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Aug 6, 2024
Melbournes most outrageously unique wedding venues:
- Newport Substation
- Rupert on Rupert
- Half Acre
- Panama Dining Room
- State Library Victoria
- Longsong
- Gather and Tailor
- The Deck At Circa
- Quat Quatta
- Luminare
- Brunswick Mess Hall
- Fortyfive Downstairs
- Glasshaus
- George Ballroom
- Altar Electric
- Fyansford Paper Mill
- The Line
- Reine and La Rue
- Recoleta
- Higher Ground
- National Gallery of Victoria
- Walsh St House
- Aunty Kims
- Cutler & Co
- House of Plants
Melbourne is full to the brim with interesting, quirky, and Unique Wedding Venues to appeal to every design sensibility under the sun. Our city is kinda like an egg – ask 5 people for their favourite way to consume it, and you’ll get 4 different answers (and one, probably the 35mm film wedding photographer, who’d prefer a nut-based alternative). So if anywhere is gonna be able to cater to a wild range of vibes within a small radius, it’s Melbourne.
This is a list for folks with alternative and unique, fashion forward sensibilities (head this way if you’re specifically looking for small wedding venues in Melbourne, also included are some more brilliant art deco reception venues).
When we made this list, we essentially made it for ourselves: there’s plenty of lists on regular wedding venues out there, but these are the best wedding venues in Melbourne that have a little bit of sass and quirk to them, and cover a range of wedding venue styles, from industrial warehouse, to art deco: these are wedding venues for large weddings, small weddings, and everything in between.
Melbourne wedding venue comparison chart
1. Newport Substation – Warehouse Wedding Venue
What do an obscure German electronic artist, experiential-theatre zombie-apocalypse, and majestic high-end wedding all have in common? They all found a home at the unique, towering Substation in Newport – in no small way thanks to a philanthropic strategy of intertwinement with the local & international arts community.
The Substation has this classic “we’ve just casually repurposed an industrial Brooklyn warehouse” vibe written all over it, with staggering floor-to-ceiling windows (this criteria would be less staggering if, for example, the windows were in a hobbit-sized home but we’re talking a less vertically-challenged structure here), red statement curtains, and one end lined with more secret little rooms than you can poke a stick at.
Reminds us a little of this Jam Handy wedding in Detroit, Michigan.
With plenty of space to spare both in the main atrium and the rooms below, Melbournes unique wedding venue queen Newport Substation can be mapped to nearly any configuration, including any furniture layout you can imagine, and an on-site burrito stand for guests to tuck into (or the most epic grazing table you can imagine).
Set up a band in one corner, quirky photobooth in the other, hire a leading progressive Melbourne wedding florist like Good Grace & Humour or Georgie Boy to dress up another end with an impossibly wild installation (or leave it in all it’s all bare glory), and you’ve got a space that’ll be on the tips of the guests tongues for weeks. After they recover from their hangovers.
Check out Nicole and Dan’s incredible unique wedding at Newport Substation. One of my favourite things about Newport Substation, not to take away anything from it as a brilliant Melbourne venue, is that it takes us back to any number of the incredible and enormous New York Warehouse venues i’ve had the good fortune of being in.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Newport Substation website: www.thesubstation.org.au
Newport Substation wedding gallery: Nicole & Dan
Venue size: Enormous. 250 seated, 300 cocktail
2. Rupert on Rupert – Collingwood Wedding Venues
In a short amount of time, Rupert has become one of the most popular wedding venues Melbourne has on offer.
Rupert is kinda like the Tesla flying in outer space with an astronaut next to it and David Bowie blaring from the stereo as it flies towards Jupiter: it probably shouldn’t exist at all, much less where it does, but – it does.
And thankful for it existing, we are. Separated into a Main Dining Hall, Conservatory, and Cocktail Lounge, alternative wedding venue in Melbourne king Rupert on Rupert takes the crown for classic modern New York bar vibes in Melbourne, and wouldn’t be out of place in any of the more recently gentrified areas of inner-Brooklyn: which is also code-word for gorgeously designed, thoughtfully laid out, with a level of subtle considered genius by a design team that makes the space grow on you like the third album from that previously favourite artist of yours.
Geographically tucked neatly away into the “local knowledge” category, pop into the unique Rupert on Rupert on a weekend, and it’s jam-packed with folks who know it’s one of the most unique venues Melbourne has to offer with it’s incredible food and quirky interiors in a classy casual setting.
Rupert on Rupert has three thoughtfully designed areas, each of which can be repurposed as you need, and the menu is produced by a crack-team of friendly maestros who can cater incredibly for vegetarians and vegans alike (I know, because I was guest at an incredible vegan wedding there of a dear mate).
I’m not saying to just get Aunt Jenny on her iPad taking the photos for the day, but I will say that with every inch of the interior so thoughtfully considered at Rupert on Rupert, you could probably point your 2002 Nokia at the urinal and still get an incredible image.
But don’t do that, because it’s extraordinarily weird that you’re still using that phone.
For more inspiration check out Liv and Dave’s Rupert on Rupert Wedding. If you’re going to hire out such an iconic space, also be sure to bring a Melbourne wedding videographer along for the ride.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Rupert on Rupert website: www.rupertonrupert.com.au
Rupert on Rupert wedding gallery: Liv and Daves Rupert on Rupert wedding
Venue size: Cosy & compartmentalised. (85 seated, 220 cocktail)
3. Half Acre – Best wedding venue Melbourne
South Melbourne’s Half Acre, helmed by the catering mad-hatters at Food and Desire, is a giant secret dropped right in the middle of the wide streets of South Melbourne. Occupying a corner of the suburb that mostly is home to industry, it is – apart from the majestic cacophany of matrimony on a weekend – a gloriously quiet dead-zone of a weekend.
In line with this play on contrasts, it’s actually pretty near impossible to tell what the hell the place even is, unless you’re in the know, or a loaded up wedding guest finds themselves playing horizontal on the nature strip outside.
With all the new wedding venues Melbourne has on offer, Half Acre are a giant, well-oiled diamond (if that’s a thing). Half Acre itself was previously an industrial complex, and retains a lot of that gritty charm in it’s warehouse interior. Half Acre is split into several different areas, giving an enormous range of opportunity for a smaller ceremony indoors, over to their large, high-roofed reception hall.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Half Acre website: https://www.halfacre.com.au/
Half Acre Wedding gallery: Food and Desire
Venue size: Seated: 264, Cocktail: 400
4. Fitzroy wedding venue: Panama Dining Room (New York Style Wedding Venue)
Wedding Venue Location: Collingwood
The grand-master of unique, alternative wedding venues in Melbourne. Beer-soaked carpets, wistful homages to Dave the hot bassist etched into the bathroom walls, and the shady corner where your insouciant friend got lucky.
These are a few things that you definitely won’t find at Panama Dining room anymore.
When stepping into this cavernous room filled with giant arch windows you might be forgiven that in it’s past-life as a music venue (Melbourne music photographer, for said sonic wall-painters) in the heartland of the pub-scene, the majestic gateways of Panama Dining Room looking into and around the city were completely covered up.
Since being exposed in all their glory, Panama Dining Room has staked its claim as one of Melbournes best open-bar, dining-hybrid venues, and if you gently squint, it’s easy to imagine yourself in the warehouse-loft of a pre-crash Wall St tycoon in the 80s.
So squint, dear friend, bring that cigar to the lips, and inhale that sweet, sweet smell of pre-2007 venue tobacco laws, while you imagine yourself in that steamy machine of systemic exploitation known as wall st.
Fortunately for those of the stamina variety, Panama did carry one little thing over from it’s days as a live music venue: a 1am liquor license.
So party on, dear aspirational Gordon Gecko.
The Panama Dining Room is located in the heart of Smith St, which places it in beautiful proximity to some of the most iconic and historical parts of Melbournes oldest suburb, Fitzroy. That puts it at arms length away from an incredible lot of great portrait opportunities that can be had even with just a quick little sprint away from the Panama.
See the Panama Dining Room wedding of Amanda and James.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Panama Dining Room website: www.thepanama.com.au
Venue size: 160 guests seated, 220 standing
5. State Library of Victoria – Melbourne City Wedding Venue
Wedding Venue Location: Melbourne CBD
Bookworms by day, dancefloor worms by night: State Library Victoria is the poster-child for a venues ability to play Jekyll, Hyde, and all their far-removed cousins, and might just be our cities most slumbering giant gem.
There’s much to be said for nostalgia. It is after all, the reason why we fought tooth and nail for an (ill-fated, but I digress) Hey Hey it’s Saturday revival wayback when, and why the the whiff of a can of Lynx can suddenly remove two decades of time and space for those in the mid-30’s bracket.
The savvy folk at Showtime events and caretakers of State Library Victoria know the value of nostalgia, and so they know that once the lukewarm memories of higher education and it’s study pressures have faded into memory, there’s nothing more appealing than inhaling an Espresso Martini and double-stack of canapes in one of the worlds most extravagantly beautiful study halls.
Enter the unusual wedding venue, State Library Victoria.
Thankfully to the mad hatters at SLV, there are a total of five separate, incredibly distinct spaces in which to host your wedding, that can cater from the intimate to over 500 guests. So whether you’ve spent your days as a cave dwelling misanthrope or have as many friends as Tom from Myspace, you’re probably covered.
The lay of the land at State Library Victoria starts at the obviously decadent La Trobe Reading Room, throws a curveball of art via the Cowen Gallery, and ends at the recently revitalised Ian Potter Queens Hall, with the glorious North Rotunda and Isabelle Fraser room in between, taking the crown as one of the more unusual wedding venues we have going.
The State Library of Victoria, as well as having a variety of rooms that would be the envy of a Labrynth-trotting Bowie, is smack in the heart of the CBD – lending itself to plenty of beautiful portrait opportunities, classic Melbourne laneways and beyond, and is one of the more left of centre alternative wedding venues in Melbourne.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
State Library of Victoria website: https://venues.slv.vic.gov.au/wedding/
Venue size:
Isabelle Fraser Room: 156 Banquet 220 Cocktail
Ian Potter Queens Hall: 290 Banquet 500 Cocktail
La Trobe Reading Room: 520 Cocktail
North Rotunda: 60 Banquet 90 Cocktail
Cowen Gallery: 220 Banquet 350 Cocktail
6. Longsong – Warehouse Wedding Venue
Wedding Venue Location: Melbourne CBD
Longsong is what happens when a collective of design-centred mavens pair with culinary master David Moyle, and point their magic towards an historic old Melbourne horse stable in the middle of chinatown.
Majestic tall ceilings, a wave of paper lanterns above and original brick floors from this converted 1900s space, JCB Architects added another space to a growing list of venues in Melbourne keeping as many sympathetic roots to the original uses of the structure as possible, while allowing it to stand alone as progressive and stylish. Add a dash of quirky photographic genius on entry and you have yourselves one serve of Longsong.
Longsong is the benchmark in subtle, sprawling classy alternative vibes in Melbourne, with a 2-tier open space that lets you know exactly what it’s all about as soon as you walk in.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Longsong website: https://longrainmelbourne.com/
Longsong Wedding Gallery: Together Journal
Venue size: Up to 200 people
7. Gather & Tailor – Warehouse Wedding Venue
Wedding Venue Location: West Melbourne
Gather and Tailor takes an old inner-city warehouse, and puts it in the hands of the genius, quirky captains of wedding hospitality, Nudo.
5km out of the CBD, smack-against a bunch of shipping containers and an old-school automotive garage, it initially feels like you aren’t quite allowed to have all that room and calm all to yourself – but then you lean into it, and in return are gifted with one of the most unassumingly mighty warehouse experiences in Melbourne, and a small nod to a classic New York warehouse.
With the seasoned hands of the Nudo team and their hospitality empire at your fingertips, Gather and Tailor is a modular set of spaces, and the perfect blank canvas where you can call in as much or as little of the in-house styling as you need.
Check out Ash and Karan’s glorious Gather and Tailor wedding, at one of my favourite wedding venues near me.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Gather & Tailor website: www.gatherandtailor.com.au
Gather & Tailor wedding gallery: Gather and Tailor wedding
Venue size: Pretty damn big, mate. 300 seated, 450 standing (Across two physical spaces).
8. The Deck at Circa – CBD Wedding Venue
The Deck at Circa is nested on the rooftop of the Prince Hotel, in sun-drenched St Kilda. The Deck itself is an expansive, as you’d imagine, deck, with a large covered interior space, and access to some of the other incredible events and wedding spaces inside the Prince Hotel.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
The Deck website: https://theprince.com.au/
The Deck wedding gallery: The Deck Circa Wedding
Venue size: Sit down – 120 guests. Cocktail – 500 guests
9. Quat Quatta – Art Deco Wedding Venues Ripponlea
Quat Quatta contains some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful interiors and exteriors around (check out Burnham Beeches for another), and the breadth of portrait opportunities on-site both inside and outside are unbeatable. A festooned outdoor area makes for a glorious intimate ceremony space, before the party is carried inside, making the combination of these things raise Quat Quatta as one of the most incredibly unique art deco wedding venues Melbourne has going.
But, let’s just hold off on all the adjectives and hyperbole for a hot damn minute, though: because something about this venue in particular isn’t talked about nearly enough: the bridal suites.
These old heritage rooms at the wings of Quat Quatta, apart from being a pretty splendid place to get all that bridal-suite stuff done (application of bandaids, eating of cupcakes, necking of champagne, and whatever else goes on in there), are totally gorgeous and a way under-appreciated part of the venues makeup, and one of my favourite areas of the building to take portraits on the day.
If art deco is your vibe, Quat Quatta is a place of wild charm and a more traditional-looking outpost that holds more than it’s own with plenty of variety. Check out this Quat Quatta wedding for a lay of the land. One of the most majestic art deco reception venues Melbourne has on offer.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Quat Quatta website: www.quatquatta.com.au
Quat Quatta wedding gallery: Quat Quatta wedding
Venue size: Pretty big, mate. 300 seated, 450 standing (Across two physical spaces)
10. Luminare – Rooftop Wedding Venue
One of the most popular wedding venues Melbourne has going, Luminare is a wedding venue in Victoria that has become something of a go-to for all things lush and grand, and I find that folks who are drawn to Luminare are also drawn to The Deck (up above) and The George Ballroom (further down this page).
Luminare is a giant, high-roofed events and wedding space, with an enormous deck that runs the full length of the floor, set against their iconic view of the city. This boutique wedding venue is located just a stones throw from the Melbourne CBD, and for folks considering Metropolis Events, this is a brilliant alternative with a similar feel, and including unmatched views of Melbourne via it’s rooftop.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Luminare website: https://luminare.net.au/
Luminare Wedding gallery: Luminare Wedding
Venue size: 250 guests seated, 500 guests cocktail
11. Brunswick Mess Hall – Quirky Wedding Venue
Brunswick mess hall is one of the more unique, casual wedding venues Melbourne has to offer, with a warehouse vibe set in the heart of Brunswick. Somewhat akin in functionality to it’s spiritual cousin Revolver in Prahran, the Brunswick Mess Hall is a restaurant by day, and party-space by night when a wedding is on. Minus the next new thing in electro-dubstep resetting everyones resting heart-rate, or coke-buzzed charlitans in the urinal offering you the key to manifesting abundance.
Brunswick Mess Hall has some of the most gorgeous natural light coming through later in the day, and some brilliant portrait locations in the surrounding streets that make a quick quest out into this quirky neighbourhood at sunset deliver an abundance of opportunities without dragging you away from the party for too long.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Brunswick Mess Hall website: https://thebrunswickmesshall.com.au/
Brunswick Mess Hall Wedding Gallery: On Polka Dot Bride
Venue size: 130 guests seated, 200 guests cocktail
12. Fortyfive Downstairs – Small Warehouse Wedding Venues
Fortyfive Downstairs is Melbournes best Art Gallery Wedding Venue, and one of the most unique venues Melbourne has on offer. At first glance, for the parents out there, it might bring up the hairs on the back of the neck in the same way that letting toddlers loose around fine china does, but the reality of the space is quite the opposite.
Fortyfive Downstairs is a warming, welcoming space with unique beautiful rotating art on it’s walls, sat a few floors up from it’s incredible, cavernous warehouse space in the basement. See more of this event space at Callum and Jarrods wedding planned by Tori Allen Events, as well as the Cumulus Inc wedding of Sharni and Michael.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Fortyfive Downstairs website: https://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/
Fortyfive Downstairs Wedding Gallery: Fortyfive Downstairs wedding
Venue size: 160 guests seated, 300 guests cocktail
13. Glasshaus – Casual Wedding Venues
Glasshaus has two distinct wedding event spaces: Glasshaus Inside, and Glasshaus Outside.
Fun fact: Glasshaus inside has an outside outside of Inside’s inside, and inside Glasshaus Outside Glasshaus Inside could probably fit.
Etc.
Glasshaus is something of a beautiful aviary in a jungle, and nearly tucked inside a front that doesn’t lend you any idea of it being there. A brilliantly unique wedding venue just a stones throw from the city.
Glasshaus Inside is a warehouse jungle, and no other descriptors will do any justice to the space. If you’re looking for venues similar to Rupert on Rupert, this is the answer south of the river.
See more at this Glasshaus Wedding, and the Walsh St House wedding of Cassie and Sam.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Glasshaus website: https://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/
Venue size: 88 guests seated, 125 guests cocktail
14. George Ballroom – Unique Wedding Venues Victoria
The George Ballroom is one of the most decadent wedding venues going, and a brilliant example of just how incredible and modular a single room can be. Iconic textured, distressed walls and fixtures, and much like Rupert, the kind of place you can just point a phone camera at in any direction and come out with art. This unique wedding venue is in St Kilda, just a short jaunt from the Melbourne CBD.
See the George Ballroom Wedding photos of Patti and Chris.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
The George Ballroom website: https://www.thegeorgeballroom.com.au/
Venue size: 150 guests seated, 200 guests cocktail
15. Collingwood Wedding Venues: Altar Electric (Eclectic Wedding Venue)
Before pandemics and global disarray, The Altar Electric were ahead of the curve before flattening it was a thing, serving up small (see here for why small wedding venues are the best), funky, intimate weddings in their brilliant chapel in Collingwood, designed by the genius event and wedding stylists over at Good Day Club. There are always new wedding venues Melbourne has popping up, but these folk stand out from the rest, and Altar Electric takes the crown as one of the more unusual, alternative wedding venues in town.
The Altar Electric is a wedding chapel for three kinds of folks:
1 – Couples who were probably going to book a registry wedding, but wanted a little bit more sass to the occasion (and still prefer to find more reasonably priced wedding venues)
2 – Couples who want Australias answer to the Vegas Chapel wedding
3 – Couples who want to get in, get it done in an incredible and colourful way, and get out into enjoying their day together around Fitzroy and Collingwood
The Altar Electric is one of the most unique venues Melbourne has going and one of the most amazing places to get married in Melbourne, providing everything from intimate shotgun weddings, all the way up to options for a larger number of guests inside the peach-toned walls of their tiny chapel.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
The Altar Electric website: https://www.thealtarelectric.com.au/
The Altar Electric Wedding Gallery: The Altar Electric Wedding
Venue size: 30, to up to 70 if the outside area is used
16. Fyansford Paper Mill – Heritage Wedding Venue
I had to include this one for all the Lord of the Rings fans out there. This doesn’t quite fit the bill for Melbourne, as it’s just outside of it, but is something of a secret wedding venue worth checking out, and one of the best places to get married in Victoria.
Before I give the exact location as a potential turn-off, it’s worth saying that if you can stomach sitting in traffic on Punt Rd for an hour to move just 150 metres, then you can also put up with making your way over to Geelong to this beauty, and there’s no trip more worthy than to see this incredibly unique wedding venue just a short haul from Melbourne.
I still believe Fyansford Paper Mill is one of our real undiscovered gems that should be right at the top of any wedding venue consideration inside Victoria, and unfortunately it’s even tough to get a sense of how brilliant this place is from a proper google search, you almost have to just roll up and see it for yourself.
Cavernous interior, split into two distinct spaces joined by what is an iconic archway in between them, it’s impossible to think this place exists just a short roadie out of the city.
Fyansford Paper Mill – otherwise known ever so romantically as Site 3A – is run by prolific caterers and party-starters Truffleduck.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
Fyansford Paper Mill Website: Truffleduck
Fyansford Paper Mill Wedding Gallery: Fyansford Paper Mill Wedding
Provenance Wines wedding gallery: Provenance Wines wedding
Venue size: 30, to up to 70 if the outside area is used
17. Footscray Wedding Venue The Line (Warehouse Venue)
The Line in Footscray takes all the grit, texture, and industrial charm of recently gentrifying Footscray and… leaves all it the hell alone.
Perfect.
Just as every developer with a string of graduate architects are discovering Fisher and Paykel My First Geometry lessons on exterior cladding in the suburb, the folks at The Line have kept the original spirit of the area alive in this rough around the edges gem of a space, and it’s one of the most moody wedding venues near us as westsiders.
The Line is a blank-canvas wedding venue, and you know you’re in good hands when the venue is run by a team that also see their space used regularly for community, arts, and market events, which is something of a rarity.
To see The Line in action, pick yourself up a copy of the September 2020 edition of Hello May, where you can see the gorgeous and colourful celebration of Pepe and Sam gracing it’s pages with this unique wedding venue set as their brilliant canvas.
Enquire about their Melbourne Wedding Packages
The Line Website: https://www.theline.melbourne/
The Line Wedding Gallery: Hello May Wedding Photographer
Venue size: Up to 200 people
18. French restaurant wedding venue: Reine and La Rue
An ambitious undertaking from the Nomad group, Reine and La Rue lives inside an iconic neo-gothic structure on Collins St, and you can expect to walk in to the cavernous cathedral room of Reine, and inside that find La Rue, an 8-seater speakesy nested inside.
Enquire about Reine and La Rue Melbourne Wedding Packages
Reine and La Rue Website: https://reineandlarue.melbourne/
Reine and La Rue Wedding Gallery: Reine and La Rue Wedding
Venue size: Up to 300 people
19. Intimate reception room: Recoleta
Overseen by the Spring St events group, Recolata is one of Melbournes more iconic venue spaces that straddles the line between luxurious and rustic with a delightful sense of flair. You’d be rude not to bring along the ethereal sounds of the worlds best wedding music duo, Tobi Tobi music, along for the ride. Don’t be rude, now.
Enquire about Recoleta Melbourne Wedding Packages
RecoletaWebsite: https://springstreetevents.com.au/recoleta/
Recoleta Wedding Gallery: Recoleta Wedding
Venue size: Up to 100 people
20. Inner city warehouse venue: Higher Ground
A mainstay of Melbournes cafe and venue scene now for some time, Higher Ground is a simply majestic heritage venue, not unlike the giant warehouse venues of New York. Also, it would be rude not to begin a Higher ground wedding at the Hotel Windsor.
Enquire about Higher Ground Wedding Packages
Higher Ground Website: https://highergroundmelbourne.com.au/
Higher Ground Wedding Gallery: Higher Ground wedding
Venue size: Up to 300 people
21. National Gallery of Victoria (NGV Great Hall)
Art lovers or not, the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria is pretty out of this world. Can you tell we’ve run out of oratory genuflections by now? It’s really great, you should hire it.
Enquire about NGV Wedding Packages
National Gallery of Victoria Website: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/functions/weddings/
National Gallery of Victoria Wedding Gallery: National Gallery of Victoria wedding
Venue size: Up to 400 people
22. Mid Century Wedding venue: Walsh st House
Robin Boyds Walsh St House is Melbourne’s own mid century wedding venue. If you know Boyd, then you know all there is to know, and this might take the crown as being one of the most unique wedding venues in Melbourne. Scroll down for a full wedding we photographed here.
Enquire about Walsh St House Wedding Packages
Walsh St House Website: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/functions/weddings/
Walsh St House Wedding Gallery: Walsh St House wedding
Venue size: Up to 100 people
23. Aunty Kims Collingwood
Fresh from the hands of the eminent culinary crew that brought everyone Rice Paper Scissors, comes this decadent, moody venue in the heart of Collingwood. We photographed their campaign imagery, so scroll down to see all the goodness inside one of the most unique wedding venues in Melbourne.
Enquire about Aunty Kims Wedding Packages
Aunty Kims Website: https://auntykims.com/
Aunty Kims Wedding Gallery: Aunty Kims wedding
Venue size: Up to 120 people
24. Culinary genius, Cutler & Co
More Collingwood than a murder of Magpies, Cutler and Co has been a part of the local wallpaper long enough to be an institution, and one of the most unique wedding venues in Melbourne.
Enquire about Cutler & Co Wedding Packages
Cutler & Co Website: https://www.cutlerandco.com.au/
Cutler & Co Wedding Gallery: Cutler and Co Wedding
Venue size: Up to 120 people
24. Australiana jungle venue: House of Plants
File this one under “pure Australiana”, and kick it off at a local pub while you’re at it.
Enquire about House of Plants Wedding Packages
House of Plants Website: https://www.houseofplants.co/
House of Plants Wedding Gallery: House of Plants Wedding
Venue size: Up to 120 people
Our personal favourites from the venues listed on this page are Rupert on Rupert, Quat Quatta and Newport Substation.
Most of the wedding venues on this page are indoor, so if you’re looking for the best outdoor wedding venue, we recommend checking out this list of the best parks for weddings.
Our vote goes to Stones of the Yarra Valley. While you’re here, check out this planning guide for Yarra Valley Weddings.
For inexpensive weddings, it’s hard to go past the all-inclusive planning team at I Do Drive Thru who can host your intimate wedding in a park, venue, or anywhere you can think of.
The best accommodation for the night of your Melbourne wedding is something close by. Try Air BnB, or QT hotel on Russel St for a modern hotel experience.
We sure can, and have even taken out an award as the best analog film wedding photographer in the world (#blush). You can find out more about why we shoot film here and why you should book film wedding photos: film wedding photographer
We’re biased since we’re part owners, but we think you should check out this incredible new Vanity Fair photo booth – it’s the first of it’s kind in this industry.
Spring Street Events oversee a beautiful cache of iconic heritage wedding venues in Melbourne.
Weddings of Desire and White Top Venues have access to some of Victorias best private properties available for wedding hire. For more info head over to these private property wedding venues.
Hope you enjoyed checking out some of the best wedding venues Melbourne has on offer.
There. 18 (eighteen) of the best unique wedding venues in Melbourne, for lovers and anarchists.
Author and all photos by: Briars Atlas. Photos may be only used with a link back to this page.
This made the list a little late, but be sure to also check out this Two Ton Max wedding. For unique wedding venues in new South Wales, check out this beautiful Sydney Theatre Company wedding or a roundup of the best luxury wedding venues Sydney has going. For a unique Mornington Peninsula wedding venue (head here for Mornington Peninsula wedding photographer), you need to check out Tanglewood Estate or head here for some more great wedding venues on mornington peninsula. Make sure you also load up your day with an incredible Melbourne Wedding Videographer.
Hire us to photograph your Melbourne wedding (if you want)
Just whack this link – Melbourne wedding photographer
Going intimate? Looking for a small Melbourne wedding venue?
Check out the best 17 Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne, and a preview of ten of them below.
Aug 25, 2021
Best Small Wedding Venues and elopement venues in Melbourne
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.
- The Altar Electric
- I Do Drive Thru
- Rupert on Rupert
- Two Ton Max
- The Prince Deck
- Family Property
- Air BnB
- Kenny Lover
- Glasshaus
- Gather and Tailor
- Melbourne Town Hall
- Brunswick Mess Hall
- The Wool Mill
- Picnic Styling Co
- Your Backyard
- Alto Event Space
- The National Hotel Richmond
- St Andrews Conservatory
- Cutler and Co
- Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya
- Elwood Bathers
- Cutler and Co Wedding
Melbourne Small Wedding Venue: a venue comparison chart
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).
So while we have to wait a little while to have big parties and weddings again, here are some of our favourite Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne, for intimate weddings, micro weddings and more.
1. Unique small wedding venues Melbourne: The Altar Electric
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
2. Affordable small wedding venues Melbourne: I Do Drive Thru
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
3. Intimate Wedding Venues Melbourne: Rupert on Rupert
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
4. Small Wedding Venue: Two Ton Max
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
5. Small Wedding Venue in St Kilda: The Deck
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
6. Alternative Small Wedding Venue idea: The Family (or friends) property
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.
7. Micro Wedding venue: Air BnB
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.
8. Unique Small Wedding Venue Melbourne: Kenny Lover
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.
9. Small Rustic Wedding Venues: Glasshaus Inside and Glasshaus Outside
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
10. Small Warehouse Wedding Venue: Gather and Tailor
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
11. Small Art Deco Wedding Venue – Melbourne Town Hall
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
12. Small Alternative Wedding Venue – Brunswick Mess Hall
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
13. Small Blank Canvas Wedding Venue – The Wool Mill, Nudo
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
14: Micro wedding venue: Small Garden Wedding Venue
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
15: Small Venue for Weddings idea: Your Backyard
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 Wedding Melbourne: Small, but Mighty
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.
Crafting a Micro Wedding Package
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.
- Start with the Venue:
Your micro wedding will be defined by the space, so choose somewhere that feels intimate without being cramped. Rupert on Rupert is a good option if you’re after a venue that has a certain raw yet curated vibe. The greenery and natural light do a lot of the work, and the food’s not bad either. It’s the kind of place where the space itself brings a lot of personality to your day without feeling like you’re borrowing a backdrop from someone else’s Pinterest board. Read more about Rupert on Rupert here. - Sort Out the Ceremony:
When you’re planning a micro wedding, the ceremony should be more than just a filler between drinks. Melbourne’s got a range of wedding celebrants who get that you’re probably not after a standard “dearly beloved” scenario. You want someone who can keep it personal and relevant without making it sound like you’ve pulled lines from a greeting card. Consider the options in this list of Melbourne wedding celebrants to find someone who resonates with your style. - Keep It Small and Creative:
Micro weddings aren’t limited to indoor spaces or traditional formats. Something like the I Do Drive Thru approach lets you keep things small, quick, and quirky—because why not get married in a vintage car or a stunning location that doesn’t require months of planning? It’s unconventional but perfect for couples who value the spontaneity of the moment. Read about the I Do Drive Thru experience here. - Refine the Dining Experience:
With fewer guests, you can afford to focus on quality over quantity. Skip the buffet and opt for a bespoke dining experience. Cutler & Co offers that kind of understated yet elevated dining that’ll make your micro wedding feel intimate without being underwhelming. It’s not about quantity—it’s about having the kind of meal that people actually remember. You can dive deeper into what a wedding at Cutler & Co looks like here. - Less is More (But Make It Count):
With a micro wedding, you can afford to focus on the small details, whether that’s custom cocktails, carefully selected music, or a photographer who captures the day without turning it into a five-hour photoshoot. Keeping the guest list small lets you put more thought into each element, ensuring the whole day feels cohesive and personal.
Wrapping It Up
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.
Elopement venues Melbourne
We recomment this Recoleta wedding, this Cutler and Co wedding, and of course, The Altar Electric.
One more elopement Small Wedding Venue idea:
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.
All you can do is ask: the Melbourne Small Wedding Venue idea that takes charm, optimism (and a dash of curiosity)
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.
Other Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne
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.
Elopement Venues in Melbourne
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.
I photograph weddings. Hire me to photograph your micro wedding or Small Wedding anywhere (if you want).
Briars Atlas- Small Melbourne Wedding Photographer – https://briarsatlas.com
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.
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 Melbourne: similar stylish, modern wedding venues
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.
- Luminare South Melbourne
- The Prince Deck
- Rupert on Rupert wedding
- Wedding Venues Melbourne
- Vogue Ballroom
Wedding venue comparison chart
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 |
More Melbourne wedding venue inspiration just like Metropolis Events
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.
Book me to photograph your Melbourne 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 17, 2019
Emily and Tony had a beautiful, stylish wedding at St Kilda’s iconic wedding venue, the Prince Hotel – the Deck at Circa. With a room full of their loved ones, floral styling by the mastermind Katie Marx florals and a ceremony run by the inimitable Gina Liano celebrant, this was an evening of colour and brilliant love.
Photographing a wedding at The Deck at Circa always means a wedding where no-one misses a beat: there’s a beautiful seamless transition from the ceremony (held either indoors our outdoors) into the reception, with the space morphing perfectly as you please between the two.
Emily had an iconic walk down a gauntlet of their family and friends, before respect was paid to loved ones passed, and a gently boisterous ceremony (in a way only Gina Liano can do) weaved their story through the room before they carried on the party into the evening.
The Deck Circa Wedding: Emily and Tony
About The Deck at Circa
The Deck at Circa is a brilliant blank canvas, and a light filled space with an enormous deck area (as the name lets on) to host Melbourne wedding ceremonies indoors or out.
The area of St Kilda offers a tonne of beautiful wedding photo locations, from the foreshore nearby, all the way over to the beautiful heritage art-deco architecture of the area. Usually i’ll take couples out for a 15-20 minute loop, and in that time you can cover all the art-deco hotspots, spend some time on the foreshore, and also enjoy some of the gardens around where those two worlds meet.
The Prince Hotel is one of our more known rooftop wedding venues, and has seen every type of celebration under the sun. The expansive deck overlooks Fitzroy Street, and enjoys brilliant sunsets bursting through the steel cladding around the windows.
A 300 space carpark takes care of all the guests, the venue has plenty of accommodation, and the rest of the St Kilda surrounds take care of everyone for the next day.
Hire The Deck at Circa for your wedding
Get yourself a Melbourne wedding celebrant, Katie Marx (see her handiwork at the venue just up above), C2 films (Melbourne wedding videographers super experienced with The Deck at Circa), a Melbourne wedding band AND a Melbourne wedding planner and off we go.
For another beautiful Melbourne rooftop wedding venue, check out South Melbournes Luminare.
Looking abroad? Check out this Queenstown Helicopter Elopement, and otherwise check out this post for more unique Melbourne wedding venues.
Book me to photograph your wedding at The Prince Deck
Briars Atlas Wedding Photography: Enquire
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.
Book a Fortyfive Downstairs wedding
Fortyfive Downstairs website: https://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/wp2016/private-events/
Nov 5, 2017
Lauren and Nick had a Luminare Wedding at the iconic Melbourne rooftop wedding Venue, Luminare South Melbourne. These stylish legends had a wild and enormous day top to tail, with a Catholic ceremony nearby, before heading into the cavernous rooftop wedding event space of Luminare.
I tagged along with these maestros for the day, along with the marvels over at C2 Films.
Lauren and Nicks Luminare wedding South Melbourne
Book your Luminare wedding:
Luminare website: https://luminare.net.au/
Luminare Wedding Venue Information
Luminare supports a maximum of 250 wedding guests. File this majestic joint under “decadent”, it’s a blank-canvas wedding venue that can be turned into anything you can imagine, but seems to have it’s spiritual ground in the opulent.
Take the iconic lift up and you feel like you’re entering Willy Wonkas great glass elevator.
Similar venues: see this Higher Ground wedding in Melbourne.
Luminare Weddings Contact Information
Luminare location: Cnr Browns Lane & York St, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Luminare Phone: (03) 8416 9791
Luminare Business Hours: Mon-Fri: 6pm – 1am, Sat and Sun: 7am – 1am.
Luminare Wedding Photo Locations
I’ve photographed so many beautiful weddings at Luminare and know a bunch of wonderful spots around the venue for your wedding portraits that don’t require you to tell your guests to have a 3 hour nap while you get your photos taken halfway across the country. South Melbourne has so many beautiful heritage homes, shopfronts, and unique gardens all within a short walk from Luminare itself.
To see some of these for yourself, head over to my post on the best Wedding Photo Locations in Melbourne, which also includes Google Maps pins and detailed location information.
Book us to photograph your Luminare Wedding
Make an enquiry about Melbourne wedding photography
Luminare: Melbourne’s Premier Wedding Venue with a Touch of Wit
Planning a wedding? Congratulations! You’re about to spend a fortune convincing everyone you’re actually happy. But don’t worry, Luminare in Melbourne is here to ensure your big day is remembered for all the right reasons – and perhaps a few hilariously dark ones too.
The Venue: Urban Elegance with a View
Luminare isn’t just a venue; it’s an urban sanctuary where your dreams collide with Melbourne’s skyline. Located in South Melbourne, this chic spot offers panoramic city views that exude sophistication. Those floor-to-ceiling windows will make your guests think you’ve hit the jackpot, even if they suspect you’re still paying off student loans.
Forget bland ballrooms with musty carpets. Luminare’s modern design, complete with an expansive terrace, feels like stepping into a designer’s fever dream. Picture this: exchanging vows as the sun sets, casting an ethereal glow over the city—until you realize you’ve forgotten your vows and just wing it.
Culinary Delights: The True Star of the Show
Let’s be honest, people come to weddings for the free food and booze. Luckily, Luminare has partnered with The Big Group, Melbourne’s top catering company, to ensure your guests are too busy eating to notice your cousin’s questionable dance moves. The menu is a culinary adventure that might make you question every meal you’ve ever had.
Imagine biting into a canapé so exquisite it makes you contemplate the meaning of life. The chefs at Luminare don’t just cook; they craft edible masterpieces that will have your guests Instagramming their plates faster than you can say “filtered.” They’ll work with you to create a menu that reflects your tastes, even if those tastes are as eclectic as your Spotify playlist.
Service: Impeccable Attention to Detail
The staff at Luminare are the unsung heroes of your wedding day. They glide through the venue like ninjas, ensuring everything runs smoothly while you take all the credit. From the initial planning stages to the day itself, the team is dedicated to making sure every detail is perfect—or at least close enough to perfect that no one notices the difference.
Need someone to subtly steer your drunk uncle away from the microphone? Done. Want custom lighting that makes everyone look like they’ve had just the right amount of beauty sleep? Consider it sorted. Their commitment to excellence might make you wonder if they care more about your wedding than you do.
A Venue for All Seasons (and All Reasons)
Melbourne’s weather is as predictable as a soap opera plot, but Luminare has you covered. Whether it’s blistering heat or an unexpected downpour, the venue’s climate-controlled indoor spaces and stunning outdoor terrace ensure your wedding can proceed without weather-induced drama.
Conveniently Located for Everyone’s Sanity
Located just a hop, skip, and a jump from Melbourne’s CBD, Luminare is easily accessible for guests traveling from near and far. With ample parking and public transport options, your guests have no excuse not to show up—unless they just really don’t like you.
Conclusion
Luminare isn’t just a wedding venue; it’s the backdrop for the most elaborately planned day of your life. With its blend of urban sophistication, stunning views, top-notch cuisine, and a team that’s as dedicated as your best friend should be, Luminare ensures your wedding day is memorable for all the right reasons.
So, if you’re ready to commit to both a lifetime of love and a slightly lighter bank account, Luminare in Melbourne is the perfect place to say, “I do… and pass the champagne.” Book a tour today and see why Luminare is the go-to choice for couples who want their wedding day to be an unforgettable blend of elegance, wit, and sass.
More beautiful modern wedding gowns:
Unique wedding dresses
Got the gowns sorted? Make sure you check out these amazing unique wedding dress designs.
If you like the look of a Luminare Wedding, you might also love these other Melbourne rooftop wedding venues:
Other venues like Luminare weddings
If you like Luminare, you might also like Metropolis Events, or just a little further out to the east, the wedding reception and function venue Vogue Ballroom. Also be sure to check out these Unique Melbourne wedding venues.
FAQs about Luminare
Luminare is located in the vibrant South Melbourne precinct, offering stunning views of the Melbourne city skyline.
Luminare combines modern, chic design with panoramic city views, exceptional culinary offerings from The Big Group, and meticulous attention to detail from their dedicated staff.
Luminare offers bespoke catering services through The Big Group, featuring innovative menus crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Yes, Luminare offers versatile spaces with climate-controlled indoor areas and a stunning outdoor terrace, suitable for weddings in any season.
Luminare is conveniently located near Melbourne’s CBD, with ample parking and public transport options available for guests.
Dec 1, 2016
Karishma and Ro’s incredible Indian wedding took place all across Melbourne, with their Mandap ceremony taking place in the suburbs before their evening reception at the shed in the Docklands. Looking for an indian wedding photographer? Take a look at their incredible wedding.
So many incredible colours, rituals, and precious moments between family and community happen at an Indian wedding, it’s like nothing else, and familiar and different every time I’m lucky to be photographing one.
After Ro’s incredible energetic Baraat, I leapt back to capture the Jai Mala to the Talumbralu and onwards, and it was an incredible, love filled day with these two legends.
Book your Indian wedding photographer
To book me to photograph your Indian wedding and consult on how your coverage will work, reach out to me at my contact form.
Aug 18, 2016
Sault Daylesford isn’t just the most instagrammable lavender field in the state, it’s one of the regions best restaurants and slices of country in Victoria. Jo and Mike decided on a Sault Daylesford wedding, and I hitched a ride and took some proof that somewhere in amongst the glorious food and lavender field jaunts, they also did the marriage thing.
Enquire about a Sault Daylesford wedding
Reach out to Jodi and Damien, the husband and wife powerhouse who run Sault Daylesford. After getting married there themselves, they fell in love with the place and bought it! As you do. This means the most wildly invested team deeply in love with the surrounds but hosting an incredible time for your wedding.
Sault Daylesford website: https://www.sault.com.au/
For more country Victoria wedding venues, check out Immerse Yarra Valley, Stones of the Yarra Valley, Yering Station, or for more industrial vibes, have a look at these unique Melbourne wedding venues. There’s something about the structure of Sault that reminds me of an incredible venue in Byron Bay: so check out Deux Belettes, and hire us as your Byron Bay wedding photographer.
