Getting hitched? Congrats lovers!
Finding the perfect wedding venue is no mean feat. In fact, it can provide the inspiring backbone to the entire event. No pressure, right?
There are only so many trips your friends can make to Bali or Fiji for a destination wedding. Fortunately, we’re blessed with some of the most magical ceremony settings and reception venues here in our very own backyard; from toes in the sand, to countryside retreats and rainforest fringed hideaways.
After compiling this handy little guide to some of the best wedding venues on the Gold Coast (or close by), we’re yearning to get married all over again. Happy planning, brides and grooms-to-be!
Shamba Malaika
Now, if you’re a bride-to-be in the near future, you’d best be skipping right over this little gem. But, if you’re building that mood board for when your dearly beloved finally drops down on one knee, you need to know about Shamba Malaika. Already fully booked for the remainder of 2016 AND 2017 (jeepas!) this 150-acre property in the depths of our beloved Currumbin Valley is one of the dreamiest all-about-nature settings we’ve ever laid eyes on. Branded the “garden of angels”, a wedding at Shamba Malaika is best paired with the complete services of an event planner or stylist, with everything having to be brought in (hello tipi wedding!). Though it’ll be totes worth it for a day in the depths of the rainforest alive with the sound of wildlife, bamboo groves, towering palms, horse stables, wooden footbridges, and running streams. #weddinggoals
Where: 138 Piggabeen Road, Currumbin Valley
EcoStudio Fellini
EcoStudio Fellini is an intriguing Mudgeeraba property set in the foothills of Springbrook National Park. Fringed by forest and boasting a purpose-built function house perched on the edge of a lily-filled pond, this is the scenic backdrop you’ve been searching for. We love EcoStudio’s light-filled two-tier wedding room, add to that, the backing of the same culinary family behind Marina Mirage dining stalwart, Restaurante Fellini, you know the nosh and vino selection is going to be damn fine too.
Where: Corner Springbrook and Boomerang Roads, Mudgeeraba
Kirra Hill Community Centre
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 a vast lawned 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 which allows for an entirely DIY experience. From caterers to food trucks, styling, to bring-your-own bar (um hello?! There’s oodles to be saved when not paying bar prices), you can spend as little or as much as you like to create the perfect vibe for your relaxed celebrations.
Where: 1 Garrick Street, Coolangatta
Summergrove Estate
With endless vistas across the fertile hinterland and valleys, this exclusive property in the northern NSW hinterland is simply heart-melting. On location at Summergrove Estate, we love their brand new picture-perfect weatherboard chapel, so you have both magical indoor and outdoor ceremony options, should Mother Nature send her blessings on your special day. This extends to the reception too, take it inside or, if an evening under a night sky bursting with stars sounds romantically blissful, you’ll be in good hands.
Where: 363 Carool Road, Carool, NSW
Boomerang Farm
If you’ve attended a few Gold Coast weddings in your time, chances are you already know about Boomerang Farm. Set on a sprawling property that originally functioned as a dairy farm, amid rolling hills, and lush greenery on the outskirts of Mudgeeraba, this golf course cum wedding event destination is an absolute local treasure. If rustic country charm is what you’ve always visualised for your big day, this venue has your name written all over it. A ramshackle and spectacularly rusty corrugated iron barn built in 1902 is the reception backdrop; the grounds scattered with a rainforest chapel, Australiana windmills, a babbling brook, wine barrels, resident wallabies, majestic trees, and photo ops galore.
Where: 55 Johns Road, Mudgeerada
WAREHOUSE No. 5
Preparing to host its very first wedding this August, Burleigh’s new WAREHOUSE No 5. is a versatile blank canvas if ever we did see one. Polished concrete floors, exposed industrial ceilings, white brick walls, sexy leather chesterfields, trendy plants galore… are all backdrops waiting for your personal touch. Having already hosted a range of engagement parties, we reckon this is the perfect space for the resourceful event planner bride who’s itching to bring her Pinterest boards to life. Take your pick of Gold Coast caterers or food trucks, alcohol options to meet any budget, DIY, or professional styling, and you’ve got yourself one very unique wedding event inside a 225sqm warehouse.
Where: 87 West Burleigh Road, Burleigh Heads
Mavis’s Kitchen
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, ample photo ops for formal piccies, grassy hangouts and lawn games, friendly staff, and a totally intimate destination in the mountains 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 one of the best wedding venues on the Gold Coast.
Where: 64 Mount Warning Road, Uki, NSW
Get Hitched under a Tipi
Okay, we hear ya. This is not actually a destination, but that’s what makes it so spesh. By building your big day around a wedding reception under a tipi (try Gold Coast Tipis or Tipi Luxe), allows versatility that you never thought possible. Think outside the box to create a one-of-a-kind evening; whether your inspiration be whimsical romance or boho luxe, this is a bespoke build-your-own event where you can engage your caterers of choice, bring in the booze (don’t forget a hunky bartender), band or DJ, and go nuts with the styling, lighting, and adornments. Perhaps you already have somewhere in mind to pitch a fancy canvas tent or three, if not, these well-versed suppliers have a list of scouted locations to consider. Whatever you choose, this is what wedding dreams are made of.
Location: suitable for a variety of destinations
Froggies Beach
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 perfect locale for the beach wedding of your dreams. Protected by headlands, fringed by boulders and driftwood, and framed by our fave, Pandanus palms, Froggies Beach is a top option among the best wedding venues on the Gold Coast.
Where: Tweed Terrace, Rainbow Bay
Photo Credits: The Follans Photography (lead image, Mavis’s Kitchen, and Kirra Hill Community Centre)
Ivy Road Photography (Summergrove Estate chapel)
Hayley Williamson Photography (Summergrove Estate)
EcoStudio Fellini