16 Breathtaking Wedding Venues in Sydney
Searching for the perfect wedding venue in Sydney? From waterfront locations to country estates and heritage-listed buildings, here are a few to add to your shortlist.
If you’re looking to say ‘I do’ in Sydney you’ll find an overwhelming array of wedding venues in and around the capital. There are luxury waterfront venues, expansive private estates and iconic inner-city wedding venues — perfectly located for that after-party — and we’ve narrowed down a few favourites, thanks to the feedback of recently-married couples who provided ABIA with their reviews and recommendations.
Before rushing in though, it’s good to be clear about what you want from a wedding venue, so weigh up your needs, have a rough idea of your guest numbers and prepare yourself with a list of important questions.
Zest Waterfront Venues, Point Piper | Inlighten Photography
Questions to ask wedding venues
A wedding venue’s presentation and pricing are key considerations, but factors such as the quality of food, ease of communication and suitability for wedding photography are others to keep in mind. So, to help you plan and decide on the best wedding venue, consider asking some of the following questions:
- What is the venue's capacity?
- Is there a designated coordinator we can turn to for advice?
- Is there an in-house caterer, or do we need to source one?
- Are beverages included?
- How is the food service presented? Share platters? Alternate drop? Cocktail style?
- Can we taste-test the menu?
- What are the wet-weather options?
- Are tableware and linen included?
- What time is bump-in, for our vendors like stylists and florists?
- What time does wedding entertainment and music need to stop?
- Is there accommodation onsite and what is the capacity?
- Is there accommodation nearby or are arrangements in place with local hotels or resorts?
- Are the photographic locations onsite or nearby?
- What are the different rates for weekend and weekday weddings?
- Are there different rates for different seasons?
- Are there any additional package inclusions, such as a DJ, stylist or photobooth?
Burnham Estate | @storytellersweddingco
Horizons Beachfront Venue | Bella Weddings
16 Sydney Wedding Venues to add to your shortlist:
1. Zest Waterfront Venues, The Spit
North Shore
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A relaxed, rustic boathouse, featuring warm timber and imported stone, with stunning gold-leaf painted ceilings, Zest Waterfront Venues’ Beachhouse at The Spit offers couples a breathtaking ceremony and reception location, right on the beach, with boats bobbing in the background.
Located at the Middle Harbour 16ft Skiff Club in Mosman, the peaceful waterfront setting can cater for receptions of up to 450 for cocktail events and 280 for seated celebrations. Movable walls also allow for more intimate gatherings.
Spectacularly-presented catering options range from seated three-course menus to sharing platters and roving degustation-style service — all showcasing the best local produce — and wedding packages include personalised styling and a host of photographic opportunities.
Read Zest Waterfront Venues, The Spit wedding reviews.
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@orbitmotion.weddings
Images courtesy Zest Waterfront Venues, The Spit
2. The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
Sydney CBD
It’s easy to imagine the countless love letters that originated at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, the heritage-listed former General Post Office building centrally located in Martin Place. And, with one glance at The Grand Staircase it’s easy to understand why it features prominently in the wedding photos of couples who choose to marry here.
Indeed, the high-end hotel is a wedding photographer’s dream, from its ornate Italian Renaissance-inspired façade to the intricate interior mouldings, which span from floor to ceiling. It’s the hotel’s expansive Grand Ballroom and the Victorian architecture of the Heritage Ballroom that set the scene for memorable wedding celebrations though.
The vast Grand Ballroom, Sydney’s largest pillarless hotel space, can accommodate up to 1200 guests for cocktail-style events, while the elegant dome-ceilinged Heritage Ballroom caters for banquets with 250 settings, or cocktail gatherings of up to 350.
Wedding packages offer a range of inclusions — among them luxurious overnight stays — and an experienced team of event planners are on hand to help couples select from a choice of international menus, and to assist with the finer details of wedding planning.
Read The Fullerton Hotel Sydney wedding reviews
Images courtesy The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
@marynacherednikova
3. Crown Sydney
Barangaroo
As an iconic landmark right on Sydney Harbour in the city’s CBD, Crown Sydney has secured its place as one of the city’s premier dining and entertainment hubs, and the state-of-the-art venue also offers three showstopping spaces for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
The opulent Pearl Ballroom can accommodate up to 320 guests, the Opal Suite is suited to more intimate seated or cocktail gatherings and the Pavilion provides a scenic ceremony space, for up to 40 guests, with panoramic views overlooking Darling Harbour.
Wedding packages, tailored to suit, include the likes of a dedicated wedding planner, complimentary onsite resort-style accommodation, table centrepieces and personalised table menus featuring the celebrated cuisine of Crown’s highly-acclaimed chefs. Harbourfront photographic opportunities abound and the central location offers easy access for wedding guests.
Read Crown Sydney wedding reviews
4. Zest Waterfront Venues, Point Piper
Eastern Suburbs
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Combining dazzling views of Rose Bay with a reputation for exceptional standards of quality, service and value, Zest Waterfront Venues’ The Beachhouse at Point Piper stands out as one of Sydney’s favourite waterfront wedding ceremony and reception venues.
Delectable menus, Hamptons-inspired interiors — complete with elegant oyster-shell-inlay feature walls, fresh limewash timber floors and statement lighting accents — and the styling services included within each wedding package add to the venue’s appeal, as does its enviable harbourfront location.
Minutes from the Sydney CBD, the venue is located at the prestigious Royal Motor Yacht Club and ceremonies and receptions can be held onsite, with The Beachhouse at Point Piper able to accommodate up to 160 seated guests, with a dancefloor, or up to 300 guests for cocktail-style celebrations.
Read Zest Waterfront Venues, Point Piper wedding reviews.
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Image courtesy Zest Waterfront Venues, Point Piper
Inlighten Photography
5. Burnham Estate
Camden
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Set on 45 acres in Camden, on the outskirts of Sydney, couples looking to immerse themselves in relaxed rural charm will find it at Burnham Estate. This heritage property boasts a traditional 1880’s Homestead, complete with a bridal dressing room for pre- and post-wedding accommodation, all-inclusive packages and a plethora of photographic locations.
The open-air Peppercorn Chapel, The Views with its stunning country vistas, the secluded Secret Garden, the towering Palm Garden or The Barn backdrop are offered as settings for wedding ceremonies, there’s a croquet lawn for pre-dinner cocktails and an elegant air-conditioned garden marquee for the ultimate country-estate-style wedding reception.
Read Burnham Estate wedding reviews
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@zeeandceestudio
Image courtesy Burnham Estate
6. Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay
Northern Beaches
Overlooking the relatively sheltered estuary of Pittwater, on the northern coast of Sydney, The Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay at Newport offers 180-degree, floor-to-ceiling water views and close-up vistas of the surrounding marina.
Convenient parking is available onsite, and a choice of spaces — including the Compass Terrace, Top Deck Function Room and Boardroom — accommodate both ceremonies and receptions, catering for intimate gatherings or celebrations with up to 160 guests with a range of menu options.
Service packages extend from cocktail-style to traditional three-course dining menus, and can be tailored to suit all budgets with a comprehensive array of inclusions.
Montana Wilson Photography
@tone_image
7. Waterview in Bicentennial Park
Sydney Olympic Park
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Perfectly positioned within the picturesque landscapes of Sydney’s Bicentennial Park, Waterview combines modern elegance, stylish interiors and graceful views, making it an ideal wedding venue in a convenient location.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook tranquil parklands, ponds and a lake, making this a unique location for ceremony, reception and wedding photography. Plus, the versatile space can be transformed to accommodate celebrations of all sizes — from grand, formal sit-down receptions to intimate wedding get-togethers — and a dedicated team of wedding specialists can assist with tailoring packages to suit each style of occasion.
Read Waterview in Bicentennial Park wedding reviews.
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@deppicto
8. Horizons Beachfront Venue
Eastern Suburbs
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Horizons, at South Maroubra Surf Club, is a popular option for couples seeking a wedding ceremony on the sand. The spectacular location, easily accessible from Sydney’s CBD and airport, offers direct beach access, onsite car parking and is the ideal setting for showstopping photographs.
In addition, with its panoramic ocean views, Horizons function centre provides a memorable reception venue for gatherings from 60 to 400 guests. Hosted by the experienced Top Cat Catering team it also boasts a comprehensive list of wedding package inclusions, among them exceptional restaurant-quality food, a bridal suite, personalised wedding coordination and in-house event management and styling to oversee everything detail from the flowers to the wedding cake.
Read Horizons Beachfront Venue wedding reviews.
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Image courtesy Horizons Beachfront Venue
9. Gunners’ Barracks
Mosman
Couples seeking a natural setting with showstopping views and a hint of history may find their ideal venue hidden amongst bushland in Mosman, at historic Gunners’ Barracks.
The boutique wedding venue combines a collection of intimate indoor spaces, a sandstone courtyard and spacious lawns and a covered outdoor terrace — both with panoramic harbour views — and caters to waterfront wedding ceremonies and opulent receptions.
Up to 180 guests can be accommodated with cocktail-style service, or 130 can be seated for more formal dining occasions, and wedding photographers will revel in the choice of backdrops offered in this utterly unique location.
@faithbulgin
@weareorigami_official
10. Gledswood Homestead & Winery
Gledswood Hills
Tucked away in a secret pocket of greenspace, just 40 kilometres from central Sydney, the stunning Gledswood Homestead & Winery offers a relaxed country property rich in Australian history.
Set on 113 hectares of rolling green hills, the heritage venue combines rustic and modern wedding facilities with four unique function spaces — the Cask Room, the Country Room, the Shearing Shed and the Gledswood Room — catering for receptions from the intimate to large gatherings of up to 450 guests.
The convenient country-style setting provides a spectacular backdrop for wedding ceremonies, receptions and onsite photography, plus there’s complimentary carparking for guests and an events planning team on hand to assist with the finer details of wedding prep.
Read Gledswood Homestead & Winery wedding reviews
@imagesbykevinweddings
11. Manly Pavilion
Manly
Manly has long made for a quintessential seaside escape and few settings speak to the beach suburb’s romance like the historic arched façade of Manly Pavilion.
Located adjacent to the iconic ferry wharf, the harbour front venue — now managed under The Boat House umbrella — combines its age-old charm with crisp, modern, coastal-chic interiors, which merge whitewashed timbers, potted greenery and spectacular water vistas.
Photographic opportunities abound in the picturesque locale, waterside ceremonies are available onsite and elegant receptions cater for up to 200 seated guests, or 250 for canape-style gatherings.
@atdusk
@oliverhartley.studio
12. Australian Botanic Garden
Mount Annan
Few venues offer an immersion in nature and botanical wonder like the wedding experiences on offer at the Australian Botanic Garden in south-western Sydney. The sprawling 416-hectare garden, a living testament to Australia's diverse flora and a hub of scientific research and conservation, also presents couples with a host of spectacular indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception spaces in which to exchange and celebrate their nuptials.
Couples can exchange vows outdoors in a choice of meticulously-curated zones — the spacious Herbarium Forecourt, thematically-planted Connections Garden, intimate Sunken Garden, arbored Wattle Garden and beside the tranquil expanse of Lake Nadungamba — plus there’s a well-sheltered Undercroft in case of wet weather.
Outdoor receptions can also be accommodated, and both The Bowden Centre and modern Telopea Gallery provide naturally-lit spaces for indoor wedding receptions. And it goes without saying that wedding photographers will delight in the myriad opportunities available within the well-tended grounds.
Read Australian Botanic Garden wedding reviews
Images courtesy Australian Botanic Garden
13. Biviano's Dural
Dural
Purpose-built on five acres in Sydney’s Hills District, Biviano’s Dural blends stunning panoramic views, landscaped gardens and an elegant modern event space for couples seeking a wedding of seemingly effortless elegance.
With more than two decades of experience hosting special events, the team at Biviano’s are committed to creating stylish, unique occasions that exceed their guests’ expectations.
To that end, they combine outdoor lawn ceremonies with a choice of four sophisticated reception spaces, catering to intimate gatherings of 20 right through to cocktail soirees for 200 guests.
Tailored wedding packages offer couples an assortment of inclusions, each one merging carefully-curated menus with exceptional food and service to ensure that weddings of all styles are moments of magical celebration.
Read Biviano's Dural wedding reviews
Images courtesy Biviano's Dural
14. The Kyle Bay on Georges River
South Sydney
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From intimate weddings with just 10 guests, to large, lavish cocktail-style celebrations for up to 300, The Kyle Bay on Georges River offers a modern wedding venue in a breathtaking waterside location, with the expertise of an experienced team of event planners also available to assist couples with every element of their planning.
The family-run venue’s waterfront lawn provides a picturesque setting for outdoor wedding ceremonies, while a choice of indoor reception spaces each combine panoramic views of the river and the Kyle Bay Peninsula.
Clever design and layout ensure guests can feast on the vista from almost anywhere they’re seated, while enjoying the fresh Mediterranean cuisine the South Sydney venue is renowned for.
Read The Kyle Bay on Georges River wedding reviews
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Images courtesy The Kyle Bay On Georges River
15. Springfield House Function Centre
Dural
Descend the sandstone staircase, leading to the garden ceremony space at Springfield House, and couples discover an enchanted natural oasis, complete with bellbird song and towering gums.
The tranquil north-west Sydney location, and its surrounding five acres of manicured grounds, are offered for exclusive use to wedding bookings, providing a picture-perfect backdrop for photography and a choice of reception spaces that blend modern amenities with celebrated customer service and delectable cuisine.
With the aid of the dedicated weddings and events team, couples can opt to celebrate outdoors under the stars, in The Pavilion — a spacious, black marquee with clear-ceiling — or inside the historic architecture of The Manor.
Read Springfield House Function Centre wedding reviews
Images courtesy Springfield House Function Centre
@jessicaabraham_moments
Image courtesy Springfield House Function Centre
16. Dunes Palm Beach
Northern Beaches
Couples seeking a destination wedding without the hassle of leaving the city, may want to head to the furthest point on the Northern Beaches' peninsula, where the elegant setting at Dunes Palm Beach provides wedding getaway vibes blended with city convenience.
Think coastal Mediterranean-inspired white-on-white décor, white-washed timber and canvas market umbrellas combined with delectable sit-down menus or canapes prepared in the onsite dining room. Ceremonies can be celebrated within the relaxed refinement of the venue, or at surrounding beachside locations, and receptions cater from between 140 for sit-down and 200 for cocktail-style occasions.
Palm Beach itself offers a wealth of boutique accommodation and photographic locations, and the chance for a dip in the ocean on the morning of the wedding day.
Image courtesy Dunes Palm Beach
Anica Hofmann Photography
Getting married interstate? Read about some of the best venues in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, or quickly search the ABIA Directory to find wedding venues and vendors located all over Australia, from celebrants to photographers, caterers, decorators, florists, planners and coordinators, transport providers, hair stylists, make-up artists, videographers, cake designers, live music and even dance teachers and photo booth hire. They're all rated and recommended by newly-wed couples, who've used the services for their own weddings, so you can benefit from the experience of those who've gone before you. On the ABIA website you can also discover the latest wedding inspiration and ideas, from sustainable wedding suggestions to destination wedding venues, multi-day wedding planning and the best honeymoon destinations in Australia. There's even an online wedding registry, that allows guests to contribute to a chosen holiday or experience in place of a traditional wedding gift. It's an essential resource for anyone planning a wedding in Australia.
