Awesome Garden Wedding Ideas For NSW and Victoria
Weddings are a truly exciting time and one of the most important days in people’s lives. With so many beautiful memories to be made, every wedding detail should be planned ahead – right down to the minutest detail.
Selecting The Right Venue For Your Garden Wedding
The venue you select for your wedding is, naturally, at the centre of it all, as this sets the tone and style for your wedding. Gardens have long been a reference of romantic inspiration for lovers, writers, and artists alike; their natural beauty serves as the perfect backdrop and ambience for that special ‘I do’ moment.
Wedding garden venues not only offer spectacular natural scenery, but also allow for a more informal atmosphere than you would find in, say, a church. So making it easier for your guests to mingle and relax as they share in your special day. It also heightens the senses and allows your guests to drink in a veritable kaleidoscope of sights, smells and sounds, making it an ideal setting and the perfect natural backdrop to an unforgettable wedding day.
Wedding Surroundings
Garden weddings are truly magical. Think of an array of lush, manicured greenery, well-kept landscapes and overflowing flower beds dazzling with rich colour and perfumes, whilst all-around butterflies flit effortlessly across blue skies. Then, after a gorgeous sunset, the warm glowing light from lanterns, or the twinkling of fairy lights, mixes with a thousand dancing stars across the sky to create a truly magical end to your big day.
Creating Perfect Pictures at Garden Weddings
But wait, there’s more. Let’s not forget the fantastic opportunities garden weddings provides for you to capture those special once-in-a-lifetime moments. When it comes to photography, having a wedding outdoors when the sun is at the perfect point in the sky is by far the most excellent way to ensure you have the beautiful wedding photos you’ve always dreamt about.
Natural lighting is essential when getting high-quality photos of your special day. Fortunately, the natural light of a garden offers an abundance of ambient lighting, which is both flattering and soft. Your wedding photos will look even more fabulous, and the array of natural backdrops in the garden setting will provide stunning wedding captures.
Garden Weddings Come With Their Own Set of Issues
Tying the knot amid a spectacular garden landscape is an irresistible choice for many couples. It does however, like any other wedding location, come with its own set of unique challenges. Couples need to consider these before going all in, saying yes to a garden wedding.
Weddings and The Weather
Whilst you can plan for almost every eventuality down to the finest detail, what you cannot control is the weather. So it’s vitally important that when you speak either with your own personal wedding planner, or the team at the location you choose for your special day, you have a backup plan.
Remember, we’re not only talking about what happens if, heaven forbid, it rains, but also if there is a heat wave, or if it gets a little chilly or windy in the evening. So it’s crucial that you have a contingency plan in place that can seamlessly cope with any of these issues from the offset.
The last thing you need at any beautiful garden wedding venue is your guests dropping like flies because of a sudden increase in temperature, and you have no way of keeping them cool or finding what started the day as a beautifully manicured lawn ends up looking like a ploughed field.
Not Everyone Is A Fan Of The Great Outdoors
Also, remember not everyone shares your passion for the great outdoors. So while you may enjoy the beautiful aroma of freshly cut grass or revel in the smell of pollinating flowers, it can be a day of stinging red eyes and constantly running noses for others. So you need to ensure that any hayfever suffers can be taken care of, then, of course, don’t forget about dealing with any uninvited bugs, bees or mosquitoes.
The Many Charming and Spectacular Outdoor Garden Wedding Locations in NSW & Victoria
Okay, so now that we have taken you through some of the challenges a garden wedding can bring, let’s spend some time looking at just a small selection of the many charming and spectacular outdoor garden wedding locations here in NSW and Victoria. All of which could be the perfect garden party wedding venue and are ideal for hosting stunning garden wedding ceremonies for you and your guests.
Each of the beautiful garden wedding venues we have listed are unique in their own way, allowing couples to explore the endless opportunities when planning their perfect wedding in a garden.
Melbourne Zoo (VIC)
While it might seem a little strange to some when you suggest Melbourne Zoo for your garden party wedding venue, it might seem like a natural occurrence for others. Imagine sharing your vows with the one you love as cherry blossoms fall gently to your feet under a grand old fig tree, while away in the distance, the gentle roar of a Lion or the call of a Gibbon can be heard through the dense bamboo forest.
With a variety of striking natural backdrops, including highly cultivated centuries-old gardens and wildlife habitats, Melbourne Zoo allows couples to mix a touch of the wild to their very special garden wedding day.
Centennial Vineyards (NSW)
Known for its breathtaking setting, Centennial Vineyards are just minutes away from the historic township of Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Set amongst stunning vast countryside, the unrivalled location of Centennial Vineyards provides a unique and spectacular wedding garden setting.
This stunning NSW location offers couples the very best of both worlds; you can either choose to hold the garden wedding ceremony in the spacious courtyard overlooking the vines, or at one of the many churches in the nearby historic towns of Berrima and Bowral.
Lake House Daylesford (VIC)
Considered by many to be one if not the most romantic hotel in Australia, the stunning lakeside location makes the Lake House Daylesford an absolute dream location and perfect for an outdoor garden wedding. With uninterrupted views across the sparkling water from either the lake foreshore or paved lagoon, you cannot help but be drawn to the beauty this magnificent location offers.
But that’s only part of the story; take a gentle stroll through the gardens, and gaze upon magnificent trees, and a myriad of sculptures and artworks, many of which are from the region’s top artists. Discover extensive outdoor terraces overlooking the lakeshore and established country gardens with everything from koala-loved stringy barks to lilac, Daphne, quince, plum and apple trees.
It’s hard to imagine that one of the best outdoor garden wedding venues is just a mere 80 minutes from the centre of Melbourne.
Mimosa Glen Homestead (VIC)
Just a short 60-minute drive from Melbourne and nestled between the Goulburn Valley and Bendigo regions at the start of the world-renowned Heathcote wine region, lies what is truly the jewel at the heart of Victoria’s gorgeous, charming town, Tooborac – the Mimosa Glen Homestead garden wedding venue.
Ideal for hosting extravagant weddings with friends and family, the cottage and woolshed at Mimosa Glen are an excellent, all-weather wedding solution.
In the summer months, make merry and dance the night away under the stars – or if you prefer something a little more intimate, then perhaps a winter wedding where you and your loved ones can wrap up warm and enjoy the glow from a cozy log fire while savouring a glass of locally produced Shiraz.
Royal Randwick (NSW)
If you’re a horse racing fan and want a truly exclusive garden wedding location, then there can be no finer wedding venue than the Royal Randwick. Located in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, this magnificent garden wedding venue is just minutes away from both the airport and the city.
Let your heart race as you and your partner commit your undying love for one another under a 130-year-old fig tree. Set against a picture-perfect city skyline, this is a unique and sophisticated canvas for you to capture your dream wedding.
Adaptable spaces, awash with natural light (perfect for capturing your wedding photographs), generous manicured lawns, stunning historic architecture and the historic royal gardens will delight and surprise your wedding guests.
Then as the sun sets, let the after-party begin; with its stunning views across the city, ‘The Stables’ is undoubtedly the most perfect location to dance the night away.
The Refectory in Werribee Park by Bursaria (VIC)
As one of Werribee’s most sought-after garden wedding locations, the Refectory in Werribee Park by Bursaria is the absolutely picture-perfect location to host your special garden wedding reception.
Join friends and family for your garden wedding nuptials in the panoramic grounds, and choose from a variety of locations within the surrounding gardens featuring the parterre, rose garden, lake, and formal lawns.
Or, if you prefer something a little more grandeur, the Refectory does allow wedding ceremonies to take place inside the Mansion with sole use of the significant hallway and elegant staircase, creating the ideal stage for hosting both your wedding ceremony and wedding photography.
This idyllic wedding location is the perfect place to mingle with your guests as you enjoy pre-dinner drinks and a selection of canapés overlooking the Mansion before moving inside to enjoy Bursaria’s award-winning menu.
Trenavin Chapel (VIC)
With its breathtaking views over the stunning Mornington Peninsula, Trenavin Chapel enjoys pride of place within the magnificent Ventnor Estate on historic Phillip Island.
Basking in coastal vistas and surrounded by stunning natural landscapes, Trenavin Chapel can accommodate both indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies for up to 130 friends and family. Truly the home of the romantics, this picturesque venue is awash with fantastic photographic opportunities and offers lovers a one-of-a-kind intimate seaside garden wedding.
Yering Gorge Cottages (VIC)
Perfectly positioned within a 120 acre private nature reserve and set against a stunning backdrop of the Christmas Hills, Yering Gorge Cottages by the Eastern Golf Club is undoubtedly a truly spectacular wedding garden venue.
Created with you at heart and designed to take weddings to greater heights, this picture-perfect garden wedding location allows couples to choose from either a classic and romantic outdoor pavilion – complete with adorning and framed rose-lined aisle or, to enhance the theme of your special day further, a uniquely crafted wedding arbour that sits on lush manicured lawns at the very foothills of this private nature reserve.
Located within the serene environment of the stunning Yarra Valley and only a 45 minutes from the city, Yering Gorge Cottages offers a magnificent and unique garden wedding venue.
Leonda By The Yarra (VIC)
Considered by many to be one of Melbourne’s most lavish garden wedding reception venues, this stunning property offers couples and their wedding guests a contemporary retreat, with an abundance of gorgeous gardens and river views – making it a garden wedding space like no other.
Located by the grassy banks of the River Yarra and surrounded by tall swaying Willow trees, lush hedges, and beautiful native Australian fauna, Leonda by the Yarra is a magnificent riverside wedding garden venue in the heart of Hawthorn, Melbourne.
Situated four kilometres from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s CBD, the garden wedding packages offered at Leonda By The Yarra are genuinely unique.
Aitken Hill (VIC)
Situated only minutes from Melbourne International Airport and a short 35-minute drive from Melbourne CBD, Aitken Hills sits within 170 acres of stunningly beautifully manicured gardens and lawns. Designed to offer the most romantic garden weddings couples have always dreamed of for their special day.
From the moment you and your wedding guests arrive, you will feel the peace and tranquillity of Aitken Hill. With an array of finely manicured gardens, sparkling lakes and ponds, a wooden jetty, and willow trees – Aitken Hill provides the ultimate natural backdrop for your garden wedding ritual and photos. The locations and wedding possibilities at this stunning location are endless.
Greenfield Albert Park (VIC)
Designed as a luxury oasis for guests to escape the inner city’s hustle and bustle, this modern eco-conscious venue is an idyllic location for those looking for the ultimate in luxury for their special wedding day, especially for those who are keen to reduce the carbon footprint of such an occasion.
Greenfield Albert Park is just a short 3-kilometre drive from the Melbourne CBD. This luxury, stylish waterside wedding garden venue is nestled between the glistening waters of the Albert Park Lake and the manicured greens of the world-famous Albert Park Championship Golf Course.
Hosting your wedding in a garden ceremony at Albert Park allows you exclusive access to the entire venue, allowing you to create the perfect garden wedding day from start to finish. You can rest assured that everything required to make weddings full of unforgettable memories will be catered for with consummate ease.
Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah (NSW)
Located less than two hours from the Sydney CBD, the idyllic Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah is considered by many to be one of Australia’s signature outdoor garden wedding venues.
Sprinkled with cherry blossoms, majestic waterfalls with giant ferns, blue puya and water flowers, picture-perfect manicured lawns, and mesmerising views over the world heritage-listed Blue Mountains – weddings are truly a dream come true here.
This breathtaking and beautiful garden wedding venue offers an abundance of natural wedding settings to choose from, and is a sublime one-of-a-kind location that is absolutely perfect for couples seeking an intimate outdoor garden wedding venue.
The Woodlands at Harrington Grove (NSW)
Set in an expansive clearing in the middle of a stunning estate, the Woodlands at Harrington Grove is the perfect location for couples searching for exclusive, intimate and romantic bushland garden weddings.
This one-of-a-kind wedding garden location effortlessly combines lush natural scenery with sleek contemporary architecture. Perfectly manicured lawns surround the super stylish timber building, creating a superb location for a beautiful outdoor garden wedding.
Thanks to the timber building’s contemporary design, its wrap-around balcony and the floor-to-ceiling windows, nature and natural light flood the wedding reception space, ensuring you and all your wedding guests enjoy a truly breathtaking backdrop to your garden wedding reception.
Linton Gardens (NSW)
Ensconced within 6.5 acres of lush heritage-listed gardens on the Central Coast of NSW, the award-winning Linton Gardens is the perfect rustic garden wedding venue.
Boasting a 100-year-old church within its grounds, Linton Gardens is undoubtedly the most ideal venue for orchestrating both intimate and extravagant weddings, offering couples the choice of simply stunning indoor and outdoor settings.
With its sweeping glass windows, royal red carpets, enchanting gardens, and mouthwatering menus, Linton Gardens is bound to provide you and your partner with an unforgettable wedding experience.
Gracelands, Forresters Beach (NSW)
Known for its magical wedding garden ceremony surroundings and perfectly located just 700 metres from the idyllic and gorgeous Forrester Beach – ideal for bridal party pictures. Gracelands is a family-owned and operated, all-inclusive award-winning garden wedding venue.
From spectacular weddings to intimate gatherings, this one-of-a-kind NSW central coast boutique garden wedding venue offers unique and personalised wedding experiences, and is dedicated to ensuring couples and their guests enjoy a day filled with lasting life memories.
Fernbank Farm (NSW)
Considered to be one of the best outdoor garden wedding venues in Australia, Fernbank Farm is a gorgeous country retreat. Tucked away in enchanting Wyong Creek, this stunning garden wedding location offers boutique heritage cottages and a manor house accommodation.
With its immaculate manicured gardens and custom-built architecture, majestic onsite wedding tents for your garden wedding reception, Fernbank Farm is an exquisite and sophisticated garden wedding location.
With the ability to cater to up to 120 guests, Fernbank can provide everything imaginable to make weddings a day to remember. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, Fernbank has special offers such as elopement packages, proposals and intimate wedding options.
Breakaway – San Remo (NSW)
Perfect for couples on a budget, Breakaway is a stunning, yet affordable, garden wedding venue on the Central Coast. With a variety of wedding ceremony sites and surrounded by native trees on all sides, this not-for-profit wedding venue offers stunning views of Australia’s rustic landscape.
With tranquil wedding gardens, manicured lawns and native gum trees, this gorgeous location and its breathtaking surrounds speak for itself. With two function rooms and a manicured lawn that can easily accommodate a marquee and dance floor to choose from, it’s easy to see why Breakaway offers oh-so-incredible options for garden weddings.
Gromwild Wildflower Farm (NSW)
This enchanting family-owned and operated outdoor garden wedding venue sits cradled in the tranquil, picturesque Southern Highlands of NSW.
With native flora and birdlife, serene surroundings, unique decor and, of course, an abundance of vibrant wildflowers, all providing a natural backdrop to compliment your garden wedding ceremony and reception. You can see why Gromwild Flower Farm is considered by many to be the perfect garden wedding location.
This exclusive and stylish wedding venue allows family and friends to relish in complete privacy and seclusion amidst the rural bushland throughout your garden wedding celebrations.
Mali Brae Farm (NSW)
This stunningly transformed award-winning hay shed is set on 90 acres of idyllic picturesque grounds. With five garden wedding ceremony locations to choose from, this beautiful indoor wet-weather property, couples have everything they need to create a perfect garden wedding event.
Along with delivering everything you need for the absolute perfect garden wedding, Mali Brae Farm has special offers on pricing for different days of the week, and different times throughout the year. So ideal for those couples working to a budget. Speak to the friendly team today about the various wedding venue discounts and a free quote.
The Woodhouse Wollombi (NSW)
Set deep in the middle of the Hunter Valley, this architectural wedding venue is on an incredible 100-acre property, making it perfect for hosting the grandest country-style garden weddings.
Created from refined timber, the Woodhouse Wollombi has been purposely designed for entertaining, and is the perfect location for couples seeking a magnificent upscale, yet relaxed space to celebrate their special garden wedding day with friends and family.
The Woodhouse offers a comprehensive selection of garden wedding packages designed to cover both the ceremony and reception.
Creating The Perfect Style For Garden Weddings
Now that we have taken you on a tour across Australia of some of the unique garden wedding venues that are on offer, let’s now consider how your individual styling can put the perfect finish to your wedding day.
Welcoming Your Wedding Guests
A garden wedding ceremony is typically less formal than a traditional church wedding, so it allows you to be much more relaxed with your family and friends. So for a touch of warmth, why not start by welcoming your guests with a handwritten welcome sign?
Making the Most of Your Surroundings
Fresh blooms and wildflowers have an integral role to play at all the best garden wedding venues, so make sure you maximise their use. Hand-tied bouquets, or an array of various fresh blooms, make stunning table centrepieces and are the perfect wedding in garden take-home gift for friends and family.
Wedding Seating
While an outdoor garden wedding ceremony or wedding reception can be a splendid occasion, everybody needs a rest at some stage. So make sure that there are a host of comfortable and creative seating arrangements scattered throughout your wedding garden so that your guests and you can relax and enjoy a well-earned rest.
Garden Tent Weddings
Not to be confused with a grand marque, a stylish garden tent wedding can be the perfect location for an intimate wedding celebration for close friends and family. Consider hanging strings of fairy lights across the ceilings for a magical effect.
Garden Weddings and Sunsets
Lighting has a significant role to play in creating the perfect ambience at any garden party wedding venue, and no more is this true than when the sun sets. So make sure your wedding garden is decorated with a selection of vintage hand lanterns or strings of twinkling fairy lights.
The Wedding Dress
As mentioned throughout this article, garden wedding receptions are much more informal than traditional weddings. So they provide the perfect excuse to dress a little more casually – that’s not to say that the bride or groom should not be the absolute star of the show. It’s okay to wear flowers in your hair, and put on some flat shoes as opposed to killer heels and be a bit more relaxed on your special day.
Destination Garden Wedding
Your garden ceremony wedding should always be one to remember, and because there is such a fantastic choice of garden wedding venues to choose from here in Australia, finding the perfect wedding venues with gardens is not easy.
So it’s always worth taking the time to visit several garden wedding ceremony venues before deciding which wedding venues garden best suits you and the style of garden wedding you require.
Enjoy the Moments
Whatever location you choose for your wedding reception and ceremony, remember to relax, enjoy your special day and have some fun. Weddings go so fast – enjoy all the special little moments along the way! Remember, garden for wedding reception is a wonderful way to host and celebrate your special day.
