Wedding Venues in North East Victoria
Looking for somewhere rather fabulous to get married?
You've come to the right part of Victoria.
North East Victoria has vineyards, historic estates, farm properties, mountain locations, country pubs and some pretty spectacular places to gather your favourite people and get married.
I'm Cheryl Warry, a full-time marriage celebrant and wedding MC based in Wangaratta, right in the middle of it all.
I've spent years travelling around this region marrying couples at established wedding venues, wineries, farms, private properties and occasionally somewhere that requires considerably more adventurous footwear.
So rather than giving you another enormous list of venues I've found on Google, I'm sharing some of the places I know through actually working in this part of Victoria.
If you're still deciding where to get married, start exploring.
King Valley wedding venues
If vineyards, mountains, Italian food and a wedding weekend in wine country sound appealing, start with the King Valley.
Milawa, Whitfield and Cheshunt all offer very different settings, while Wangaratta is close enough to provide additional accommodation and services for guests.
Brown Brothers, Milawa
Brown Brothers is one of the King Valley's best-known wineries and a venue I've had the pleasure of working at for weddings.
The grounds give couples several beautiful options, with vineyards, established trees, gardens and the historic property all contributing to the setting.
I've married couples beneath the magnificent oak trees here, and it's one of those ceremony spaces that already has plenty of character before anyone starts decorating it.
Dal Zotto, Whitfield
Travel further into the King Valley and the landscape changes as the mountains begin closing in around you.
I've conducted a beautiful vineyard ceremony on the Dal Zotto property where the location had an added layer of meaning because of the bride's childhood memories of her grandparents' vineyard.
That's something I particularly love about country weddings.
Sometimes the location isn't simply beautiful. There's a story behind why the couple chose it.
Samba Hills Winery, Cheshunt
Cheshunt takes you even deeper into the King Valley.
I've married couples at Samba Hills Winery, including one gorgeous later-life wedding where the groom arrived in a 1959 FC Holden he'd lovingly built himself.
They had first met at high school, life took them in different directions and decades later they found their way back to each other.
Good venue. Even better story.
Rutherglen and Wahgunyah wedding venues
Head north from Wangaratta and you'll find another of North East Victoria's major wine regions.
Rutherglen and Wahgunyah are particularly good for couples wanting an established winery or estate wedding where the ceremony, photographs and reception can become part of one destination experience.
All Saints Estate, Wahgunyah
It's difficult to arrive at All Saints without being impressed.
The historic estate, enormous tree-lined driveway, gardens and vineyards give it a very distinctive character.
I've conducted weddings here and know how beautifully the ceremony can become part of the wider estate experience.
St Leonards Vineyard, Wahgunyah
St Leonards has a more relaxed vineyard feel, surrounded by vines and established trees near the Murray River.
I've married couples here too, including family-centred ceremonies where children have been very much part of the occasion.
If you're looking for a winery setting that can still feel intimate and easygoing, St Leonards is worth exploring.
De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate
De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate gives couples another winery option within this part of North East Victoria.
I've conducted intimate weddings here and particularly like the way smaller ceremonies can still feel like a proper celebration.
Fowles Wine, Avenel
Fowles Wine sits a little further south and offers both indoor and outdoor wedding spaces with views towards the Strathbogie Ranges.
I've conducted weddings at Fowles and it gives couples another option if they love the winery setting but are looking towards the southern end of the wider North East Victorian region.
Wangaratta and surrounding country wedding venues
You don't have to choose a winery.
Some of the most memorable weddings I've conducted have taken place on farms, at homesteads and in locations couples chose because they simply felt right.
Wangaratta Turf Club
One bride I married at Wangaratta Turf Club had always dreamed of being married beneath a gazebo.
On an unusually warm autumn day, with the white roses still blooming and her family and friends gathered around her, she got exactly that.
Add an adorable flower girl and some very capable ring security and we had ourselves a wedding.
Stirling Homestead
At one of my Stirling Homestead weddings, the couple had a surprise waiting for both of their mums.
They had chosen them to be the official witnesses.
Neither mum knew until the ceremony.
It's still one of my favourite ways I've seen couples honour their parents because they become part of the legal moment their children are married.
The Plough Inn, Tarrawingee
The Plough Inn gives couples a lovely country setting close to Wangaratta.
I've conducted a spring wedding here with the wisteria in bloom, children involved in the ceremony and plenty of personality throughout the day.
Victorian High Country wedding locations
Then there are the couples who decide a normal driveway isn't nearly adventurous enough.
Welcome to the Victorian High Country.
Mt Buffalo
Mt Buffalo offers something completely different from a traditional wedding venue.
I've married couples on the mountain, including at The Horn, where the landscape becomes part of the ceremony.
Mountain weddings require some additional planning around access, weather, guests and ceremony logistics, but the result can be spectacular.
Falls Creek
If you're thinking about a snow wedding, alpine elopement or ceremony at Falls Creek, this is very much my territory.
I'm a skier as well as a celebrant, which opens up some rather interesting possibilities when it comes to where we can hold your ceremony.
Yes, a chairlift can potentially become part of the wedding day.
Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain
Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain offer another style of destination wedding, with alpine scenery and the opportunity to bring everyone together in the mountains for more than just a few hours.
I've conducted weddings in the Mt Hotham area and understand the extra planning involved when your ceremony is taking place at altitude.
Beechworth weddings
Beechworth deserves a category of its own.
Historic streets, gardens, beautiful countryside and plenty for guests to do make it particularly appealing for destination weddings, smaller celebrations and elopements.
I've conducted intimate ceremonies in the Beechworth area, including at Ingrams Rock.
For couples who want to come away, gather their favourite people and make a weekend of getting married, Beechworth is well worth considering.
How do you choose the right wedding venue?
Start with how you want the day to feel.
Think about the number of people you're inviting, how far they'll need to travel, accommodation, accessibility and whether you'd prefer your ceremony and reception in the same place.
If you're considering an outdoor ceremony, ask about the wet-weather option before you fall completely in love with the outdoor one.
Visit at roughly the same time of day as your proposed ceremony if you can. Look at where the sun will be, where your guests will sit and how far everyone needs to walk.
And picture yourselves there.
The venue can be spectacular on paper and still not feel like you.
When you walk into the right one, you'll usually know.
Questions to ask before booking your wedding venue
Before paying a deposit, I'd ask:
- Is our preferred date available?
- Where can we hold the ceremony?
- What is the wet-weather ceremony option?
- Can the ceremony and reception both be held onsite?
- What is included in the venue hire?
- Are tables, chairs and ceremony furniture included?
- Is there accommodation onsite or nearby?
- Is transport available for guests?
- Are there noise or finishing-time restrictions?
- Can we choose our own wedding suppliers?
- When can suppliers access the property?
- Is the venue accessible for elderly guests or people with limited mobility?
- Where will we take photographs if it rains?
- Is there somewhere private for us before the ceremony?
- Who will be our contact on the wedding day?
You don't need the fanciest venue.
You need the venue that works for your wedding.
Already found your venue?
Excellent.
Now we can talk about what happens once everyone takes their seats.
As your celebrant, I'll get to know you, create your ceremony, guide you through your vows and take care of the Australian legal marriage requirements.
Because I work throughout North East Victoria, there's a good chance I already know your venue or the area around it.
And if I haven't been there before?
I'll do my homework.
Frequently asked questions about North East Victoria wedding venues
What are some popular areas for weddings in North East Victoria?
Couples choose locations throughout Wangaratta, the King Valley, Milawa, Whitfield, Beechworth, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah and the Victorian High Country.
Each offers a very different style of wedding, from vineyards and estates to mountains and country properties.
What are some winery wedding venues in North East Victoria?
The region includes venues such as Brown Brothers in Milawa, All Saints Estate and St Leonards Vineyard in Wahgunyah, De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate and Fowles Wine at Avenel, along with winery settings throughout the King Valley.
Can we hold our ceremony and reception at the same venue?
Many venues offer both ceremony and reception options, but inclusions differ between properties. Check directly with the venue about current packages and arrangements.
Can we get married on a private property or family farm?
Yes. An authorised marriage celebrant can legally marry you at a private property, farm or many other locations provided Australia's legal marriage requirements are met.
Can we get married in the Victorian High Country?
Yes. Alpine and mountain weddings are possible, although your chosen location may have access, permit, weather or other requirements that need to be considered.
Can you be our celebrant at any of these venues?
I travel throughout North East Victoria and the Victorian High Country. Tell me your venue and wedding date and I can confirm my availability.
Found somewhere you love?
Now tell me where we're going.
Winery? Farm? Historic estate? Mountain? Country pub?
Once you've chosen your venue and date, I'd love to hear what you're planning for the ceremony.
And if your location requires skis, please lead with that.
