Download a free venue comparison spreadsheet - Advice & Ideas
- Inspiration
- Australia’s most unusual wedding venues
Inspiration
Australia’s most unusual wedding venues
Words by Karina Lowndes
3 December, 2025
*Updated 26.11.2025
Putting this list together brought on a healthy wave of wedding envy. Not that our own celebrations weren’t epic (they were), but the amount of unusual wedding venues in Australia right now is next-level. We’re talking unexpected spaces, bold architecture, wild landscapes and places that make your guests say: “Wait… you can get married here?”
The diversity is unmatched and it’s reshaping what a wedding is “supposed” to look like.
What makes a wedding venue “unusual”?
In short: anything that makes you pause. Or gasp. Or immediately open a new Pinterest board. These venues step beyond the traditional round table reception room formula and lean into creativity, character and authenticity. Think:
- Converted industrial spaces
- Heritage buildings
- Floating villas
- Apple sheds, eco-retreats and nurseries
- Hidden coastal hideouts and cliffside pavilions
- Designer homes and architectural pavilions
- Unique wineries and restaurants
- Deconsecrated churches
- Working farms and private properties
Why couples love unique wedding venues
If you’re dreaming of a day that feels a little different - something that reflects your personalities, your story, your “this feels like us” energy, then an unusual wedding venue is the shortcut to instant character. These spaces are inherently atmospheric, meaning you can lean into what already exists rather than starting from scratch.
Expect:
- Incredible photo ops
- Built-in ambience
- Memorable guest experiences
- Endless ways to personalise your celebration
Ready to get inspired?
From floating villas to wildflower farms, cliffside hideouts, Vegas-style chapels and historical gems, Australia is home to some truly extraordinary wedding spaces. Scroll down and start dreaming up some wilder ideas - chances are, they’re not so far-fetched after all.
St Joseph's Guesthouse
Location: Hunter, NSW // Capacity: 100 // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 10 // Wedshed loves: The location - rather quiet except for one very cool (and also very old) pub. Also, the venue. 10/10 for looks and versatility.
Once a place of worship, this old Catholic church has been transformed into one of Sydney’s most unusual wedding venues and guesthouses. Located just 90 minutes outside Sydney, there’s a lot that sets this place apart including views of the Macdonald Valley, a plunge pool and accommodation for 10 guests.
Caoura Cliffs
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW // Capacity: 120 // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 12 // Wedshed loves: The pavilion is an architectural masterpiece but honestly, the views are hard to beat.
This unusual wedding venue in NSW is ideal for couples dreaming of a wild, cinematic wedding backdrop with total privacy. Think dramatic sandstone cliffs, rugged countryside and an elevated, architecturally-designed reception space that looks straight out to the horizon. Spanning 1,100 acres and with on-site accommodation, it's an outdoor wedding space with serious wow-factor. See our styled shoot at Caoura Cliffs here.
Lilypad Palm Beach
Location: Sydney, NSW // Capacity: 22 // BYO: Alcohol only // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 2 // Wedshed loves: That it's private, intimate and impossible not to love. Bucket list stuff.
If you’ve ever dreamed of hosting an intimate wedding on your own private floating villa, Lilypad Palm Beach is the kind of place that makes that dream feel downright reasonable. Set just off the shores of Sydney’s Palm Beach, this private floating villa offers total seclusion, luxurious Scandinavian-inspired design, and 360-degree views of sparkling Pittwater. Perfect for micro weddings, elopements or pre-wedding celebrations, Lilypad turns your day into a boutique coastal escape complete with private tender transfers, sunset champagne, and luxury amenities including an infrared sauna, fireplace, hot tub/ice bath and more. It’s exclusive, effortlessly chic and undeniably one-of-a-kind.
Growwild Wildflower Farm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW // Capacity: 120 // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: Aside from the very pretty wildflowers, the permanent marquee is a big plus.
What's unusual about Growwild Wildflower Farm isn't so much the venue itself (although a 25-acre wildflower isn't exactly a "traditional" place to exchange vows) but in the way its organised its offerings. Growwild truly cares about its couples and for that reason they've created flexibile packages that allow weddings of all shapes and sizes to happen here. Whether it's an elopement, an intimate lunchtime wedding or a party where everyone is invited, Growwild is a unique and charming place that will surely suit.
The Rise at Canoe Grounds
Location: Sydney, NSW // Capacity: 150 (seated) 200 (standing) // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 14 // Wedshed loves: Privacy, flexibility, heaps of space to boogie and a pizza oven - it's all our favourite things rolled into one unique space.
Perched high in the hills of Canoelands (just an hour from Sydney), The Rise at Canoe Grounds is an atmospheric bushland venue with a lot to love. Its ridge-top ceremony locations overlook rolling wilderness as far as the eye can see, while an olive grove, orchard and native bush groves offer multiple, wildly different backdrops for your vows.
Receptions unfold in a rustic open-air bush pavilion or marquee - both spaces designed to let the bush be the hero. With on-site accommodation for up to 16 and exclusive multi-day hire, couples can settle in and host an immersive, nature-led and completely unconventional wedding weekend.
Zensi Retreat
Location: Mudgee, NSW // Capacity: 50 // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 20 // Wedshed loves: That it provides the best of both worlds - a stylish place to celebrate and a relaxing retreat all in one.
This impressive, design-led Mudgee wedding venue sits among rolling hills with views for days, offering an intimate, soulful space for couples who want a wedding that feels relaxed, personal and effortlessly stylish (we've experienced this place firsthand). The mix of modern architecture, curated interiors and expansive outdoor spaces (including a pool, barbecue area and fire pit) makes it a genuinely unique setting for small weddings and weekends away with your favourite people.
Glasshaus Inside
Location: Melbourne, VIC // Capacity: 85 (seated) 125 (standing) // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: A take on The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Google it), this venue is enchanting as it sounds.
The perfect adult’s playground, Glasshaus Inside mixes industrial fixtures with an abundance of pretty plants (yes, it’s an urban 1920s warehouse turned plant nursery). Here you won’t require any additional styling and being only minutes outside Melbourne’s CBD, there are plenty of places for guests to stay. Check out Hannah and Silva's sparkly wedding celebration at Glasshaus Inside here.
Lot 101 - Megalong Restaurant
Location: Megalong Valley, NSW // Capacity: 120 // BYO: No // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 12 // Wedshed loves: The 360 degree views and the venue's entire farming ethos - organic, regenerative (and we'll add - delicious).
Any couple with a shared love of fine dining is going to be immediately charmed by Megalong Restaurant in the Blue Mountains. Surrounded by 600 hectares of rugged farmland and stunning escarpments (Megalong is derived from an Aboriginal word thought to mean 'valley under the rock'), it offers a true farm-to-table experience with 90-100% of its produce, herbs and meat sourced on-site. Drinks-wise, there's a whole negroni menu on offer as well as an entire subsection of the drinks list devoted to vermouth.
There's also accommodation across six cottages and plenty of jaw-dropping photo locations - from the panoramic valley views to the vegetable, fruit and herbs gardens that decorate a huge portion of the property. It's all here and it's all just two hours from Sydney.
Projekt 3488
Location: Yarra Valley, VIC // Capacity: 110 (seated) 140 (standing) // BYO: Catering only // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: The gardens, unique interiors and sense of privacy - here is where inhibitions are set free.
Here’s a bit of history. Back in the 1920s, this quirky space was a Masonic Lodge (3488 was the building's original address). Now however, it’s an unusual and truly one-of-a-kind private events property brought to life by designer Mark Fenech. The building is surrounded by a handsome plantation of Australian natives complete with fire pit, and is comprised of three main spaces: the banquet hall, upstairs and gardens.
Mayfield Vineyard
Location: Orange, NSW // Capacity: 180 // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 28 // Wedshed loves: The wet-weather options, picture-perfect vineyard setting with accommodation onsite and exclusive use of the grounds (hello, recovery picnic).
A historic French-inspired vineyard estate just outside Orange, Mayfield is set across rolling hills, rows of vines and a 3.6 hectare arboretum! Couples can marry beneath centuries-old trees, celebrate beside the lake, or host a reception under the stars or inside the recently built rustic event space 'The Grove' which features polished concrete floors, jaw-dropping floor-to-ceiling windows and original timber beams. Add in beautifully restored accommodation for your favourite people and the region’s famous food and wine scene at your doorstep, and you’ve got a destination wedding that’s equal parts elegant, relaxed and seriously memorable.
McGuigan House
Location: Hunter, NSW // Capacity: 240 (seated) 300 (standing) // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 12 // Wedshed loves: The mix of modern luxury and country soul, wrapped in quintessential Hunter Valley vineyard views. And the tennis court that doubles as an after-party location.
Tucked within the heart of Hunter Valley wine country, McGuigan House is a private, super-stylish homestead that feels more like a magazine-ready holiday house than a traditional wedding venue. Couples love it for its long outdoor tablescapes, lush gardens and the exclusive-use feel - perfect for multi-day weddings where everyone stays, celebrates and reconnects under one very chic roof. If you’re after a contemporary Hunter Valley wedding venue with character, this one is a standout. Check out Meg and Luke's wedding at McGuigan House here.
Corowa Distilling Co.
Location: The Murray, VIC // Capacity: 200 (seated) 400 (standing) // BYO: No // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: It's historic charm, 40 ft ceilings and the option of over 200 single malt whiskeys.
Set in an old 1920’s flour mill in Corowa, this factory is an attractive, and rather unusual, events space. It’s got all the bells and whistles (including a commercial kitchen, bar and furniture) plus it’s pet-friendly too. But if you want to know what really gets our engines going, it’s the semi-industrial interior (featuring handcrafted bricks dating back to 1919) and the fact you can make your own giant chocolate freckles at the adjoining Junee Licorice and Chocolate.
Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park
Location: Blue Mountains, NSW // Capacity: 150 // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: Industrial history meets wild escarpments - a one-of-a-kind backdrop you won’t find anywhere else.
Few wedding venues are as unusual as this place. Once part of our industrial history, Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park is now an affordable space for celebrations that offer couples complete creative control. But be warned: the options here are limitless.
The Ranch
Location: Mornington Peninsula, VIC // Capacity: 120 (seated) 150 (standing) // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 130 // Wedshed loves: The choice to DIY everything (or not) and being able to have everyone stay on-site.
Country folk eat your heart out. The Ranch is a cool VIC wedding venue that celebrates all things country western. It has a shearing shed where couples can create a personalised reception and a cute on-site chapel (pictured). The light here too is a photographer’s dream and with accommodation for 130 guests, it's
Q Station Manly
Location: Sydney, NSW // Capacity: 180 (seated) 250 (standing) // BYO: No // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 300 // Wedshed loves: The history, the views and being surrounded by 30 pristine acres in the heart of an otherwise busy suburb.
It was here we hosted our very first Spring Fling so you can take our word for it that this venue ticks a lot of boxes. The glasshouse is a stylist’s delight and the heritage wharf and uninterrupted harbour views are hard to beat. Preserved within 30 acres of national park the renovated on-site accommodation sleeps 300 guests, making Q Station ideal for large weddings.
Churchill
Location: Central Victoria, VIC // Capacity: 150 (seated) 120 (standing) // BYO: Alcohol only // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: The soaring chapel-style architecture and warm, textural interiors that make every moment feel cinematic.
Like something from a fairytale, Churchill is a stunning old country church surrounded by two acres of beautiful gardens. The church boasts high timber ceilings, glorious gothic stained-glass windows and a choir-loft while the adjoining white timber hall features luxe interior detailing and plenty of natural light. It's the first venue by acclaimed florists and stylists Prunella (who also own Cadella Park) so you can be sure the aesthetics are always on point.
The Stables of Somersby
Location: Central Coast, NSW // Capacity: 150 (seated) 250 (standing) // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 14 // Wedshed loves: All the inclusions, plus its rare blend of rustic barn beauty and polished, modern finishes.
Located on a private equestrian property within an hour of Sydney, The Stables of Somersby has transformed an old rustic barn into an unusual wedding venue. There is plenty of flexibility for couples to incorporate their own sense of style however all the facilities are here: bathrooms, bar, kitchen, marquee and more.
BYRA Weddings
Location: Sydney, NSW // Capacity: 90 (seated) 130 (standing) // BYO: Yes // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: Its laid-back vibe, waterfront location and flexibility (DIY enthusiasts, rejoice).
The perfect venue for a relaxed and intimate celebration, BYRA Weddings is a DIY venue located in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. With that old clubhouse charm, the wooden deck overlooking Pittwater is a stunning spot for ceremonies and canapés alike.
The Altar Electric
Location: Melbourne, VIC // Capacity: 100 // BYO: No // Pet-friendly: Yes // Accommodation: No // Wedshed loves: That this venue rejects conformity. BYO individuality and ideas and let the good times roll.
This iconic Melbourne venue carries a rep as an unusual wedding venue that thinks outside the box. Specifically designed to host small weddings and elopements, it features neon signs, a leopard print bar, velvet lounges and peach interiors making it the hippest little wedding space this side of Vegas.
Oneworld Charters
Location: Sydney, NSW // Capacity: 36 (seated) 100 (standing) // BYO: Catering only // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 12 // Wedshed loves: One word - superyacht.
This "venue" offers couples an experience usually enjoyed by the the rich and famous. Australia’s newest luxury superyacht, Oneworld Charters is a stylish, contemporary space where it feels rude not to enjoy a glass of champagne as you set out to sea. Plus it has a hot tub and sleeps 12.
The Cove Jervis Bay
Location: South Coast, NSW // Capacity: 150 // BYO: No // Pet-friendly: No // Accommodation: Yes - sleeps 111 // Wedshed loves: A day spa, accommodation for all your guests and direct access to a pristine, five-mile beach. This place is paradise.
Want your own resort right on the beach? Meet The Cove. A magnificent south coast wedding venue nestled inside Booderee National Park, the list of features is mind blowing. Thirteen boutique cabins, a seven bedroom house, eight luxurious glamping tents, a day spa, bbq pavilion, kayaks, lawn games and more recently, a striking open plan reception hall with ocean views. It's the perfect place for an entire weekend celebration (hello, recovery party).
CREDITS: Feature image - Miranda Stokkel // St. Joseph's Guesthouse - Scott Surplice // Caoura Cliffs - Luminary Weddings // Lilypad Palm Beach - Anna Murray // Growwild Wildflower Farm - own image // The Rise at Canoe Grounds - own image // Zensi Retreat - Scott Surplice // Glasshaus Inside - Katie Harmsworth // Lot 101 Megalong Restaurant - Caitlin May // Projekt 3488 - own image // Mayfield Vineyard - Pip Takes A Picture // McGuigan House - Monica Cugnier // Corowa Distilling Co. - Sue Davis Photography // Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park - Wedding Gallery Studio // The Ranch - Georgia Verrells // Q Station Manly - own image // Churchill - Luma Wedding Photography // The Stables of Somersby - own image // BYRA Weddings - Lucie Studio // The Altar Electric - Miranda Stokkel // Oneworld Charters - own image // The Cove Jervis Bay - Red Berry Photography.
Looking for more ideas?
We’ve brought together advice, articles, and inspiration on our Advice & Ideas blog to help you find your feet.