Latest notes:
Atlas notes: the blog.
Dec 17, 2020
These are four of my favourite Castlemaine Wedding Venues, including photos taken at each of brilliant couples choosing to have their wedding in this rustic region.
It’s really late at night, and i’m writing this article for you, dear human-person, on the other end, and i’m supposed to use all this coercive langue that apparently makes internet websites more engaging and all that (“you’ll never BELIEVE how rusticly-rustic to the power of rustic these are”), but, let’s skip all that cheap shit and get to the point, because you’re better than that (it’s a Castlemaine thing).
Castlemaine is incredibly rad, otherwise you wouldn’t be on this post or considering a wedding in the area, and I want to share some great spaces from this totally marvellous region.
I’ve spent a tonne of time out there, and as a general thing within the universe, a visit to it is generally recognised as being far more desirable than a slap over the noggin with a wet fish, so have a look at these scallywags that thought the same, and hire us to shoot your wedding.
The Best Castlemaine wedding venues
1. Providence Gully
2. Butterland Newstead
3. The Diggers Store
4. The Cosmopolitan hotel
1. Providence Gully
Providence gully is a gem of the area, an incredible oasis established in 1858. With a rustic barn, olive grovee, pomegranite orchards and an endless variety of native greenery, this understated marvel is a must see.
I photographed the wedding of Amy and Bronson, held in this precious place, and featured in all it’s glory on Hello May.
Find Providence Gully
Providence Gully website: http://providencegully.com.au/
2. Butterland Newstead
Katie (othewise known at the inimitable Katie Marx flowers – see her here on Melbournes best wedding florists) and Greg run the Butterland Newstead wedding venue, and took it from an historic factory needing a little DIY love, into and incredibly versatile venue just one good road trip out of Melbourne
Iro and Alex got married at this spectacular property, and you can see more of these hilarious, stylish marvels featured here on Together Journal.
Find Butterland Newstead
Butterland Newstead website: https://www.butterland.com.au/
3. The Diggers Store
The Diggers Store is something of an understated gem of the area, and resembles something of an impossible mix of tiny italian clifftop homestead, mixed with rustic outback, and just a couple of hours north of Melbourne.
After their Queenstown Elopement (also featured here on Hello May), Lilli and Jake brought the party, and their beautiful community, to the intimate grounds of the Diggers Store in Castlemaine, and loaded up with a bunch of strange old film cameras (see here why I shoot film at weddings) I came along for the ride to document it.
Find the Diggers Store
The Diggers Store website: http://www.thediggersstore.com.au/
4. The Cosmopolitan Hotel
This one slipped into this post, just. Even though it’s about 40 minutes outside of Castlemaine, it still qualifies and is well worth adding to the Castlemaine venue consideration pile. Home of beautiful hospitality, wood-fired pizzas, and plenty of beautiful portrait locations in the surrounding regions to run around in. Go for the woodfired pizzas, and get married on the side.
Kara and Marty had their Castlemaine wedding at the Cosmopolitan hotel in Trentham, and we whipped out for a beautiful portrait session in some unique spots nearby. Head here to see more of their Cosmopolitan Hotel wedding.
Find the Cosmopolitan hotel
The Cosmopolitan Hotel Trentham website: https://www.thecosmopolitanhotel.com.au/
Check out this post for rustic wedding venues in Melbourne, or on the other side of Victoria, have a look at these Mornington Peninsula wedding venues. For something on the complete other end of the dial, check out this Melbourne city Luminare wedding. Featured Melbourne weddings: Higher ground and Rupert on Rupert.
Hire me as your Castlemaine Wedding Photographer
Briars Atlas Wedding Photography – enquire at Melbourne Wedding Photography
Further south? Hire us as your Macedon Ranges wedding photographer.
Jul 11, 2020
The Fyansford Paper Mill (otherwise known as the Old Paper Mills or Site 3a by Truffleduck) hosts weddings and events just outside of Geelong in the historic corner of Fyansford at Provenance Wines (take a peep at this Mitchelton Winery wedding), in what is an absolute little treasure of the area, just minutes from the Geelong city centre. Take a look at this Fyansford Paper Mill Wedding Pre-enactment with the inimitable Georgie Boy.
I spent half a day in it’s incredible stone walls with Melbourne florist Gina (Georgie Boy), making use of the space and each of us following our noses in our respective crafts, with no end-goal in mind but to make something together in the 3 hours spent there. More from this shoot and a little short-film we created at the papermill to be released soon.
Scroll to the bottom for information on hiring for a Fyansford Paper Mill Wedding (or epic battle, midnight ritual, the world’s your oyster).
Wedding at Fyansford Paper Mill: Sumeyra and Daniel
Book your Fyansford Paper Mill wedding
Fyansford Paper Mill Site 3a is managed by Truffleduck catering.
Fyansford Paper Mill is something of an internet enigma, and has less of a presence than you might expect for a venue that resembles an impossibly beautiful run-down italian castle, just sitting at the edge of Geelong.
Dating back to the precincts industrial era, the Fyansford Paper Mills look like something more likely to have been plucked from the minds of Peter Jacksons set-design team than a venue just outside of Melbourne that you can actually hire for your wedding: enormous wooden beams, an impossibly high entrance divider between the two main stone rooms and a unique blank canvas unlike anywhere else.
Anyhow, you don’t need me frothing over it’s incredible blue-stone walls and regurgitating information you can find readily available on the Truffleduck website, but I will say that outside of an old palace on the side of an Italian cliff, there aren’t any venues i’ve been to that feel anything quite like this.
Old Paper Mills Geelong Capacity
Lower Section – 200 guests
Upper Section – 160 guests
Cocktail Style – 380 guests
Fyansford Papermill Site 3a – Truffleduck
Truffleduck instagram
For venues like the Paper Mill outside of Geelong, see Alternative Wedding Venues in Melbourne.
Need a photographer for your Paper Mill wedding?
Hire me to photograph your Old Paper Mill Wedding.
Jan 11, 2020
Best Wedding Venues on the Mornington Peninsula (no order)
- Tanglewood Estate
- Crittenden Estate
- Lindenderry Red Hill
- All Smiles Sorrento
- Brighton Savoy
- The Shearing Shed
- Private property
The Mornington Peninsula isn’t just famous as an escape for no-ones favourite redneck, nor is it just a place to quest a short distance from the CBD to scratch that covid iso-itch at a local winery: Mornington Peninsula wedding venues are some of Victorias most incredible landscapes filled with culinary brilliance (on that note, check out this regenerative farming Barragunda Estate Wedding) and unique wedding accommodation right at your fingertips.
Having photographed so many incredible celebrations at beautiful Mornington Peninsula wedding venues, I wanted to share with you 7 of my favourite places to get married on the Mornington Peninsula (if you are looking for something a little closer to the city, check out these unique Melbourne wedding venues).
1. Wedding Venue on Mornington Peninsula: Tanglewood Estate
Tanglewood Estate is exactly as it says on the box. You get your wood, that’s tangled, in, an estate. Almost something more out of the brain of Tim Burton than a wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula that you can actually visit and see with your own eyes, this impossibly gorgeous estate is where i’ve even chosen to host my own wedding photography workshops.
A family owned and operated venue, the McEvoys will look after you and put on the most brilliant celebration imaginable (read on down to #5 for another incredible family owned wedding venue).
Tanglewood Estate on the Mornington Peninsula has more space than you can poke a stick at, and an incredibly broad configuration of their space is possible: from the wild grounds themselves, to the incredible heritage chapel they lovingly transported and placed onsite, over the enormous barn (where your epic grazing table can live).
Load up the space with one of Melbournes best wedding bands (you MUST check out Like This Entertainment and Tobi Tobi Music if your ear canals enjoy Good Things), grace the interior with some of the best wedding flowers on the planet, and you have yourself and incredible wedding on the Mornington Peninsula.
If you want to dive a little deeper into this incredible wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula, scroll down to get in touch with them, or check out some images from my workshop I hosted for some brilliant photographers right here.
Enquire about their Mornington Peninsula Wedding Packages
Tanglewood Estate website: https://tanglewoodestate.com.au/
Tanglewood Estate gallery: https://briarsatlas.com/tanglewood-estate-wedding/
Venue size: Able to cater to both small and large weddings
2. Dromana Wedding Venues: Crittenden Estate
Here’s a question that might not be at the top of your mind when you’re considering your wedding venue: “how will the wedding venue deal with an apocalypse?”.
Let’s answer that here with Crittenden Estate. These two lovers, Jess and Kevin, had a wild day at one of the Mornington Peninsulas best wedding venues, as clouds took over, a hectic storm, and a regional power outage. In case the sublime smiles and joy don’t give you your answer, it’s worth knowing that the Crittenden Estate staff are joy-merchants, slick professionals, and masters of dealing with curve balls.
All of that stuff aside, Crittenden Estate is set on beautiful grounds in one of the most beautiful regions in Victoria. Read on below to connect with them.
Enquire about Crittenden Estate Wedding Packages
Crittenden Estate website: www.stillwateratcrittenden.com.au/weddings
Crittenden Estate capacity: 130 seated, 150 cocktail
3. Red Hill Wedding Venues: Lindenderry Red Hill
I keep going to write “Lindenberry” then realise i’ve misplaced a d with a b. An easily made mistake. Anyway, whatever consonant you choose, Red Hill’s Lancemore Lindenderry Estate Mergest wild, mountainous vineyard terrain, with subtle art-deco brilliance all wrapped up on the Mornington Peninsula, just an hour from Melbourne.
And after a beautiful day there spent necking wines on their gorgeous grounds, I bet you’ll also forget which way is up, which way is down, which b should be a d, etc.
Enquire about their Lindenderry Estate Wedding Packages
Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill website: https://www.lancemore.com.au/lindenderry-red-hill
Venue size: Capable and scaleable: 180 seated, 280 standing
4. Sorrento Wedding Venues: All Smiles Sorrento
Right at the tail end of the Mornington Peninsula, we have this incredible clifftop Sorrento wedding venue, All Smiles Sorrento. One of the best wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula, All Smiles merges a brilliant restaurant, with breezy clifftop views, and plenty of space around the venue to escape for a bit of quiet. If you’re looking for Sorrento wedding venues, this is the standard.
Enquire about All Smiles Sorrento Wedding Packages
All Smiles Sorrento website: https://allsmiles.com.au/
All Smiles Sorrento Wedding Gallery: All Smiles Sorrento Wedding
Venue size: All Smiles Sorrento seats up to 120 guests
5. Bayside Wedding Venues / Wedding venue near Mornington Peninsula: Brighton Savoy
Wedding Venue Location: Brighton
These scallywags sneak in, though right at the top of the Mornington Peninsula, they’re a little further away from what most regard as “peak peninsula”. Regardless, I photographed a beautiful intimate wedding there recently, and was pleasantly surprised by how scaleable the venue was, how beautiful the outdoor ceremony area was, and the hospitality game of all their staff.
Brighton Savoy is where you get looked after, where you can head over the road to a beautiful stretch of the bay, and where you can rest your head after a few too many wines, all on the same site with their own accommodation.
Enquire about Brighton Savoy Wedding Packages
Brighton Savoy website: https://www.brightonsavoy.com.au/
Brighton Savoy capacity: 30 – 220 guests
6. Phillip Island Wedding Venue: The Shearing Shed
Wedding Venue Location: Cowes, Phillip Island
Phillip Island isn’t really all that well known as a destination wedding region, and I don’t know if that’s a shame, or whether the area is best left as a well kept secret for all the locals of the surrounding region in the know. In any case, you must check out the best Phillip Island wedding venue – the Shearing Shed.
A long family-run venue, the Shearing Shed is situated at the top end of one of the most beautiful regions of natural wildlife and escapism, just a short hour and a half (or so) out of the city.
While it’s a little bit further away from the other Mornington Peninsula wedding venues, this spectacular little part of the world is full of hidden gems that the crew at The Shearing Shed will be more than happy to divulge to give you and your guests ideas for an incredible week away from the big smoke.
The Shearing Shed on Phillip Island has an incredibly adaptable suite of spaces for all sorts of weddings large and small.
Enquire about the Shearing Shed Wedding Packages
The Shearing Shed website: https://www.theshearingshed.com.au/
The Shearing Shed Venue capacity: 150 guests seated
7. Private Property on the Peninsula
Wedding Venue Location: Anywhere on the Mornington Peninsula
Ever considered having your wedding in yours (or an accommodating mates) backyard? Jaira and Paul did, for their surprise backyard wedding on the Mornington Peninsula (see more of their Mornington Peninsula wedding featured here on Hello May).
Family and friends turned up for a going away party, only to be surprised by an imminent wedding (in about 5 minutes).
Featuring a Paella chef, backyard antics, and a jaunt around the area for some portraits, it was a brilliant, intimate day with their family and friends.
Beautiful.
Venue comparison chart
| Wedding venue | Venue Style | Venue Location | Venue Capacity | You might also like | Sample gallery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanglewood Estate | Rustic Barn | Dromana | 150+ | The Shearing Shed | Tanglewood Estate Wedding |
| Crittenden Estate | Elegant outdoors | Dromana | 150 | All Smiles Sorrento | Coming Soon |
| Lindenderry Red Hill | Art Deco | Red Hill | 280 | Brighton Savoy | Coming Soon |
| All Smiles Sorrento | Coastal clifftop | Sorrento | 120 | Cala Bonita wedding | All Smiles Sorrento Wedding |
| Brighton Savoy | Elegant | Brighton | 220 | Lindenderry Red Hill | Coming Soon |
| The Shearing Shed | Rustic | Phillip Island | 150 | Tanglewood Estate | Coming Soon |
| Private property | All | Mornington Peninsula | Varied | Tanglewood Estate | Private property wedding venues |
My favourite indoor wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula region is the Phillip Islands The Shearing Shed and Tanglewood Estate
Most of these Mornington Peninsula Wedding venues have spectacular outdoor areas, so be sure to read about each one on this page.
You just can’t go past Lindenderry Red Hill.
For cheap wedding venues Mornington Peninsula, you just cant go past having it in your own backyard. Scroll up to check out Jaira and Pauls incredible Mornington Peninsula backyard wedding
Luckily for you, the incredible wedding planners Popup with Style are located on the Mornington Peninsula.
No. Being a local, there are no fees to photograph your wedding on the Mornington Peninsula or surrounds.
There. 6 of the most incredible Mornington Peninsula wedding venues.
Author and all photos by: Briars Atlas. Photos may be only used with a link back to this website.
Hire me to photograph your Peninsula wedding (if you want)
Wedding photographer Mornington Peninsula: Briars Atlas – Enquire
Going intimate? Looking for a small wedding venue further away?
Be sure to check out my list of the best 17 Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne, and check the video below for a quick preview of them.
Mar 25, 2018
Not only is the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Trentham, Victoria a top-notch, classic Aussie hotel, it’s also one of my favourite low key wedding venues in Melbourne. Located right on the corner of High St and Cosmo Rd in Trentham, this unsung hero of wedding venues really does put on quite the show (also check out this post on rustic wedding venues that features Cosmo).
The best part? It’s only just over an hour north-west of Melbourne’s CBD, near Castlemaine. Let’s check out the awesome Cosmopolitan Hotel wedding venue and all it has to offer.
Why Plan A Cosmopolitan Hotel Wedding?
The team at the Cosmo are absolutely wonderful, for one. They place such pride in their venue that they can’t help but go all out for their wedding clients. The level of care shown for even the tiniest of aspects of every wedding is astoundingly endearing.
The event team know their venue inside and out which allows them to perfectly place each and every decoration. They’ll also suggest the best locations for photographs and assist with any and all queries leading up to and during the big day.
Cosmopolitan Hotel Wedding Inclusions
- Seating up to 125 – more for cocktail style events
- Amazing seasonal, local produce for meals and drinks
- Bloody spectacular photo opportunities
- Staff who legitimately care
- Much more – check out their website
The venue itself is absolutely perfect for an intimate country wedding because it holds such a warm, rustic air about it. If you want your wedding to bring back memories of gorgeous gardens, rural charm and warm firelight, this is definitely the Melbourne wedding venue for you.
The two main locations within the hotel grounds that are used for wedding ceremonies and receptions are the picturesque gardens and the charming stables.
Cosmopolitan Hotel Gardens
The gardens truly are a sight to behold with their vast expanse and varied species of flowering shrubs and trees. Because of this they make a wonderful spot for wedding photos. They’re also honestly just a wonderfully calming, peaceful place to hang out.
Cosmopolitan Hotel Stables
The Stables, deary me, they are simply magnificent. Picture an old, weather-beaten barn built by hand from wood and other old-school materials. It’s well-kept enough to house up to 125 guests for a sit down dinner and a good old fashioned barn dance.
Fairy lights adorn both the interior and the exterior, adding a delightfully magical air to the entire event.
Even the simplest of decorations transform this venue into a lively, homely, spirited place to host a truly wonderful wedding.
The package includes delicious, local seasonal produce and a drinks menu featuring only the best wine, beer and cider from the region. So, the Cosmopolitan Hotel wedding in-house catering team is a force to be reckoned with.
A Cosmo wedding pays tribute to Victoria’s heritage in the most charming of ways. Events held here seem to draw on the historic nature of the pub itself. As a result, there’s no better place in Trentham to tie the knot that this majestic, historical venue.
And that’s the tea.
May 17, 2017
When it comes to a phenomenal wedding package, the team at Tuggeranong Homestead are not here to mess about. They’ve got some amazing inclusions, an awesome venue that’s perfect for capturing wedding photography and videography and an air of serenity that Darryl Kerrigan would be entirely unable to resist. Let’s take a look at some Tuggeranong Homestead wedding photos and learn a little more about the services they offer to couples about to tie the knot.
Tuggeranong Homestead Location
As far as the ACT goes, Tuggeranong is a delightfully natural area directly south of Canberra. It’s full of Nature Reserves and borders multiple National Parks. The various scenic drives and lookouts are all sights you must see if you visit Canberra at any point.
Tuggeranong Homestead is located in the very heart of Tuggeranong Valley, not even half an hour out of Canberra CBD and airport.
The Tuggeranong Creek runs but a stone’s throw away, adding to the already naturally peaceful setting.
Tuggeranong Homestead Wedding Venue
The venue itself is a gorgeous rustic homestead on 70 acres of the vast, secluded Aussie outdoors. The Homestead and its surrounding features exude an old-timey flavour that radiates “home”, “love” and “welcome”.
With your wedding package you get exclusive access to all the on-site areas listed below. These are perfect for hosting events, accommodation and of course, capturing some epic wedding photos and videos.
- A sandstone paved cafe garden, perfect for the ceremony and reception.
- A large homestead with several rooms available to host functions including the Drawing Room with two gorgeous open fireplaces and the Sunroom contained entirely within large windows.
- A machinery shed that screams, “capture amazing rustic photos here”.
- Garden marquees to provide some cover to guests.
- A bandstand to host a dancefloor and/or live band.
Inclusions
There are so many bits and pieces included in a Tuggeranong Homestead wedding package that I simply cannot fit them all in one short blog post. Here are a few though, that should help you figure out whether this venue is the one for you and your partner…
- A commercial kitchen and fully licensed bar to cater for everything you need food and drinks wise.
- Reception chairs and tables, chairs for guests for the ceremony and some super chic antique furniture for the signing.
- Free overnight parking in a well-lit space.
- Fairy lights in the machinery shed to add to the magical charm of the venue.
- A fire pit with seating surrounding it for a chilled, late-night fireside chat.
- Pet-friendly grounds.
And much, much more! Just head to their website to see all the other amazing inclusions on offer.
Tuggeranong Homestead Wedding Photos
For a charming, serene, rustic wedding, Tuggeranong Homestead has everything you need and more!
