Getting hitched? Given it forms the backbone of your entire event, finding the perfect wedding venue is no small task. Fortunately, we’re blessed with ample magical ceremony settings and reception venues in our vast backyard. From toes in the sand, to countryside retreats and rainforest-fringed hideaways—you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Let this be your handy guide to exploring the best wedding venues on the Gold Coast and nearby.
Rivermeade Estate
Guanaba
Breathtakingly majestic, Rivermeade Estate is quite possibly the grandest and most exclusive Gold Coast wedding venue to grace our list. A dairy farm in a past life and now a fully operational polo club and equestrian centre that’s designed to lure the rich and famous to the Gold Coast Hinterland, this venue is fit for royalty. If that whets your champagne appetite, enquire to privately hire this sprawling estate, complete with a plantation-style homestead, exquisite pool area and a dramatic rural backdrop complete with macadamia nut trees and the meandering Coomera River.
Bower Estate
Natural Bridge
If a hinterland party surrounded by lush greenery, rolling hills and tranquil forest sounds like your cup of tea, this might just be the place for you. Bower Estate is one of the newest wedding venues to hit the Gold Coast, and it’s the stuff dreams are made of. A local family has lovingly restored the 120-acre estate, with a focus on capturing the natural beauty and environmental heritage of the site. The uniquely Australian landscape has now been reimagined as a venue for full-service celebrations and weddings, complete with multiple locations to host your party, plus boutique accommodation for your bridal party in a traditional Queenslander-style cottage.
The Valley Estate—Coming Soon
Currumbin Valley
If you’re one of the last in the crew to get married, it might be difficult to track down a Gold Coast wedding venue that’s unique to you. Fortunately, a bold new project is unfolding in Currumbin Valley that’s now taking bookings for mid-2021 weddings. A masterplan in the making, The Valley Estate boasts design elements certain to take your breath away and photo opportunities aplenty. Complete with a stunning chapel, ancient fig tree or extensive gardens within which to seal your vows, you can also expect a foliage-filled greenhouse and a grand, red-brick Manor for partying long into the night—meaning your entire wedding can unfold here from beginning to end.
The Tropic
Burleigh Heads
If your love is one that blossomed via picnic dates and headland hikes at Burleigh Hill, why not seal your future in the same location? Burleigh Pavilion has redefined our social lives and now its stylish adjoining restaurant, The Tropic, has joined the ranks of ultimate Gold Coast wedding venues. With capacity for up to 220 people (300 cocktail style), customisable food and drink packages, plus entertainment, flowers and styling coordinated by the venue—all you need to bring is yourselves and your swag of jovial guests. Though be warned, the ultra-beachfront location and dreamy sunset vistas may just steal the show.
Summergrove Estate
Carool
With endless panoramas across the fertile valleys and Tweed Coast, this seriously special property in the northern NSW hinterland is simply heart melting. On location at Summergrove Estate, we love their picture-perfect weatherboard chapel, so you can have both magical indoor and outdoor ceremony options, should Mother Nature send her blessings on your special day. This extends to your reception too—take it inside with their incredible, purpose-built barn house or, if an evening under a night sky bursting with stars sounds romantically blissful, you’ll be in good hands at Summergrove Estate.
Ancora
Tweed Heads
The creative tribe behind Taverna, Osteria and Bombay Cricketers Club (our favourite high-class hangouts in Kingscliff and Casuarina) have added yet another sweet wedding destination to the southern scene. Ancora’s waterfront location on the Tweed River is suited to couples looking for a one-of-a-kind wedding space with a Mediterranean vibe. Inspired by owners Lia and Mark’s Greek island engagement, a coastal feel weaves its way through Ancora’s interiors, with floor to ceiling windows, whitewashed walls and a high ceiling just screaming out for you to bring your Pinterest board to life. A standout among the Gold Coast’s best wedding venues, if you’ve experienced the authentic Greek-inspired dishes on offer at Taverna and the baked treats at neighbouring cafe Baked, you can be prepared for a similar level of deliciousness at an Ancora wedding.
Level 12 Penthouse & The Glasshouse At The Island
Surfers Paradise
Oozing classic luxury, The Island’s Level 12 Penthouse or The Glasshouse are both stellar Gold Coast wedding venues worth exploring. Level 12 Penthouse steps up the game with a terrace bar complete with retractable roof and private adjoining function room from which to admire those twinkling Surfers Paradise views. On the ground level, The Glasshouse is bright and airy with a wraparound deck, indoor and outdoor entertaining and capacity for an impressive 350 seated guests. For the utmost convenience, when it’s time to hang up their dancing shoes, your guests can retreat to The Island’s adjoining boutique accommodation.
The Acre Boomerang Farm
Mudgeeraba
If you’ve attended a few Gold Coast weddings in your time, chances are you’re already familiar with Boomerang Farm. But what you might not realise is this local treasure, featuring a 100-year-old barn, is now operated by Tweed and Gold Coast wedding royalty, the PBL Group. Having hosted literally thousands of weddings across their venues including Osteria, Ancora and Taverna, with menus designed by Michelin Star Executive Chef Matt Kemp, it’s safe to say you’ll be in very good hands. Set on a sprawling property amid rolling hills and lush greenery on the outskirts of Mudgeeraba, if vintage country charm is what you’ve visualised for your big day, this venue has it all. A rustic corrugated barn built in 1902 is the reception backdrop, while the grounds are scattered with a rainforest chapel, babbling brook, majestic palms, resident wallabies and photo ops galore.
The Borrowed Nursery
Mermaid Beach
If you’re on the hunt for a Gold Coast wedding venue that’s as conveniently located as it is whimsical, you’ll love The Borrowed Nursery. Allow Gold Coast’s green thumb design experts to style your big day, where the existing nursery shop—bursting at the seams with plants—will be your backdrop. Situated in Mermaid Beach inside a characterful warehouse, The Borrowed Nursery can assist with elaborate foliage, unique installations and intricate centrepieces for hire, to add the finishing touches to your bespoke wedding—plus photo opportunities with those Insta-famous doors out front. You’ll also enjoy the added flexibility to hire in your own bar (we love The Irish Shakes) and catering.
Cowbell Creek
Austinville
Bring your breezy country-style wedding to life at Cowbell Creek. This undulating 170-acre cattle farm, tucked in the foothills of Springbrook National Park, has been in the family for four generations and has swung open the gates to Gold Coast weddings—with an architecturally-designed, purpose-built wedding barn. With close to 1000 weddings under their belt, this team are experts at curating a stress-free day you’ll never forget. Opt to tie the knot in one of three ceremony locations including the giant hilltop fig tree, the pergola with a retractable roof or the creek-side verandah. Complete your ceremony, photos (they’ve got Alpacas, friendly dairy cows, Clydesdale horses, cheeky chooks and more!) and reception all in the one locale, if you choose this stellar destination venue.
Kooroomba Vineyard And Lavender Farm
Scenic Rim
Soak in the fresh country air when you tie the knot at Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm’s captivating open-air chapel. Located a 90-minute drive from the Gold Coast, with mountain ranges and farmland stretching as far as the eye can see, and a purpose-built chapel house unlike any other, this is the scenic backdrop you’ve been searching for. Once the sun dips and you’ve had your fill of lavender field and golden-hour photos, retreat to the large dining hall for a reception with good old-fashioned hospitality and local Scenic Rim produce.
Mavis’s Kitchen
Mount Warning
Just across the border into northern NSW, what we love about Mavis’s Kitchen is that it offers the full package. Jaw-dropping hinterland and Mount Warning views as a backdrop to your alfresco ceremony, a gorgeous heritage farmhouse with organic food sourced direct from the kitchen garden, adjoining accommodation, ample photo ops for formal photos, grassy hangouts and lawn games, friendly staff and a totally intimate destination that’s free from prying eyes of the public. Don’t have the stress of losing or entertaining your guests between formalities and opt for Mavis’s Kitchen, one of the best wedding venues easily accessible from the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast Farm House
Numinbah Valley
If you’re building that Wedstock mood board for when your dearly beloved finally drops down on one knee, you need to know about Gold Coast Farm House. This 50-acre property in the depths of the Gold Coast Hinterland is one of the dreamiest all-about-nature settings we’ve ever laid eyes on. A wedding at Gold Coast Farm House is best paired with the complete services of an event planner or stylist, with everything having to be brought in (hello tipi wedding!). Complete your dream event with glamping tents for your wedding guests, and your special day will be one for the history books.
Fins At Plantation House
DURANBAH
Located a bouquet toss across the border in the rolling hills of Duranbah (behind Kingscliff) is where you’ll find Fins at Plantation House. Picture this: a romantic plantation home, your ceremony set under an ancient fig tree, elevated Tweed Valley views, magic hour sunsets over Mount Warning, an eloquent reception terrace with your choice of styling and a menu designed by local celebrity chef, Steven “Snowy” Snow. There isn’t a box that Fins at Plantation House doesn’t tick. This hospitality team has been in the business for over 30 years and promises award-winning restaurant quality food and a big day your guests will rave about for years to come.
Kirra Hill Community Centre
Kirra Point
Given the vastness of Gold Coast’s sun-drenched coastline, finding an affordable close-to-the-beach wedding venue (that isn’t a surf club) is surprisingly tough. Enter Kirra Hill Community Centre, a council-owned and operated hall that’s a sandy-footed stroll up the hill from Kirra Beach. For a reasonable fee, you’ll have exclusive access to the Great Hall and lawn area with sweeping views from Snapper Rocks to Surfers Paradise. Accommodating up to 90 guests and with a classic schoolhouse feel, this is another versatile venue that allows for an entirely DIY experience. From caterers to food trucks, styling, to bring-your-own bar (there’s oodles to be saved when you’re not paying bar prices), you can spend as little or as much as you like to create the perfect vibe for your relaxed celebrations.
Froggy Beach
Rainbow Bay
Want to get married with sand between your toes, but don’t care for a nonchalant surfer or oblivious family to waltz on through and steal the limelight at the most inappropriate time? There’s an enchanted wedge of beach tucked away between Snapper Rocks and Point Danger that could just be the place for the beach wedding of your dreams. Protected by headlands, fringed by boulders and driftwood and framed by Pandanus palms, Froggy Beach is a top option among Gold Coast wedding ceremony venues. Don’t forget to register your beach wedding council permit, with the form located here.
Get Hitched Under A Tipi
Various Locations
Okay, so this is not actually a destination, but that’s what makes it so special. Building your big day around a wedding reception under a tipi (try Gold Coast Tipis or Maka Tipi) allows versatility that you never thought possible. Think outside the box to create a one-of-a-kind evening; whether your inspiration is whimsical romance or modern bohemian, this is a bespoke build-your-own event where you can engage your caterers of choice, bring in the booze, band or DJ, and go wild with the styling, lighting and adornments.
Looking for a quick getaway in the lead up to your big day? Check out our roundup of the best Byron Bay Airbnbs.
Image credit: Lead image is from Ivy Road Photographer at Ancora, followed by Bower Estate, Summergrove Estate (Figtree Wedding Photography), The Acre, Cowbell Creek and Fins at Plantation House.