Pioneer Country

OVERVIEW

"The venue was magnificent, exactly what we were looking for. We wanted a casual, relaxed, and unique atmosphere, and the venue fitted what we needed perfectly." – Bill

What You’ll Love About Your Pioneer Country Wedding:

Exclusivity: We host only one wedding at a time, ensuring the property is entirely yours for a private and unforgettable celebration.
Ceremony Choices: Exchange vows in our charming indoor chapel or amid the stunning outdoor landscapes.
Extended Access: Enjoy 48 hours of venue use—the day before for setup and rehearsal, plus 7 hours of service on your wedding day.
Personalized Planning: Your dedicated wedding planner will assist with every detail, connect you with trusted vendors, and oversee a flawless wedding day.
Prime Location: Conveniently located in Tweed Heads South, just 10 minutes from Gold Coast Airport and near a variety of hotels ranging from budget-friendly to luxurious.
Guest-Friendly: Ample off-street parking is available, and guests are welcome to retrieve their cars the following day.
Spacious and Stunning: 170 acres of picturesque farmland, featuring a grand barn that accommodates up to 220 guests for a sit-down reception.

Flexible Booking Options:
Peak Season: Friday–Sunday weddings for 50–220 guests (ceremony + reception).
Off-Peak Season: Save $1,500 with Monday–Thursday weddings for 20–220 guests (ceremony + reception).
Ceremony-Only: Available Sunday–Thursday.
Ceremony + Garden Party (3 Hours): Available Sunday–Thursday.

"The beauty of the grounds and chapel made our wedding photos stunning. To top it off, our wedding planner's professionalism and friendly nature made everything easy for us. We couldn’t have been happier." – Samantha

About

G’day, I’m Sarah, Pioneer Country’s wedding planner and a proud 4th-generation member of our family-owned venue. My goal is to make planning smooth and stress-free while inspiring you to create a wedding that’s uniquely yours. Together, we’ll craft a day full of personality and lasting memories for your family and friends. I can’t wait to bring your dream day to life! Cheers, Sarah Robinson (she)

Sarah-Jayne Robinson

Owner & Wedding Planner

Photos

Pioneer Country SupplierProfileLive Wedding Venues

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Venue Features

Indoor / Outdoor Ceremony

Min 20 / Max 220 Reception guests

Min 2 / Max 300 Ceremony Guests

Time restrictions: 11:30 PM

In-house catering

7.00 hours Event time included

Music must end by 11:30 PM

Wedding Brochure

Pioneer Country Brochure

View all of our features and complete package inclusions in our PDF wedding brochure.

View Brochure

Packages

Exclusive Offer

Chapel or Ceremony Only Hire

2-hour chapel or grounds hire (plus 1-hour rehearsal), Monday to Thursday

Package Inclusions

Exclusive Offer

Wedding Venue Hire (peak Fri, Sat & Sun)

48-hour whole venue hire (170-acres of farm, grounds, chapel & licensed restaurant)

The day beforehand for rehearsal, styling and setup.
Day of the wedding.
Bumpout between 8 & 10 am the day after the wedding.
Includes wedding planner, seating, linen, glassware, wait staff and almost everything except celebrant, photographer, florist & cake.

Package Inclusions

Exclusive Offer

Wedding Venue Hire (off-peak Mon, Tue, Wed & Thur)

48-hour whole venue hire (170-acres of farm, grounds, chapel & licensed restaurant)

The day beforehand for rehearsal, styling and setup.
Day of the wedding.
Bumpout between 9 & 11 am the day after the wedding.
Includes wedding planner, seating, linen, glassware, wait staff and almost everything except celebrant, photographer, florist & cake.

Package Inclusions

Exclusive Offer

Farm to Plate - Country Menu

Served as alternate serves, shared platters or as a buffet:

Tweed Valley Antipasto Platter

Olives, cured meats, cheeses, dried fruits, 2 chef-made dips, crackers highlighting Tweed cured meats & cheeses

6-dish Country Menu

2 types of meat eg Terranora Black Angus slow cooked Beef Cheeks w a red wine jus and Kieve Cut Chicken stuffed with sundried tomatoes
3 vegetables eg crispy duck fat potatoes, baked pumpkin with cinnamon & Pioneer Country's homegrown honey, butter & garlic brocolini
warm bread & butter

Wedding Cake, Tea & Coffee Buffet

Platters of wedding cake with a dollop of cream,
locally grown Madura Tea and
Ground Control Coffee (roasted on the far side of our back paddock)

Package Inclusions

Exclusive Offer

Mexican NIght Market Fiesta

• House-made guacamole dip, char-grilled capsicum and corn chips as appetizers
• Empanadas (puff pastry parcels w chorizo potato, onion, cheese and a hint of chilli)
• Mexican corn fritters
• Cheese & Chicken Quesadillas (great for adults & kids alike)
• Pork ribs in a spicy smoked sauce
• Soft tacos with chilli con carne or vegetarian bean chilli
• Churros with cinnamon cream and chocolate dipping sauce as dessert
• BYO Wedding cake platter, with dollop cream, tea & coffee served from the old family table

Package Inclusions

Exclusive Offer

Antipasto, Wood-Fired Pizza and Grazing Table

Antipasto platter on the verandah
5 choices of hand-stretched housemade pizza dough wood-fired in our large pizza oven off the rear verandah
Grazing table of food to compliment the pizza served from the buffet table

Served night-market style from our handcarts, great for grazing and for guests to mingle.

Package Inclusions

Videos

Nearby Accommodation

Browse Hotels

FAQ

How many guests can you cater for at Pioneer Country?

Our chapel can seat up to 120 guests on our pews with sides lattice walls opening outwards to provide viewing for up to another 100 guests.

Our barn style restaurant comfortably seats 220 guests.

Tip: When comparing venues, remember to count the number of seats on display to ensure there is still sufficient space for mingling, congregating at the bar, dancing, and, heaven forbid, what happens if it rains, where will the ceremony be held because the heavily styled tables can not be quickly pulled aside and reset?

Do you allow third-party catering?

Pioneer Country has a selection of in-house catering options:

night-market style hand carts
grazing tables
cocktail style,
sit down shared, feasting platters or alternate serves
buffet
and a wood-fired pizza oven as well as a full commercial kitchen

Unfortunately, we no longer offer 3rd party catering after a couple of bad experiences that we would prefer are not associated with our hard-earned reputation for good food and plenty of it (there will be no stopping at Maccas on the way home from a Pioneer Country wedding).

Do you offer accommodation?

Pioneer Country is so close to town that we don't need to.

We are only a 10-minute Uber or taxi drive from Coolangatta.

We recommend the new Rydges Airport Hotel, where our guests enjoy a 15% discount and the bride and groom a free upgrade or the Colonial Caravan park riverfront cabins (800 m walking distance).

Our off-street parking is secure, and guests can retrieve the cars easily the following day.

Where do you recommend for accommodation?

For the bride and her tribe, Belle River House at Tumbulgum, 13 km scenic drive through the cane fields to the venue. Sleeps 16-18 adults
For guests, The Colonial Caravan Park or River Retreat Caravan Park Riverfront Cabins, 800 m staggering distance from venue
For fly-in/ fly out guests, The Rydges Airport Hotel, our guests enjoy a 15% discount and the bride & groom a free upgrade, a 10 minute maxi taxi from our venue
For guests wanting a beach front apartment mini-holiday Mantra Coolangatta, 1,2 & 3 bedroom beachfront apartments, 1 10 minute Uber from our venue

What will your in-house wedding planner do for our wedding?

She conducts a 2-hour planning meeting within one month of booking. During the planning meeting, she will help you draft the run order, agree on the menu and decide on the layout. She will help coordinate the rehearsal and queue the bridesmaids the day before. On the day she will receive vendors and help them bump in, she will liaise with the MC to ensure the run order keeps on schedule, and she will be the last to leave and close the gate behind her to ensure your guest's abandoned cars will be off-street and safe overnight.

Sarah has a great list of tried and proven vendors that will streamline your wedding planning process.

If you want some tips on how to trim the budget or styling suggestions - she is a wealth of knowledge.

37 reviews 5.0 Write a Review

August 2024

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Pioneer Country was such a beautiful venue. Our wedding felt so easy and worry free with Sarah helping us plan and the team at Pioneer Country were all so lovely and helpful. Our photos are incredible because the barn and property are so beautiful! Highly recommend

Ellie G.

December 2023

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Our experience with Sarah and the team at Pioneer Country was truly exceptional. Despite navigating postponements due to COVID and a pregnancy, Sarah accommodated us with remarkable flexibility and patience. She played a pivotal role, always ready to address our questions and ensured every detail of our special day was meticulously planned and flawlessly executed. One standout feature is the availability of multiple photo locations. Pioneer Country offers a picturesque backdrop at every turn, ensuring our memories were beautifully captured. The chapel, where our ceremony took place, was nothing short of enchanting. Its elegant design and intimate atmosphere provided the perfect setting for exchanging vows. The venue's ability to accommodate different preferences extended to allowing us to decorate the space ourselves. This creative freedom allowed us to infuse our personality and style into every corner, making the venue truly feel like ours. A noteworthy mention goes to the staff who handled wet weather exceptionally well. Despite unexpected rain, they seamlessly adjusted plans, ensuring our day continued without a hitch. And let's not forget the mouth-watering food! The wood-fired pizzas had everyone talking. Adding to the joy, our vendors, despite it being their first time at Pioneer Country, were equally impressed and raved about the exceptional setting. Sarah and all the staff at Pioneer Country contributed to a wedding day that not only was beautiful but also genuinely reflected our love story. We are immensely grateful for their dedication and personalised touch.

Shannon B.

October 2023

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What an incredible and magical day thanks to the amazing Sarah and her team at Pioneer Country! We can not thank them enough for making our dream wedding happen. Everything from the great communication, delicious food, tasty drinks, wedding setup, styling and all the fine details. Our day was completely stress free and an absolute breeze! Thank you so much Sarah and the team! Highly recommend Pioneer Country!!

Ashleigh B.

October 2023

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Pioneer Country was the perfect place for our wedding , I wanted the rustic country feel and it definitely delivered . Sarah went above and beyond to make sure our day was unforgettable. The location was very convenient for our guests. The food was melt in your mouth - absolutely Devine.

Nicole L.

July 2023

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Aside from Pioneer Country being an absolutely stunning venue with a gorgeous (recently renovated) barn and the most perfect little chapel for the ceremony, Sarah was a brilliant wedding planner! Her organisation and skill in ensuring everything ran smoothly is so very appreciated! Sarah covered all bases, even those that I didn't know I needed covering! We had so much fun and all feedback from guests was that it was the BEST wedding ever! Thank you Sarah and Pioneer Country staff, we cannot recommend you highly enough and I WILL recommend you to everyone xx

Lyn P.

Expert Advice

As a wedding professional, Pioneer Country offers expert advice to help couples plan their perfect day. Ask a question or read their expert advice.

Get Expert Advice

Do wedding venues come with a changing room?

Hi, I would like to know if wedding venues usually have a changing room where we can change our clothes? And if not, what do you suggest?

Pioneer Country

Typically brides and their bridesmaids are the last to arrive at the venue for the ceremony and get ready privately and at their accommodation. However, it is becoming increasingly common for the bride to change into a party dress at some point during the celebrations. For this reason, my venue has recently installed a Bridal Retreat room for this purpose, to touch up makeup, keep a spare change of shoes and maybe a jacket or just a space where an overwhelmed bride can escape to. Every venue is different, and you should add this to your venue checklist when doing your inspection tour.
Happy Ever After
Sarah
@pioneercountry

What does an inhouse wedding venue coordinator do?

If my venue has an in-house wedding coordinator, do I also need my own planner? What tasks does a venue coordinator do that a planner might double up on? (What doesn't a venue coordinator do?) Thanks!

Pioneer Country

I am the in-house wedding planner for Pioneer Country. I am responsible for:

Creating a shared run sheet (in the cloud). The run sheet includes budget, timeline, schedule, menu, styling, layout & supplier details.
Showing couples and their families our 170-hectare property and all the wedding options and combinations available at our venue to meet their vibe and budget. (I often do multiple tours for other family members that get involved after the venue is booked.
Coordinating planning meetings (as many as it takes) to lock in key details such as invitation start time, ceremony start time, and meal service time and to agree on what styling will be provided by the bride and her 3rd party vendors and what styling will be provided inhouse.
Provide familiarisation tours to other suppliers eg photographers, videographers, florists, celebrants etc and direct them during bump-in and bump-out and during the event. I will even book 3rd party suppliers on behalf of the bride for a small service fee.
Schedule wait staff, responsible service of alcohol staff, kitchen staff, cleaning staff, place setting, in-house styling etc
Recommend my list of proven and trusted suppliers that won't let the couple down.
Be available for the bride as a sounding board on all matters related to the wedding.

I prefer to deal with the bride directly to ensure nothing is lost in translation however I am happy to work with her delegate be it the mother of the bride, the sister or 3rd party professional planners (however if the budget is tight then I don't believe this extra expense of another wedding planner is warranted).

Hayley