17 Amazing Hunter Valley Wedding Venues
Updated for 2024
Are you looking for 17 amazing Hunter Valley wedding venues? Hi, I’m Adam and I am a Hunter Valley wedding photographer who has shot hundreds of weddings in the Hunter Valley region. So I have seen a lot of wedding venues over the years. The good, the ok, and the awesome!
The Hunter Valley is just two hours from Sydney and is one of the most popular wedding destinations in NSW. And for good reason. The landscape is breathtaking with rolling hills and vineyards as far as the eye can see. It also has some of the best food and wine in the country. There is plenty of accommodation available from private houses to resorts which makes it perfect for a destination wedding. And it has some of the best wedding venues in Australia.
There are lots of wedding venues in the Hunter Valley, and more and more seem to appear all the time. And there are definitely wedding venues that are better than others. So with this list, I’m not listing all the venues in the Hunter Valley… I am just listing my favourite wedding venues, from a wedding photographer’s point of view. These are venues that I look forward to photographing. Venues that I think do an amazing job for their couples and have wonderful facilities & staff. And naturally, I think these venues are beautiful and look great in photos. If you choose any of these venues, you can pretty much guarantee that you will get great wedding photos.
So hopefully you find this list really useful. And if you do contact these venues, please let them know that you found them through this page :) So here are my favourite 17 amazing Hunter Valley wedding venues in no particular order.
1. The Convent & Circa 1876
Circa 1876 is a beautiful rustic restaurant that is part of The Convent Escarpment Group. I have lost count of how many weddings I have shot there, but it is a lot. And you are guaranteed a beautiful wedding if you choose this place.
On-site accommodation, a beautiful outdoor ceremony spot, great locations for photos, and an amazing restaurant with fantastic staff. It has everything you need for a perfect wedding. Can accommodate up to 150 guests.
Address: 64 Halls Rd, Pokolbin
2. Enzo Weddings Hunter Valley
Enzo Weddings Hunter Valley is located at IronBark Hill vineyard and is one of my favourite wedding venues. I have shot this venue so many times. I would describe it as modern rustic elegance. And I highly recommend it.
It has on-site accommodation, a beautiful air-conditioned chapel & reception venues which overlooks the vines. And it has 30 acres of land, so there is plenty of places for photos. The staff are amazing and it can accommodate up to 150 guests.
Address: 694 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin
3. Adams Peak
Adams Peak is one of the best venues in the Hunter Valley and certainly one of the most popular.
It is a family run business and they are so lovely to deal with. It has some of the best views in the Hunter, on-site accommodation and multiple ceremony and reception locations.
One of the best features for couples is that you book the place for the whole weekend. It can accommodate up to 160 guests.
Address: 66 Adams Peak Road, Broke
4. Bimbadgen Palmers Lane
Bimbadgen Palmers Lane is relatively new but it quickly becoming one of the most sought after wedding venues in the Hunter Valley.
It was built just to do weddings, so it has modern elegance but still with rustic charm. There is onsite accommodation available. Beautiful options for your wedding ceremony. And you can have your wedding reception either outdoors under the stars, or indoors with airconditioned comfort.
It also sits on a large property with views over mountains and vineyards and can accommodate 130 guests. It is a pretty awesome wedding venue.
5. Chapel Ridge
Chapel Ridge is a purpose-built wedding venue located in the lower Hunter Valley Hinterland. It is the perfect mix of country rural and elegance and wow is it beautiful!
It is located on 200 acres of picturesque farmland with the stunning chapel as the focal point. There is a bridal suite onsite, a rustic shed for canapes and a reception space that can accommodate up to 120 people. And both the chapel and reception room are fully air-conditioned.
The staff and wedding coordinator, Jade, are just amazing. So friendly, hardworking and accommodating and will do everything they can to make your day truly amazing. Highly recommend this wonderful wedding venue.
6. Peppers Creek Chapel & Barrel Room
Peppers Creek is a rustic, vineyard wedding venue in the heart of Pokolbin.
It has an intimate sandstone chapel set among the vines called Peppers Creek Chapel. The side of the chapel even opens up so more people can easily see and you get a lovely breeze through the ceremony.
It doesn’t get any more rustic than the reception room Peppers Creek Barrel Room. Which can accommodate up to 180 guests.
Address: 1946 Broke Road, Pokolbin
7. Wandin Valley Estate
Wandin Valley Estate is a working winery where you can have your wedding at. It is a huge property with on-site accommodation. There are also hundreds of Kangaroos!
There are four wedding ceremony options. The Barrel Room also makes a great wet weather back up ceremony venue. The reception is held at the Cricketers Pavillion overlooking the cricket oval. Can accommodate up to 120 guests.
They also have a new wedding co-ordinator who is doing everything she can to make sure couples have an amazing experience and an amazing day.
Address: 12 Wilderness Rd, Lovedale
8. Peterson House
Over the last couple of years, Peterson House has gone from a restaurant that does the occasional wedding, to one of the best and busiest wedding venues in the Hunter Valley.
They built a wedding chapel and fully upgraded their marquee. The chapel is undoubtedly the best wedding chapel in the Hunter Valley region. It is spacious, has two levels, is fully airconditioned and it just looks great. And the marquee has hard flooring, is airconditioned and looks out over the vineyards.
There is no accommodation available onsite, but Peterson House is located right in the centre of Pokolbin, so there are so many choices for you and your guests. It can accommodate up to 200 guests and is a great place to have your wedding.
Address: Corner Broker Road and Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin
9. Ben Ean
Ben Ean is formally known as Lindemans Winery and since the name change, there has been a huge refurbishment of the whole venue. And I must say, the changes look great!
It is located right in the heart of Pokolbin, and photographically it has one of the most beautiful landscapes for photos. Rolling hills with rows and rows of vines and a single tree perched on top of a hill.
The ceremony can take at the Fig Tree or in the courtyard. And a wedding reception in the courtyard is amazing, especially since it was refurbished. One of my favourite venues!
Address: 119 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin
10. White Barn
Situated on 30 acres with a private vineyard and stunning views of the Brokenback Ranges, White Barn is a new and exciting wedding venue in the Hunter Valley.
White Barn is a purpose-built, Hampton-style barn with country charm. It offers grandeur with a 500sqm footprint, 8m high cathedral ceilings, modern industrial restrooms, a fully air-conditioned space, and a licensed bar. The subtle interior colour palette allows for beautiful, natural photography and clean lines to complement your personal style.
There is accommodation within walking distance and the entire wedding day from start to finish can happen all on one private estate.
Address: 290 Old N Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320
11. Redleaf Wollombi
Redleaf Wollombi is a luxury country retreat set on one hundred acres of land in the historic town of Wollombi.
The house itself is a huge Tuscan inspired home that can accommodate 8 to 12 guests. There are two separate parts to the house so a couple can easily get ready there and still be far enough apart that they don’t see each other.
Can accommodate up to 60 guests in the Redleaf Barn, or you can hire a marquee for larger numbers.
Address: 2480 Wollombi Rd, Wollombi
12. The Woodhouse Wollombi
The Woodhouse Wollombi is located in the beautiful Wollombi Valley about 30 minutes from Cessnock. And it has probably the most iconic building of any wedding venue in the Hunter Valley.
It is an elegant, park-like country venue with lush lawns, manicured gardens and tall trees
There is on-site accommodation and multiple location options for your ceremony. I love that it sits on 100 acres of land as it really gives you so many photo opportunities for your wedding day.
It can accommodate weddings of up to 150 people and it is a beautiful venue that you really can’t go wrong with.
Address: 2640 Paynes Crossing Road, Wollombi
13. Bistro Molines at Tallavera Grove
Bistro Molines is an amazing restaurant located at Tallavera Grove vineyard. It has won numerous ‘chef’s hat’ awards and is one of the best restaurants in the Hunter Valley.
It is located at the top of a scenic hill in Mount View with some of the best views in the Hunter. Photographically speaking, it probably has the best vines in the Hunter Valley for wedding photography. It is epic!
There is a small house on site where you can get ready. And this country, vineyard property is just beautiful. It can accommodate up to 90 guests.
Address: 794 Mount View Rd, Mount View
14. Margan Wines & Restaurant
Margan Wines and Restaurant has one of the best mountain views in the Hunter Valley and one of the nicest barrel rooms of all the Hunter wedding venues.
It is probably best known for its amazing wines which win numerous awards every year. But it is a beautiful property to have a wedding. Lots of land, with vineyards, sheep and alpacas around. There is no onsite accommodation but there are plenty of properties around the Broke and Pokolbin areas.
Address: 1238 Milbrodale Rd, Broke
15. Albion Farm Gardens
Albion Farm Gardens is a combination of 100 acres of farmland and 25 acres of beautifully manicured gardens and a lake. You get the best of both worlds with this stunning venue.
There are numerous places around the property to have your wedding ceremony. “The Barn” is one of the most beautiful and rustic barns I have seen for a ceremony.
It doesn’t offer wedding receptions, but there are a few locations very close by they do recommend.
Address: 869 Paterson Rd, Woodville
16. Goosewing Cottage
Best Small Wedding Venue Hunter Valley
The best property in the Hunter Valley for a small wedding or elopement, of 20 people or less, is Goosewing Cottage.
I have photographed countless elopements at this amazing venue and it is one of the best places to have a beautiful and affordable small wedding.
There are two cottages on site for accommodation. You can have the ceremony by the dam and it is one of the best locations for awesome wedding photos in the Hunter Valley. They don’t offer receptions, so most couples just book a large table at one of the many restaurants in the area. Highly recommend for small weddings and elopement.
Address: 1194 Mount View Rd, Mount View
17. Your own property?
If you are lucky enough to own a property in the Hunter Valley, or someone in your family owns a property in the Hunter Valley, you should definitely consider using it for your wedding.
I absolutely love shooting at private residences or family properties!!
The photos will have more meaning and be more personal to you. Plus you will have photos at locations that no one else will have.
So if you have a family farm… use the barn or the hay shed. Or if you have a property with a decent size backyard… hire a marquee. Then get some caterers or a food truck. It will be awesome!
Other Hunter Valley Wedding Venues
If none of these amazing venues above suit your needs, check out some of the venues below:
Tips on how to choose a Hunter Valley wedding venue
The Hunter Valley is famous for its wine, its food and it is now one of the most popular places to have a wedding. The Hunter Valley is my backyard and I am there most weekends. Having shot well over 500 weddings, I have seen a lot of wedding venues. And the Hunter Valley has some of the best!
There are so many wedding venue options for couples to choose from. Every time I go to the Hunter Valley I see another place has started to do weddings. But the Hunter Valley is not just Pokolbin. The Hunter Region is a huge area.
If you asked me what my favourite wedding venue is, I would probably say “anywhere I haven’t shot before.” I love the variety and exploring new places. Photographically it is always exciting to be in new surroundings and environments. But there are definitely some criteria that I personally prefer in a wedding venue.
So here is some advice on how to choose the best wedding venue that suits your personal style and vision. And also my personal preference on what works well for Hunter Valley weddings.
What I look for in a wedding venue
There are a number of factors I consider when looking at a wedding venue. As a photographer, sometimes you look at the venue and just can’t wait to shoot there again. Other times you think that it’s going to be a challenging day. Having said this, my favourite Hunter Valley wedding venues all have a couple of things in common. They are all in a beautiful location, have amazingly friendly venue staff, and most have the ability to have everything on site. Where the start of the day, to the end of the night can be done at the one location.
Onsite Accommodation
The beauty of the Hunter Valley is that there is a lot of accommodation available on places like Stays & Airbnb and even some larger hotel chains. But I think it is even better if there is good onsite accommodation available. Firstly for the wedding couple, and secondly for their guests. Everyone can just walk back to their rooms at the end of the night.
Having onsite accommodation for the wedding couple really takes away any travel stress or time pressures on a wedding day. Knowing that you can walk to the ceremony can definitely ease your mind.
I personally love it when couples both get ready at the same property. They usually just get ready in different rooms on different floors and I’ve never had a couple accidentally see each other unless they want to. What is great about it, from a photographer’s point of view, is that I can just walk between both of you during the preparations. It makes preparation photos much easier and more relaxed for everyone.
Hunter Valley Ceremony Locations
Being able to have the ceremony at the same place as the reception is another major factor that I love. It makes it much easier for yourselves and for your guests. Have your ceremony, mingle with your guests, have drinks & canapes, do some photos, then walk into the reception. Easy! No travel involved for anyone.
Some Hunter Valley venues don’t do that many weddings and don’t necessarily have the best locations for wedding ceremonies. There might be ugly backgrounds, bad light, no shade, too tight a space etc. As a professional wedding photographer, you learn how to work around them, but in the back of your mind, you know things could be better. If you are planning an outdoor ceremony check out my outdoor wedding ceremony tips.
A decent wet weather option is also a plus. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I shot a wedding ceremony in a carport because of the rain. There was no other alternative on the day, so it wasn’t ideal.
So look for a place with a great ceremony location and a decent wet weather alternative.
Hunter Valley Photo Locations
Being able to do photos on-site is another factor that I look for. Some venues have stunning landscapes and scenery, which means there is no need to leave the property to get some beautiful photos. I also love a venue that has a fairly large property so that you can get a nice variety of locations and looks. Ideally, there should be some trees and shade, because the Hunter Valley can be an extremely hot place, particularly in the summer months when it can crack the forties!
Hunter Valley Reception Venues
This is very much a personal choice. But if you are getting married in the Hunter Valley, I prefer the setting to be individual and unique to the property and the landscape. From a rustic barn-like property to an elegant restaurant. What I hate the most is when a room looks like a generic function room that could be anywhere in the world.
If you’re getting married in summer, then you should also look for a venue with air-conditioning or with lots of outdoor space so guests can get fresh air and a breeze. And in winter a fireplace or firepit is a bonus.
The venue staff & management
I have been to a lot of wedding venues, and I can tell by the way the staff and management interact with themselves and with other wedding vendors, how the service will be.
For example, there are a couple of very popular Sydney wedding venues that used to work at a lot… I like to call them ‘wedding factories’… and the staff just looked depressed and overworked. They never smiled and barely interacted with guests. Then you look at the supervisors/managers and you can see that they looked stressed and also barely smile. I am a firm believer that the way owners & management treat their staff, will reflect on the service given.
So when you are talking to coordinators or property owners, if they are not particularly friendly, helpful & accommodating when you first meet them, just imagine what they will be like on the day, when the pressure of a wedding is on them.
If you are still looking for your perfect wedding venue, then check out some of our favourites from some other regions:
Hunter Valley Wedding Venues | Newcastle Wedding Venues | Central Coast Wedding Venues | Southern Highlands Wedding Venues | Blue Mountains Wedding Venues | South Coast Wedding Venues |
Hey, I’m Adam. A wedding photographer who loves to shoot fun, relaxed couples in a natural and candid way.
I shoot weddings all over Australia, so if you are engaged and looking for a photographer, please check out my work. If you can see yourself in these photos, feel free to get in contact to check my availability. Thanks :)
