The Southern Highlands has some of the mosts gorgeous wedding venues in Australia and Alicja & Mathew’s Terrara House Estate wedding would have to be one of them.
They both got ready onsite at Terrara House Estate, Alicja in the Salon and Mathew in the Stables. So preparation was really easy as I could simply walk back and forth between them.
We had some nice weather for their wedding, but it was just after record rainfall, with the last twenty six of the last thirty days raining. Therefore they had the wedding ceremony on the Terrace instead of in the gardens, but it was still gorgeous. The property around Terrara House is huge, so there were so many locations for beautiful photos.
We are really excited to share this amazing wedding with this lovely down to earth couple. This Terrara House Estate wedding has now added to the list of my favourite venues in the Southern Highlands. Enjoy!
I was so excited about Abby & Nick’s Point Wolstoncroft wedding, as we live really close to it, I had never heard of the venue before, the grounds are huge and the couple were awesome!
Abby & Nick planned a real weekend away for their guests at Point Wolstoncroft Sports and Recreation Centre. All the guests stayed onsite for the whole weekend and being a Sports and Recreation Centre they participated in lots of outdoor activities. A lot of the guests at the wedding actually remember coming to Point Wolstoncroft when they were in school.
Check out the end of the wedding where the guys drop their pants, and leave a comment below if you can name the song that was played at their time.
So we hope you enjoy this beautiful Point Wolstoncroft wedding as t was a truely amazing day to be a part of and I can’t wait to photograph more weddings there. :)
The Margan Estate wedding of Heather & Ken was simply epic. Heather jumped puddles and braved three-degree temperatures and Ken is definitely one of the funniest guys around.
The wedding ceremony was held at St Patricks of Nulkaba and the reception was at Margan Hunter Valley Wines in Broke. Winter is generally a slower time for weddings as it is a little colder, but the light in winter is just beautiful. And the stars at night are pretty awesome! As you can see if the last photo.
We are really excited to share this beautiful Margan Estate wedding of Heather & Ken… enjoy!
I love a Mindaribba House wedding! It would have to be one of my very favourite Hunter Valley wedding venues. I have been shooting at Mindaribba House for a long time. I photographed my first wedding there in 2013 when it only just started as a wedding venue. And during that time the wonderful owners have continued to upgrade and improve the property with new facilities and buildings. Making it one of the best wedding venues in the Hunter Valley.
There are so many wedding venues in the Hunter Valley so how do you know if Mindaribba weddings is the perfect venue for your wedding? Everyone’s style is different and different couples need different things from y
This is our ultimate guide and review of this awesome wedding venue, Mindaribba weddings in Tocal. It is to help newly engaged couples choose their perfect Hunter Valley wedding venue. And Mindaribba weddings just might be that venue.
The first time I photographed a wedding at Mindaribba House was in 2013. The Bride, Rebecca, used her aunt’s property, which was Mindaribba House. Rebecca also used her other aunt, Helen English to produce her beautiful wedding dress. And Rebecca’s sister had married at Mindaribba House just before her. These were some of the first weddings ever photographed there.
Rebecca & David, the first wedding I photographed at Mindaribba House in 2013.
About Mindaribba Weddings
Mindaribba House is a big beautiful elegant country farm property located two and a bit hours north of Sydney in Tocal, near Maitland. It is situated on 100 acres of beautiful farmland, and this includes 5 acres of gardens and sits along the Paterson River. So it really is a perfect, private country and farm wedding venue.
What I love about Mindaribba Weddings is that the entire wedding from start to finish can happen onsite. There is accommodation onsite. The wedding couple can get ready on the same property in different houses and easily avoid seeing each other if they want. There are numerous ceremony locations available. It is a huge property, so there is no shortage of photo locations. And they also have two wedding reception options.
This is a huge plus for any wedding venue and it makes it so much easier for you and your wedding guests. As a couple, when you arrive at Mindaribba, you are there for the weekend. As a guest, when you arrive you can kick your heels off and enjoy the wedding, knowing that you don’t need to travel anywhere at all.
The property has changed quite a bit over the years. The owners are constantly adding things and refreshing the venue. The property consists of:
The original cottage. Mindaribba House.
A function room attached to the house.
A guest house.
An Indian Tent with polished concrete floors.
A fire pit in winter which changes to a water feature in Summer.
A pool in the middle of the complex.
The entranceMindaribba House on the left, reception room on the right, pool in the middle.
Mindaribba Weddings Accommodation
Mindaribba offers enough accommodation on site for two groups of people with Mindaribba House and the Guest House. This means that as a wedding couple can get ready in either house on the property with your family or bridal party. The houses are far enough apart that you can avoid seeing each other if that’s what you want.
Because it is an exclusive private property, when you book a wedding at Mindaribba Weddings you need to book a minimum of two nights accommodation there as well. Which works perfectly for destination weddings.
Couples both easily get ready onsite which is absolutely awesome. It means there is no travelling involved for either of you and it also makes wedding preparation photos really easy for your photographer as they can just walk between both of you.
Mindaribba House is a beautiful cottage built back in 1872. It consists of four king-size rooms, a dressing room, two bathrooms, kitchen and lounge area. The entire house is styled with antiques and artworks from Morocco, France, India and Indonesia. Mindaribba House and the whole property has been immaculately styled and it looks amazing.
I love doing wedding preparation photos inside the main house because the interior is so well-styled and there is some really cool directional light. It really does feel like somewhere different and special. Not some generic hotel room.
The Groom and his mates swimming on the morning of their wedding.
The Guest House has been added onto the property in recent years and is an excellent addition to the facilities. It allows a wedding couple to get ready on-site in separation accommodation.
It has one large room with a large king-size bed one single bed and a lounge that converts to a bed. So it can sleep three or four people if needed. It also has a bathroom and kitchen. and an outdoor bath.
This guest house could also double as the actual wedding night accommodation. It is a smaller size and maybe a bit more private. Your family and friends could stay in the main house and the two of you can stay here.
Guest HouseOutdoor bath at the smaller guest house
Wedding Guest Accommodation. There is plenty of local accommodation and hotels near Mindaribba House for your wedding guests. The beauty of Mindaribba Weddings is that it is so private that you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. But in reality, you are less than ten minutes from the main town of Maitland where there is plenty of accommodation.
Most wedding couples organise a bus to pick up the majority of guests from town. That way your guests can drink at your wedding without worrying about driving back. At the end of the night the bus will also drive them back into town.
Wedding Ceremony Options
Mindaribba Weddings is on 100 acres of land, so there is no shortage of potential locations for your outdoor wedding ceremony.
Most couples have their ceremony in the gardens, close to Mindaribba House itself. Mainly because there are toilets nearby and it is easier for their older wedding guests.
There are only two garden locations I have shot in. Both are awesome and it really depends on your personal choice.
The first ceremony location is right next to the main house on the Paterson River side of the property. It is really close to all facilities so it is great for all your guests. And it’s a quick, easy walk to the ceremony for you.
Photographically speaking, it is a really good option for your wedding ceremony mainly because of the light. You have the ceremony between a couple of large trees and the wedding couple, most of the time, are in full shade. The shade is beautiful for photos. It creates even light on faces and it will be much cooler for you, particularly on those warmer days.
The guests will be in full sun but at least it will be on their backs so they won’t be squinting too much.
On a sunny day, the couple are in the shade, guests have the sun on their backs.Cloudy day it looks beautiful as well.
The second ceremony location option is right down near the river under a massive Pecan Tree. This is a pretty beautiful location for the ceremony because of the tree.
The Pecan Tree is a deciduous tree, so it will be lush a full of leaves in summer, providing good shade. But in winter it will lose all its leaves. But in winter the sun will be lower in the sky and it won’t be as hot. So it will be fine to have a ceremony there as well.
Logistically, it is a little bit further. It is a short walk down a small hill. Easy enough for most guests. For older guests, I would recommend you just drive them down.
View from the air
My main bit of advice for having an outdoor wedding ceremony at Mindaribba House is to be conscious of how hot the Hunter Valley can get. Particularly in the warmer months. 35°C+ is not unusual for the Hunter Valley in Summer.
Unless you are doing the ceremony in the Indian tent, there is little to no shade for your guests. So I would recommend getting parasols to help shade your guests. They can also help if you get some light rain.
And if you are doing your ceremony down at the Pecan Tree, provide some nice cold drinks for your guests.
Wet Weather Ceremony Back up
The beautiful thing about Mindaribba Weddings is that they now have multiple spaces available to you as a wet weather back up for your wedding ceremony.
The function room just off Mindaribba House itself.
The new Indian Tent.
So either place can act as a wet weather back up for your ceremony. This is a huge plus in a wedding venue.
Here are a few photos from a ceremony that I photographed in the Indian Tent.
As you can see, as far as wet weather backup locations for a country farm wedding venue go, this one is pretty damn good! It is large, spacious and it has plenty of light. The sides of the tent even lift up, so if it is raining heavily you can still see the surrounding countryside and be undercover.
Mindaribba House Wedding Photos
There is no shortage of wedding photo locations at Mindaribba Weddings. The property has 100 acres of land to explore. So there are lots of beautiful rustic country locations for wedding photos and photography.
I love doing photos around the Pecan Tree and down near the Paterson River. The driveway looks lovely and it is often filled with cows and a couple of horses. And there are five acres of gardens.
One of my favourite wedding locations is just exploring some of the land around the back and to the side of the property. Because there are cows in the field, you just have to be careful where you walk, but it is totally worth it.
My advice for any Bride, in particular, is to bring along some flats or even boots to wear for the photo part. The ground can be uneven so high heels really don’t work. High heels on uneven ground will also make you nervous about walking anywhere and also really really slow. High heels will not add to your enjoyment of the day or make your wedding photos more fun. It will just restrict what you are willing to do.
At the very least, Brides to any country wedding venue should wear a thicker heel so they are able to walk on the grass easily.
Mindaribba House wedding
Mindaribba Wedding Reception Venue
There are two locations available for your wedding reception at Mindaribba Weddings. You have the reception room that is attached to the house and there is the Indian Tent. So there is a lot of flexibility available to tailor the venue to suit your style of wedding.
The original reception room started life as a family open plan kitchen and living room. This was when it was a family home, before it became a wedding venue. If you look on one of the door frames in that room, you will still be able to see the high chart of the children that grew up there.
It seats up to 130 guests inside on three long tables.
The Indian Tent was built in 2019 and it really adds another dimension to the property and what it can do. It will seat up to 170 guests and can act as the reception venue, or the dancefloor or whatever you want.
Mindaribba House at night
Pet Friendly Wedding Venue
Mindaribba Wedding is a pet-friendly wedding venue!! I love this and I think more wedding venues should become pet friendly.
So you can bring your pet along to your wedding. You should do this especially if you consider your pet to be a part of your family like I do.
There is even a resident cat on the property
Weddings at Mindaribba House
A Mindaribba House wedding is without a doubt one of my favourite wedding venues in the Hunter Valley. It has everything that I love about country wedding venues.
You get the whole property for the weekend. The entire wedding day from start to finish happens at the one place. They have great locations for the ceremony and photos. The food is always amazing and the staff are also wonderful.
If you are not totally sure about Mindaribba House, you should also check out their sister property Wallalong House. It is located less than fifteen minutes away and is owned by the same people.
You really can’t go wrong with a Mindaribba House wedding. They have great facilities and it is a really popular wedding venue. They are booked out for a year or two in advance. So meet the owners, read the reviews, check out the venue and decide for yourself. But from a wedding photographers point of view, it is a wonderful venue that I highly recommend. You will get beautiful wedding photos and an awesome wedding experience.
Hey, I’m Adam. I’m all about capturing couples in a relaxed, unobtrusive way with a bit of awesome!!
If you love natural, candid moments and hate anything cheesy, then check out more of our work.
I have lost count as to how many weddings I have photographed at Peterson House and you really can’t go wrong with Peterson House weddings in the Hunter Valley.
It is located right in the heart of Pokolbin on the corner of Broke Road and Wine Country Drive. So pretty much everyone visiting the Hunter Valley will drive past Peterson House. It is best known for its amazing sparkling wines. Who knew there were so many types of sparkling wine? They are so good and we actually bought cases of their sparking and used it for our own wedding.
It is also known for its award-winning food, that comes out of Restaurant Cuvee. So it is pretty obvious why Peterson House is so popular for weddings!
Peterson House Wedding Chapel
Peterson House also recently build one of the best sandstone wedding chapels in the Hunter Valley. And I really mean that. It is a beautiful sandstone building with handcrafted timber trusses and it has been cleverly designed and it great for photography. There are large double wooden doors, high ceilings, a rustic chandelier and it can accommodate up to 150 wedding guests.
It is spacious, yet still feels quite intimate when you are inside. There is also an upstairs balcony section where more people can sit. They have also built a church bell. So the bells can ring out across wine country when you are officially married!
It also is fully air-conditioned!! Woo hoo!
In Summer, I hate churches or chapels in the Hunter Valley that are not air-conditioned. Why? Because they tend to be about ten degrees hotter inside than outside. And it can get very hot in the Hunter Valley. It routines goes above 40°C and I have had three weddings where people have collapsed from the heat of a church or chapel in the Hunter Valley. So by having your wedding ceremony here, you can rest assured that your guests, and particularly your older and very young guests, are comfortable and well taken care of.
Here are a few photos from weddings I have photographed at Peterson House Chapel. This will give you a good look at the set up of the chapel and what it looks like before guests arrive.
The styling from this set of photos was done by Jade Macintosh.
This is the view from the balcony area
Here are some photos from real weddings photographed at this beautiful chapel. As you can see there is a large area for guests to mingle as well a pretty grand driveway and fountain.
Garden Wedding Ceremonies
If you prefer the outdoors, you can also choose to have your wedding ceremony in the gardens. There is the option to have your ceremony down by the vineyard with the jetty and dam in the background.
Or you can have the ceremony in front of Petersons House restaurant itself. It is a lovely aluminium and sandstone building with a high pitched roof and it makes a nice rustic backdrop for your ceremony. Before the chapel was built in 2019, this was the main location used to have most of their wedding ceremonies. I think it gives a nice relaxed garden atmosphere to weddings.
I love outdoor wedding ceremonies but the only issue I have with outdoor ceremonies at Peterson House is the lack of shade. So on hot summers days, you will be in full sun. So I would not recommend an outdoor ceremony here is Summer. Winter would be perfect! Autumn and Spring would also be lovely but later in the day, towards sunset. For a summer wedding you should really consider their beautiful wedding chapel for the ceremony.
Peterson House Wedding Photos
Peterson House is a beautiful location to have your wedding photos. There are a few locations onsite for photos. There are a large number of vines surrounding the property. As well as some lovely gardens areas between and around the buildings on the property. They also have a beautiful dam with a small jetty which is perfect for photos at sunset.
As with all the wedding photos, the best time for photos is at sunset. And I would definitely recommend doing your couple portraits at sunset. If you do choose to do them earlier when the sun is still high in the sky, the light can be pretty harsh and unflattering, particularly if there are no clouds. There are a couple of shady spots where you can head to. A small cluster of trees is located near the entrance to the property. As well as another cluster of trees on the other side of the lake. And at the very back of the property, there are a few big trees and some more lovely vineyards.
It is also worth noting that you are not able to do any drone photography at Petersons House as there is a small airport located right across the road.
The jetty with Peterson House in the background.These are the vines that look out from the reception room.
The best photos at the jetty will be taken at sunset.
Peterson House Wedding Venue
There are two locations where you can hold your wedding reception. In Restaurant Cuvee or in their marquee.
The marquee at Peterson House is a permanent structure located on the grass near the vines. I have never photographed a wedding in the marquee, but it looks like a really nice option. It can hold more than the restaurant, with a capacity of 200 guests. It can fairy lights, chandeliers and the side of the marquee open up fully, so it will almost feel like you are dining in the vines.
As with all marquee weddings in the Hunter Valley, I probably wouldn’t do them in winter as it gets freezing at night. The coldest wedding I ever shot was a marquee wedding in winter and it was so so cold.
Restaurant Cuvee is where I have photographed all my Peterson House weddings. It is located in the main sandstone building but at the opposite end to the wine tasting room. The room has huge beams of recycled timber and iron and it has beautiful views over the vineyards. It has a lovely rustic elegance to it. The restaurant has won numerous industry awards over the years so you know that the food is amazing. So you know you will never run out of bubbles.
I have photographed smaller more intimate wedding there as well as larger weddings as well. They can accommodate up to 140 wedding guests.
This is the reception room. On the right-hand side of the building is the reception room. On the left-hand side is generally the dancefloor area.
The dancefloor was in a different location for this wedding. Inside the restaurant on the timber floors, as opposed to on the verandah area.
As one of my past couples, Sarah & Luke, said in an interview with Hunter Valley Wedding Planner Magazine:
“Peterson House was the perfect balance of elegance and homeliness without pretension. We were able to have a small, intimate wedding at a beautiful location, at a reasonable price.”
