wild, which everyone finds out after just one meeting with their planning team.
Depending on the Yarra Valley wedding package you choose, you could be basking in the following inclusions:
All this is just the beginning, which is pretty par for the course when the Stones ring leader Vonnie is driving things.
Now, I’m likely talking more to the wedding guests than the stars of the show here, because they’re likely being whisked off on an amazing honeymoon. So, what can you do at Stones of the Yarra once the vows have been exchanged, the food has been consumed and the bar tab has been exceeded?
Plenty.
As mentioned above, Stones of the Yarra Valley have five ridiculously charming dining rooms to book into for a celebratory meal. You can wander the property and take in the most amazing views. Your Instagram followers will be drooling, believe me.
Outside of the Stones of the Yarra Valley venue, you’ve got the entire Yarra Valley at your disposal! My top 3 suggestions for the adventurous at heart would have to be:
If you’ve made it this far and still have juice in the tank, be sure to check out this post on these Yarra Valley wedding venues for more wedding planning inspiration.
Check out a few of my all time favourite black and white photos. These beauties are magical monochrome majesty. For more Yarra Valley Wedding venues, also be sure to check out Immerse, Yering Station, and the brilliantly art-deco Burnham Beeches. For a country victoria wedding venue further north, check out this Sault Daylesford wedding.
Dec 27, 2017
Holding a Tanglewood Estate wedding is like holding a wedding at something straight out of the head of Tim Burton. True to it’s name, Tanglewood Estate is a layered landscape of brilliantly twisted and tangled trees with a whole bunch of options both indoors and out for hosting your Mornington Peninsula wedding.
On it’s 100+ acres, Tanglewood Estate rustic spaces include The Chapel, The Grounds, the Studio (a former artists studio constructed entirely of mud brick), and the Winery (while we’re on wineries, see this Mitchelton winery wedding). There’s a few little pieces about Tanglewood Estate’s story that are best left to them telling, but the one about their Chapel being purchased on Gumtree is a pearler.
I love shooting at Tanglewood Estate – apart from the enormous variety of spaces there, that sunset that drops behind the lake is out of this world and on our peninsula (check out these other Mornington Peninsula wedding venues).
I ran another series of wedding photography workshops at this beautiful slice of Mornington Peninsula wilderness – at it’s space called the Studio, and was joined by such a brilliant crew of Victorian creatives to spend the day together, such as the utterly inimitable Briggsy, Ashlee Hase photography, my dear mate Cass Sullivan over from Tas and so many more, and had the incredible skills of Humdrum Films (head here for more Melbourne wedding videographers) putting together a video of the day.
Here’s a little peek into the day. Huge love to Humdrum Films for capturing it.
For something more intimate on the Mornington Peninsula, view this Graceburn Tedesca Osteria wedding.
Growing up in the Yarra Valley and later towards the Mornington Peninsula, i’ve got a special love for those areas of Victoria, and it’s always a treat to photograph weddings out that way. Usually close to half of my photography year is spent across those two regions, and having spent so much time out there it makes perfect sense to host a wedding at Tanglewood Estate.
If you’re looking for a wedding photographer at Tanglewood E