A guide to Australia’s best small wedding venues

Across Australia, it’s often the small wedding venues that create the best feelings of romance and intimacy. In this guide, we’ll introduce you to a few of our faves and give you a few pointers on what to look out for when searching for your own.

Small wedding venues in each region of Australia:

• Small wedding venues in Melbourne

• Small wedding venues in Sydney

• Small wedding venues in Perth

• Small wedding venues on the Gold Coast

• Small wedding venues in Adelaide

• Small wedding venues in Brisbane

• Small wedding venues in the Yarra Valley

• Small wedding venues in Hunter Valley

• Small wedding venues in Canberra

• Small wedding venues on the Sunshine Coast

What to look for when you’re selecting a small wedding venue

Does it have the right look and feel?

When it comes to choosing your wedding venue, you want a space that fits with your idea of the right style, the right lighting, and the right mood. Sure, you can always add decor to spruce the place up, but you want to start with the right vibe so you’re not fighting to fit your ideas into the space.

For example, if the venue you’re looking at has carpeting that you just can’t get past, there’s no amount of decor that will take that flooring out of your mind on your wedding day. Instead, start with a space that feels great as-is.

Will the space feel intimate with your guest list?

Don’t worry too much about venues that state a larger capacity than your guest list requires. Many venues quote their capacity for standing events throughout their marketing materials. Your wedding will most likely include tables, chairs, a dancefloor, and other elements that take up quite a bit of room.

What’s important is that the space can accommodate a smaller guest count and still feel intimate. Many small wedding venues include private rooms or cordoned-off sections to create a setting that isn’t too large for your guests.

Can you meet the minimum?

Many wedding venues set either a minimum guest count or minimum food and beverage spend. These numbers usually fluctuate depending on the time of year, day of the week, and more. While you likely won’t get this info until you’re well down the track of enquiry, it’s important to be upfront about your guest count from the start of your wedding planning so you can weed out venues that simply can’t accommodate a guest count of your size.

Will the space be private enough for you and your guests?

When you’re planning a very small wedding, of say less than 50 guests, you may run into a few venue options that offer semi-private reception spaces rather than exclusive-use. That may be totally fine for you and your plans, or you may decide you’d prefer a more private place. Either way, it’s important to have conversations with the venue upfront about how a semi-private space is shared.

Here are a few questions to ask:

• Will you be sharing a restroom with guests outside your party?
• Will you have your own entrance?
• Will there be limitations around noise/music due to other guests being in proximity?
• Will there be other weddings booked at the same time?

We’re here to help you find your dream venue

If you’re struggling to find the place that best suits you, reach out to our team at Venue Crew today and we’ll help with personalised venue recommendations. We’ll take your guest count, budget, location, and date into consideration while also getting a sense of the style that feels up your alley. To get started, simply tell us about your wedding. Alternatively, our directory of wedding venues is searchable by guest count and it’s a great place to start discovering venues on your own.