Amazing Destination Wedding Venues in Australia
From beach wedding locations to exclusive country estates, historic homesteads and wine-region retreats, Tanya Bywater discovers some of the best destination wedding venues in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.
White Hill Estate | Image Simon Bills Photography
For many couples a destination wedding — a fabulous extended celebration in a stunning location, allowing for quality time with friends and family — is the stuff that wedding dreams are made of. Often favoured by the rich and famous, and featured on glossy magazine pages, it’s the type of event that everyday Aussie couples might consider out of reach for their special occasion. In fact though, Australia is home to an assortment of semi-private and exclusive-use wedding venues that combine ceremony and reception areas, picturesque photographic sites, onsite luxury accommodation and facilities for a weekend, or more, of revelry and relaxation, all in the one place — no celebrity status or passport required.
The Old Dairy Maleny | Image Danielle Webster
How to choose the perfect destination wedding venue in Australia
Planning a wedding and organising a holiday each take time and thorough deliberation. Merge these two happy occasions into one destination wedding and you stand to increase your degree of difficulty considerably. The process of arranging a destination wedding needn’t be overwhelming though — the key is to establish a clear vision, balance romantic ideas with realistic expectations and carefully consider a range of factors from the very beginning.
Wedding style
Destination is important, but your nuptials are the focus, so keep the purpose of your planning front-of-mind and be sure to factor your wedding dreams into the decision making without too much compromise.
Make a list that prioritises the individual elements of the occasion that are important to the two of you — a specific wedding theme or style, preferred vendors that you want to include, a dancefloor or a pet-friendly vibe — then choose your destination wedding venue accordingly.
Guest numbers
Firm numbers are probably not necessary at the outset, but a rough list of guests that you’d like to invite, and an idea of those who’ll realistically attend, will help when it comes to choosing a venue to cater to, and accommodate, them.
Kalinya Estate | Image Matt Biocich
Budget
Romance and reason don’t always go hand in hand, but you’ll enjoy the entire experience more if you know you can afford it. Allocate funds to each element of the wedding itself, then consider how you’ll manage the likes of accommodation costs, extra meals, activity fees, and transport and travel expenses for you and your guests. If you expect your guests to contribute, or book accommodation themselves, be clear about this on the wedding invitation, and weigh up each venue’s options regarding packages and inclusions.
Location
You don’t need to venture far to find fabulous destination wedding venues near Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane or Perth, but the convenience of a location will come down to where you, and most of your guests, are located. Consider how you, your guests, and your vendors will get there and back, and factor travel options into your decision making.
Timing and weather
If cosy catchups around a fireplace, or group gatherings by a swimming pool form part of your vision, you’ll want to take a location’s weather and seasons into consideration. Specific dates and times may alter a venue’s availability and pricing, and affect travel costs too, so timing may need to be contemplated with this in mind.
Villa Botanica | Image Lost in Love Photography
Accommodation
Onsite accommodation comes in many guises, from unpretentious tents to luxury multi-room homesteads, so when considering a venue’s accommodation offerings you’ll want to bear in mind both capacity and the needs of your guests.
Groups like families, older guests and those with accessibility requirements may need lodgings with specific configurations and provisions, and you may also want to allocate spaces for pre-event wedding party preparation.
If some guests will need to stay off-site, investigate surrounding accommodation options and check with the venue, to ensure they are permitted onsite — from both a regulatory and insurance perspective — for other group gatherings, rehearsal dinners, after parties, recovery days and the like.
Facilities and attractions
To elevate the ‘guest experience’ for friends and family in attendance, explore the onsite activities that your potential venue offers, and the local attractions that surround it. A communal gathering space, appealing swimming pool or games lawn may be all you need to amuse, but outings that take in a region’s highlights — think beaches, bushwalking, shopping, wineries, golf courses and the like — will almost certainly prove a hit with guests too.
Privacy
If you’re content to share your celebration with bystanders Australia offers some of the world’s best holiday resorts for hosting weddings — from basic bunkhouse-style setups to luxurious five-star resort accommodation. For those seeking a more intimate, or entirely exclusive, destination wedding venue though, here’s a shortlist of some current favourites.
Austinvilla Estate | Image Tom Judson Photography
Venues for Destination Wedding Weekends in Australia
Kalinya Estate
Bargo, NSW
Destination venue style – Country Homestead
Sit-down 150 | Cocktail 200 | Accommodation 38
Image Hilary Cam Photography
A weekend wedding experience at Kalinya Estate typically begins with a rehearsal dinner by the pizza oven, then continues on the day with a garden ceremony and photos set within six immaculately-tended acres, and an elegant reception in the ambient chandelier-lit Carriage Room space.
Exclusivity and all-inclusivity emanate from this privately-owned estate, just an hour’s drive from Sydney, which lends itself to utterly unique, tailor-made wedding arrangements. An offering completed by meticulously-restored heritage buildings — in the form of The Homestead, The Lodge and The Barn — which provide separate lavishly-appointed preparation spaces and thoughtfully-designed accommodation for multi-day celebrations.
The highlights for many guests and couples though? A squash court, piano and sports bar, heated pool, hot tub, sauna, ice bath, swings, trampoline, kids’ toy cupboard, table tennis table, tennis and basketball courts, a games arcade with foosball and air-hockey, outdoor chess, a private cinema and even a golf simulator — mandated fun and relaxation, for all tastes and all ages!
Image Matt Biocich
Image Brett Atkins
Image Hilary Cam Photography
Image Stefanie Roche Dobb
The Old Dairy Maleny
Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland
Destination venue style – Mountain Estate
Sit-down 90 | Cocktail 90 | Accommodation 12
Image White Leaf Films
It might be just 80 minutes from Brisbane, but The Old Dairy Maleny is a world away from the everyday, perched on a ridge top overlooking the spectacular Glass House Mountains.
The 90-acres of manicured grounds make for an ideal wedding escape, combining a six-person spa, a sauna, an underground whisky cellar bar and luxury accommodation, for the ultimate in relaxation and recreation.
Weekend venue hire here allows time for couples and their guests to settle in and host a rehearsal prior to their wedding day, and includes access to a pizza oven, firepit, barbeque area and two bars, with exclusive use of the estate. Two nights’ lodging for 12, in two onsite cottages, is included also, and pets are welcome on the property.
Outdoor wedding ceremonies usually take place at the Lookout, followed by seated receptions in the elegantly-appointed Grand Barn, but couples arrange their own vendors — or select from those recommended by the venue — so there’s scope for events of all styles, from sophisticated cocktail parties to food-truck-catered outdoor festivals.
Image Danielle Webster
Image NSI Productions
Image Shae Estella Photo
Image Luke Middlemiss Photography
Woodburn Homestead
Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
Destination venue style – Country Homestead
Sit-down 150 | Cocktail 200 | Accommodation 16+
Image Blake Heywood Photography
Couples and guests who venture up the long eucalypt-lined driveway to Woodburn Homestead soon find themselves in a country wedding oasis, complete with historic buildings, lush lawns and myriad sites for wedding ceremonies and reception gatherings.
An hour’s drive from Adelaide, the 42-acre, family-run property has been lovingly restored with character and charm, and offers everything onsite. An open-air chapel, garden and lawns provide scenic spaces for exchanging vows, and receptions of all kinds can be celebrated outdoors under festoon lights, inside the converted corrugated-iron stables, or in a clear marquee where the indoors and outdoors entwine.
Old stone cottages, hay bales, windmills, giant cacti, an appealing gravel drive and a 160-year-old fig tree — complete with swing — provide picture-perfect backdrops and accommodation options abound. There’s room for 12 in the original 1864 historic Homestead, two each in the Coach House and Worker’s Cottage, with the option to sleep many more in glamping bell tents in the paddock, if desired.
Image Tess Newton Photography
Image Meaghan Coles Photography
Image Davish Photography
Trawool Estate
Trawool, Victoria
Destination venue style – Nature Resort
Sit-down 130 | Cocktail 160 | Accommodation 68
Image Rolan John
Overlooking the National Trust-listed Trawool Valley, just over an hour from Melbourne, bush surrounds, modern convenience, fine food and elegance converge on the five acres that comprise Trawool Estate.
The secluded, privately-owned boutique establishment combines 20 luxury resort-style hotel rooms, seven two-bedroom family spaces, four dining settings, a solar-heated outdoor swimming pool, sports’ court, expansive grounds and easy access to nature trails, and is available for exclusive use for couples booking the House and Manor wedding packages.
There’s a choice of three ceremony locations, but most couples opt for Valley Vows, which offers regional vistas, or The Terrace, a bush-amphitheatre, followed by receptions in the enclosed elegance of Wild Water Restaurant. And with a pre-wedding preparation salon, several bars, striking architectural features and multiple dining areas — including a pizzeria herb garden — couples and their guests staying the weekend will enjoy their choice of photographic locations and gathering spaces for casual drinks, rehearsal dinners, after parties and recovery breakfasts.
Image Ali Bailey
Image Justin Westwood
Image Jess Middleton
Image Melanie Panteli
Villa Botanica
Whitsundays, Queensland
Destination venue style – Tropical Waterfront
Sit-down 80 | Cocktail 100 | Accommodation 2+
Image Alyce Holzy Photography
Couples who envisage palm fronds, water vistas and balmy sea breezes as part of their destination wedding dreams, may find their private tropical paradise in Villa Botanica.
A five-acre waterfront estate, overlooking the aquamarine waters of the Coral Sea, the mansion and its lush grounds combine spectacular views, Balinese influences, five-star catering, professional wedding planning and an assortment of entertaining spaces — among them, a bridal salon, a hand-carved timber pavilion, an expansive waterside deck, a marble ballroom and a picturesque cactarium.
The inclusion of luxury onsite accommodation is limited to newlyweds on the wedding night but, with transport provided to-and-from a host of discounted partner resorts and boutique apartment lodgings in Airlie Beach, the Villa delivers on the destination wedding experience.
Image Alyce Holzy Photography
Image Lovelenscapes Photography
Image Luke Middlemiss Photography
Image Marcus Bell Studio Impressions
Kangaroo Valley Bush Retreat
Southern Highlands, New South Wales
Destination venue style – Nature Resort
Sit-down 150 | Cocktail 150+ | Accommodation 68
Image Mitch Pohl Photography
Enfolded in the Australian bush, just two hours from Sydney, and on the outskirts of the quaint Kangaroo Valley township, Kangaroo Valley Bush Retreat’s 100 acres are offered exclusively to couples seeking a three-day, two-night weekend wedding immersion.
Completely rebuilt after the devasting bushfires of 2020, the secluded escape now blends ancient rock formations and native bushland with modern purpose-built accommodation and event facilities, providing couples and their guests an isolated idyll for premium, private celebration.
A dramatic natural rock cathedral sets the scene for most outdoor ceremonies here. Cocktails are served on the Sunset Deck, with its sweeping vistas of the valley and river below, and dinner, drinks and dancing take place beneath the exposed timber beams and double-height windows of the designated function area.
A firepit, swimming pool, games area, guest lounge and kitchen complement 34 air-conditioned, ensuited guest rooms dotted around the property in architecturally-designed cabins, and a Den, complete with bar and foosball table, and Bridal Suite, with adjoining salon, offer ideal spaces for pre-wedding preparation.
Image Magnus Agren Photography
Image James Simpson Photo
Image Red Berry Photography
Image Rope and Pulley
White Hill Estate
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Destination venue style – Country Homestead
Sit-down 80 | Cocktail 80+ | Accommodation 16
Image Kerry Rose Photography
Weddings have been taking place on 420-acre White Hill Estate since 1877, and rolling lawns, ancient gum trees and historic buildings continue to draw couples here. As do nearby beaches, and the high-calibre McLaren Vale wineries and restaurants located on the property’s doorstep.
After a leisurely 40 minute drive from Adelaide, many couples book in for their wedding weekend at noon on the Friday, allowing them 48-hour use of the comfortably-appointed homestead, covered entertaining area and surrounding gardens and grounds.
Wedding ceremonies take place in a choice of locations — by the Estate’s spring-fed dam, on the sweeping lawns or in the shade of 180-year-old gums — while receptions are generally hosted in the ambient brick Chaff Shed, with larger and cocktail-style soirees spilling out onto the lawn.
Historic buildings, expansive vistas and manicured grounds set the scene for spectacular wedding photographs, and breakfast provisions allow for a hearty recovery brunch the day after.
Image Simon Bills Photography
Image Mike Hemus Photo
Image Evan Bailey Photography
Austinvilla Estate
Mudgeereba, Queensland
Destination venue style – Tropical Estate
Sit-down 130 | Cocktail 130 | Accommodation 92
Image Mario Colli Photography
One only need glance at the dramatic vaulted ceilings and luxe interior of the Regal Suite — set aside for couples marrying at Austinvilla Estate — to understand why the property’s exceptional accommodation is one of its drawcards.
Indeed, there are a treehouse, 10 two-bedroom cottages, three boutique bunkhouses and future plans for an extended selection of eco cabins and glamping tents. All available to be booked for exclusive two-night stays, either before or after the wedding day.
The lodgings, and inclusive recovery breakfast buffet, are just some of the 111-acre tropical paradise’s charms though. An onsite beauty salon, preparation spaces, an open-air, all-weather timber ceremony pavilion, two decks for pre-reception drinks, a covered sit-down reception space — replete with dancefloor, music system and chandeliers — a swimming pool and pickleball court are all available for weekend wedding celebrations held at the sprawling Estate, just 20 minutes from the Gold Coast.
Lawn games and additional activities can also be arranged, and tropical gardens, a palm-lined drive, hidden creek and macadamia fields offer ample backdrops for memories and photographs.
Image Rawn and Pallow Photography
Image Mad Rose Films
Image Daniel Chafer Photography
Image Steve Doyle Photography
Eight Willows Retreat
Margaret River, Western Australia
Destination venue style – Nature Resort
Sit-down 140 | Cocktail 275 | Accommodation 92
Image Frances Andrijich
Couples seeking a multi-day destination for a large number of guests will likely find room for everyone at Eight Willows Retreat. The secluded lakeside escape’s Margaret River location, 2.5 hours from Perth, makes it a convenient base for sightseeing and the Retreat prioritises privacy by providing wedding parties their choice of accommodation, before opening to other guests.
One-, two- and four-bedroom chalets — some with spas and accessible configurations — feature among the lodgings, which overlook the enfolding bushland, forest, lake and vineyards, and offer access to bushwalking trails, trout fishing and many of the nearby wineries, breweries and distilleries for which the region is famous. Adaptable spaces and striking scenic backdrops also offer abundant settings for pre- and post-wedding gatherings and photographs.
Ceremonies take place in a choice of locations — a bush chapel, by a willow tree, in a lakeside gazebo, or beneath the covered alfresco — and receptions are hosted in the modern, all-weather lakeside function centre, which showcases the spectacular natural panorama with its floor-to-ceiling window vistas and surrounding open-air verandahs.
Image Frances Andrijich
Image Frances Andrijich
Image John Rice Photography
Image John Rice Photography
Greyleigh Kiama
Jerrara, New South Wales
Destination venue style – Coastal Estate
Sit-down 200 | Cocktail 250 | Accommodation 18
Image courtesy Greyleigh Kiama
The Secret Garden, The Gables, The Gazebo and The Orchard are listed among the assortment of indoor and outdoor wedding ceremony and reception spaces offered at Greyleigh, and their enchanted names hint at the storybook-magic of this hinterland location.
Set atop rolling hills, 90 minutes from Sydney, with vast, uninterrupted views stretching to the ocean, the 200-acre property was a dairy farm in the 1800s and now, lovingly transformed into a luxury event and accommodation space, retains much of its historic charm and character.
The sumptuous interiors of The Homestead and Guest House add an indulgent nod to this heritage, providing accommodation for up to 18 guests, while the onsite spa, swimming pool cabana and outdoor pizza oven offer a diversity of preparation, entertaining and gathering spaces for before and after the official celebrations.
Wedding packages allow for exclusive use of the accommodation and grounds, the corrugated-iron-clad buildings, citrus trees, herb gardens, century-old silos and stone walls of which, provide an ideal backdrop for photographs.
Image Luminous Moments
Image courtesy Greyleigh Kiama
Image Luminous Moments
Image courtesy Greyleigh Kiama
To discover an assortment of wedding venues throughout Australia, from rustic country barn-style spaces to waterside locations, visit the ABIA Directory. Within it you'll find venues and vendors that have been reviewed, rated, recommended and vetted by recently-married couples who used the services for their own weddings. Search for make-up artists, hair stylists, beauty services, florists, photographers, wedding cars, MCs, entertainment, bonbonniere and the latest wedding ideas, and be inspired by everything from carefully-curated lists of Australia's Best Honeymoon Desitinations and Bridesmaid Gifts right through to an online digital wedding registry.
