Amazing New South Wales (NSW) Wedding Venues

Are you looking for a wedding venue in New South Wales? I am Adam Cavanagh and I am an NSW wedding photographer based here in New South Wales. I’ve shot something like 500 weddings over 12+years so I have seen my share of wedding venues. I have put this together to help newly engaged couples plan their wedding and find the perfect wedding venue for them. This is like a “best of” list or a list of venues that I would personally recommend.

This list of NSW wedding venues is not a list of every single wedding venue in the state. It is a list of venues that I love shooting at or would love to shoot at. You won’t find any “wedding ballroom factories” or generic function rooms here. Only rustic, country, venues with charm and character or just plain awesome venues. They are either venues that I have photographed weddings at or they are on my ‘bucket list’ of venues I would love to shoot at.

In Australia, there are approximately 116,000 weddings taking place each year. And New South Wales has almost 40,000 of them each year. So before you get started, here are some tips for you to help you find your perfect venue.

• The venue has to be the first thing you book, even before you choose a wedding date. The most popular wedding venues book out 18 months to 2 years in advance. Particularly Saturdays, over holiday periods or during the Spring and Autumn months.
• Find a venue where you can do everything from start to finish in the one place. This means a venue that has accommodation, you can do the ceremony, it has places for photos and it is the reception venue. Having everything in one place will make it so much easier for your guests and means that you will spend more time with your family and friends and not travelling to different locations all day. This may be impossible for Sydney weddings. But try for at least the ceremony and reception at the same place. If you can’t find venues like this, try to keep everything nearby so you don’t waste the day travelling.
• Work out the style of wedding you want first. Do you want a modern, glamorous wedding? So you want a rustic country wedding? To you want a beach wedding or a mountain wedding? This will narrow down your search for venues greatly.
• Work out a general location or region you want your wedding.
• Work out a rough budget of how much you want to spend. The average spend on a venue in Australia is $18,683 according to moneysmart.gov.au.
• Have estimated guests count so that you know if the venue can fit your numbers.
• Winter is an amazing time for a wedding. Photographically the light is amazing. Wedding venues also have more availability and it may even be cheaper for you.
• Research venues online.
• When you have narrowed down your search, book appointments to visit them.
• If you love a particular venue, you may have to choose your wedding date based on its availability. Don’t worry, that is normal.
• Once you have booked your perfect venue, book your wedding photographer next. Book a photographer based on their style and portfolio. Love their work. It makes no difference if they have photographed at your venue before. An awesome professional photographer will scout the venue and shoot on the day based on how the light is.

List of the best wedding venues in NSW by region