Who doesn't love Melbourne? This vibrant city is a significant national cultural hub, the capital of Victoria, a town where you can find everything, a global foodie destination, and an urban centre with a green oasis! This multicultural city offers diverse, unique and sophisticated wedding celebrations in its numerous chic and modern venues.
On the Australian wedding scene, Melbourne holds a unique position, with an infusion of arts and culture and options to say ‘I do’ at some of the city's most iconic landmarks, museums, and galleries. Plus, Melbourne boasts unique street art, making it a spectacular backdrop for wedding photos, a long list of sophisticated venues, and high-class caterers, and is also close to premium wine regions.
Melbourne's thriving wedding industry features a huge range of vendors: planners, caterers, photographers, florists, decorators, musicians, and designers — ready to create a memorable wedding day tailored to you. On top of everything, the vendors are experienced in navigating Melbourne's reputation as a city with all four seasons in one day, so no worries there!
Melbourne is a beloved home to over 5.2 million people. Considering it is the most populated area in Victoria, it is no wonder that it accounts for the highest number of marriages. High demand for quality suppliers, distinctive venues and generally higher costs of living affect the average wedding cost in Melbourne. As a major city, Melbourne has higher average wedding expenses than rural areas. Typically, the large chunk of venues in Melbourne are luxury, full-service venues, which increases the average to over $37,000, the national average and typical for Victoria.
Bridebook's insights reveal that the overall cost of a wedding in Melbourne is significantly higher than the national average and it can be up to 30% or 40% higher than the averages in rural areas.
Because of the city's distinctive character and blend of contemporary arts and industrial aesthetics, couples in Melbourne looking to create a wedding day beyond the traditional are choosing repurposed warehouses and industrial spaces over classic wedding venues. The trend is unique to Melbourne and best shown in inner suburbs such as Collingwood, Brunswick, and South Melbourne.
Some of the key elements are exposed brick, polished concrete floors, and minimalistic décor. With the help of experienced Melbourne decorators, these spaces can be transformed into personalised venues. For example, Higher Ground, a venue in a heritage-listed power station, is popular with couples who love the industrial chic trend and its high ceilings, exposed elements, raw aesthetic, and original brickwork. Roxy's Unique Functions & Events is also an excellent venue for this trend, having once been a mechanic shop and now serving as a chic industrial wedding venue.
Beyond venues, Melbourne wedding trends cover changes in catering. As the state capital and a major city in Australia, Melbourne reflects broader trends in the wedding industry. When it comes to catering, new trends focus on inclusive menus for all guests, including those with special dietary requirements, sustainable catering, and interactive food stations and trucks.
Some of the big names in Melbourne's catering promote sustainability and set standards for the city's wedding industry. Caterers following global trends now strive to reduce waste, source ingredients responsibly, and offer seasonal menus. Reports indicate that caterers benefit from this trend by significant cost reductions thanks to optimal menu planning and portion control.
Interactive food stations are now standard in wedding packages offered by full-service venues or catering companies. This catering style suggests that food is important for creating an engaging atmosphere and improving the guest experience.
For example, catering companies include artistic grazing tables with various cheeses, meats, fruits, and dips in their wedding packages. DIY Taco Bars are now big in Melbourne, especially for more relaxed weddings.
Lastly, specialty carving stations are popular among couples choosing luxury venues and those who intend to add interactive elements to the menu. A fresh-from-the-carver experience and live dessert stations complement the sophisticated theme of popular venues. Grand Hyatt Melbourne, for example, offers artisan live cheese and charcuterie stations, live dessert stations and more fun and interactive food options for a unique guest experience.
Indulge in unique Melbourne’s perks and get married at some of the most significant Australian historical landmarks, such as State Library Victoria, offering various spaces for your wedding, galleries and restored salons. The Hellenic Museum features award-winning architecture and an effective combination of historic charm and contemporary amenities and has an alfresco function area for 500 guests. The Dome, another Melbourne architectural gem, is a restaurant in a heritage-listed building, giving you the best of history and hospitality in one.
Renowned for luxury and sophisticated venues, Melbourne has various rooftop venues with great views of the city skyline. Take The Luminare, for example, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and secret laneways. Or consider Loop Roof, a green rooftop oasis for alfresco dining.
If you prefer views beyond the city skyline, Encore St Kilda provides an upscale beachfront wedding setting for both intimate weddings and grand receptions.
The benefit of hosting a wedding in such a developed city like Melbourne is a variety of different venue styles to choose from. Chic venues, such as event spaces in the Ovolo South Yarra Hotel, feature eclectic details and graphic wallpapers that contribute to the unique ambience. Next, Q Events in CBD hosts modern and glamorous weddings, while La Di Da, also in CBD, offers a charming beer garden, chic cocktail bar and courtyard for your special day.
Luxury hotel wedding venues in Melbourne are an excellent choice, especially if you have plenty of out-of-town guests. For instance, the Brighton Savoy Hotel has a half-century-long experience in hosting weddings and offers stylish spaces. Crowne Plaza, in addition to offering modern guest rooms and potential discounts, features stunning ballrooms in its own event centre and an experienced team to handle all details. Stamford Plaza Hotel also has a beautiful garden for alfresco ceremonies and comprehensive wedding packages.
Melbourne restaurant venues, such as Slate Restaurant Bar, are always in high demand for all-size weddings. Tazio, for instance, is a solid choice for intimate receptions.
The price range for a wedding venue in Melbourne is between $5,000 and $20,000. Within this range, you can find affordable options, micro wedding venues, mid-price standard restaurant venues and luxury venues. For comparison, wedding venues in Melbourne are, on average, $2,000 or $3,000 more expensive than venues in Tasmania and rural areas.
Most of Melbourne's wedding venues are booked at least a year in advance and often longer. Therefore, the standard booking window for wedding venues in Victoria's capital is between 12 and 18 months on average. However, here's the thing: if you have a specific date and Melbourne venue in mind, and it falls on a Saturday in spring or autumn, you'll book 18 months to 2 years in advance. Despite the averages, this is a more common scenario for iconic Melbourne venues with high reputations and excellent services.
If you fit into this timeframe, you'll have a lot of venues to choose from and enough time to organise other vendors, including entertainment, decorators, planners, and more, all of which share similar lead times as venues.
Please note that major city events, such as the Spring Racing Carnival and Melbourne Fashion Week, can impact venue and vendor availability.
However, in a bustling Melbourne, short engagements and short-notice weddings aren't impossible. The vast array of venues and their 24/7 open policy allows you to book a venue anywhere from 6 months to a year in advance, provided you are okay with a midweek wedding or in winter or summer.
It is rare but possible to secure a date in less than six months. If someone cancels, you might get a date sooner, but such short-notice weddings are challenging to organise and coordinate with all vendors.
Melbourne has an unpredictable climate, sometimes with four seasons in one day! The wild Melbourne weather can mess up the wedding plans if you're not prepared. It isn't one of the sunniest cities in Australia, with 48–50 clear and 180–200 sunny days per year, but it can bless you with extended periods of bright sun, ideal for outdoor parties. But remember, plan B is a must in that case!
Summer (December–February): This season is generally pleasant, with temperatures falling between 14∘C and 25.9 ∘C (57∘F–79∘F); days are warm and sunny with a distinctive festive atmosphere, especially at Melbourne's beachfront wedding venues; however, heatwaves can push temperatures over 30 and 40 degrees, making hydration stations, shade and cooling units priority for outdoor weddings; venues such as Imperial Hotel, with rooftop event spaces are ideal for chic evening receptions.
Autumn (March–May): The weather is as stable as it gets during autumn, with mild temperatures on golden days; expect temperatures between 8.6∘C and 23.9∘C (47∘F-75∘F); occasional showers and mild rains are typical for autumn weddings; nights can also get a bit chilly, so indoor venues can make a great option; consider Sheraton Melbourne Hotel offering stunning interior and full-service.
Winter (June–August): The coldest season in Melbourne also has the highest potential for rain; despite temperatures not going too low, the range is between 6∘C and 15∘C (42∘F–59∘F); frequent rains dictate the need for venues with climate control; winter also brings more affordability into costly Melbourne wedding budget and more availability for the most venues; historic venues are especially charming for winter weddings in Melbourne, so consider something like Batman's Hill on Collins for a great experience.
Spring (September–November): This is a great season for outdoor ceremonies and receptions (but keep in mind a backup plan in case of rain); the city bursts into stunning colours, and greenery intensifies, making even a city location enchanting; as a peak season, spring experience high demand in venues, indoors and outdoors, as temperatures remain between 9.6∘ C and 19.6∘C (49∘F–67∘F); think garden venues or riverfront spaces, such as Zinc Events with a ceremony deck for an extra charm.
Melbourne is an accessible city with excellent intra and interstate connections, easy access to city hubs and diverse accommodation options. For example, Melbourne Airport (MEL), Victoria’s busiest airport, is only 23 kilometres from CBD and has a list of international flights (Asia, Middle East, North America, New Zealand, South America and Europe) and major Australian cities, including Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra. It also offers regional connections within Victoria.
From the airport, it is easy to get to the city via SkyBus Super Shuttle, which runs 24/7 and connects your guests to trains, trams, and other transport options in the CBD. Iconic Melbourne’s trams are the easiest way to get around Melbourne, especially in CBD, inner and middle suburbs such as Prahran, South Yarra, Glen Waverly, Werribee, Hawthorn and more. Guests will need a Myki card to travel with trains and trams in Melbourne.
Melbourne’s public transport system is excellent, so anywhere the trams don’t go, you can use a bus. For example, buses travel to outer and newer suburbs, such as Rowville, Clyde, Caroline Springs, Mickleham, Knox, and nearby areas. So navigating from accommodation to the chosen wedding venue is easy via public transport, but you can also use a taxi or Uber.
Hotels are the primary accommodation option in Melbourne, but not the only one. Depending on your budget, duration of stay and preferences, you can choose luxury hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton and Rendezvous Hotel (also wedding venues) and a long list of international chains and national hospitality groups, apartment hotels such as Adina Hotel (offering stunning event spaces), budget-friendly hotels and chic city boutique hotels, motels, bed and breakfast. More budget-friendly accommodation is provided in the suburbs of Carlton and East Melbourne. Plus, many hotels offer discounts for group bookings.
