Do you love to sound of the sea or the feel of sand between your toes? Perhaps you’re a wine lover who dreams of marrying amongst the vines. There is a lot to love about having your wedding on the Mornington Peninsula. And guess what, there are plenty of gorgeous wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula for you to consider.
This article explores the pros and cons of marrying on the Mornington Peninsula and lists the venues you NEED to check out as options for your Peninsula nuptials.
But first let’s take a look at why marrying on the Peninsula rocks and some of the pitfalls you’ll need to watch out for.
Pros of getting married on the Mornington Peninsula
Tap into a strong community of wedding vendors ad creatives
You are in luck if you are looking for awesome local suppliers to help you create your dream wedding day. From florists and celebrants to cake makers and photographers, you are spoilt for choice with local wedding creatives.
That also means you’ll save on travel fees that many wedding vendors charge when they need to travel some distance to get to the Peninsula
Access natural backdrops that speak for themselves
The Mornington Peninsula boasts so many venues with stunning natural landscapes. With beach, winery and hinterland views to choose from, you’re going to find a venue that you fall in love with.
And naturally gorgeous surroundings mean you don’t need to spend a fortune on florals and styling (unless you still want to of course!) as the scenery does a lot of the breathtaking work for you.
It’s a great location to create a weekend wedding vibe
One of the great things about a wedding on the Mornington Peninsula is that your guests will linger longer.
Instead of driving back home to Melbourne, they will more than likely book in at a local hotel, guest house or AirBnB for the weekend.
That means you will create one hell of a party vibe on your wedding day. Guests tend to feel super relaxed and ready to let their hair down when they don’t have a long drive ahead of them.
Your wedding photos will be AWESOME
With so much natural beauty around you on the Peninsula you are going to fall in love with your wedding photography (and videography if you choose to have that as part of your day as well).
There are so many breathtaking backdrops to choose from. Steal kisses with one another on quiet, quaint dirt lane ways, stroll along the waterfront hand in hand or embrace beside the back beach ocean. Pick a grape or two amongst the many winery vineyards or amble along the greenest of grass lawns with an ocean backdrop. You get the picture right?
Cons of a wedding on the Mornington Peninsula
To be honest there are not that many disadvantages of having a wedding on the gorgeous Mornington Peninsula. But here’s a few things to keep in mind.
Some venues don’t have a great wet weather Plan B
Whilst you might be dreaming of a beautiful sunny day, filled with blue skies and mild sea breezes, the weather gods sometimes have other plans. So it’s really important that you fully explore what your Plan B is going to be if heavy rain and wind is forecast for your wedding day.
Whilst it’s not a lot of fun to think about, not having a plan B causes enormous amounts of stress for everyone involved in your wedding day. Make sure you ask your wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula what the plan is, if the weather is not on your side.
Make sure you understand any additional costs you will incur if you need to use an indoor space instead of an outdoor space. And don’t forget to ask when staff will make the call about invoking your Plan B for your wedding ceremony.
Some venues are happy for you to make a call on the morning of your wedding – others make the call mid week.
For some couples, wet weather might also impede your wedding reception plans. Again, it makes sense to have a good think about a plan B you both can live with should rain fall on your wedding day.
You might want to spend time at your venue in the months leading up to your wedding day. If this is the case for you, consider the travel time required to get to and from your venue if you plan to marry on the Mornington Peninsula.
The distance of your Mornington Peninsula wedding venue from your home
To be honest, who doesn’t love an excuse to head down to the peninsula a couple of times prior to your big day. But just be mindful of the time it takes to get to and from your venue. It’s already a super busy phase of your lives as you’re planning your wedding.
Out of town charge travel fees
If you do happen to fall in love with some Melbourne based creatives, they might seek a small reimbursement for the time it takes to travel to the Mornington Peninsula.
If your heart is set on a particular person or company to be part of your wedding day, don’t let this put you off. Just make sure you have room in your budget to accommodate any additional fees.
End of night travel options
You won’t find uber or taxis in abundance on the Mornington Peninsula at the end of your wedding. The best plan is for guests to arrange private transfers or perhaps consider hiring a mini bus or coach service so your guests get home and tucked into bed safely after a night of celebrations.
Even better, choose a wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula that offers on site accommodation. Your guests can stagger back to their rooms and join you for a recovery breakfast or brunch the next day.
Check out the Mornington Peninsula Events and festivals calendar
The Mornington Peninsula is never short of a festival or two. The polo always draws a huge crowd and fills local accommodation spots quickly and so does the Winter Wine Festival. During Summer, some accommodation providers require guests to stay for a minimum period of 3 day or more (some for even longer).
Make sure you check what’s happening on the Mornington Peninsula before you book your venue if you want your guests to stay on the peninsula at a reasonable cost.
Elopement venues on the Mornington Peninsula
Nothing says romance like the cliffs on the back beaches of the Mornington Peninsula. And you can create this effect with either a little effort or a lot, because so many of the back beaches are accessible by easily accessible paths and walkways.
Small guest list wedding venues on the Mornington peninsula
Planning your intimate nuptials with a small guest list? Check out these Mornington Peninsula venue options for your celebrations.
Polperro Winery | Up to 120 guests but great for small sit down weddings too
Accommodation on site
Montalto Private Dining Room | Winery |Up to 30 people
Portsea Hotel | Sea Views | West Terrace seating 70 and the bar up to 110
Accommodation on site
Tucks Wine | Winery | Currently closed but we are keeping an eye on them as they have a stunning backdrop for wedding celebrations
Hotel Sorrento | Sea views
The Old Church Red Hill | Rustic hinterland
Medium size guest list wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula
Planning to celebrate with more than 100 of your favourite people? The venues below have something for every couple – from hinterland wineries to beachside beauties.
Lindenderry Estate | Hinterland Winery
Accommodation on site: YES
Max’s at Red Hill Estate | Winery with sea views
Tanglewood Estate | Winery | Reception guests Barn: max 200 guests, Winery: 120 guests max and Studio: 70 guests standing
Accommodation on site: YES
Mercetta | Catering for up to 60 seated guests or up to 150 cocktail guests
Jackalope | Winery | up to 66 guests seated
Accommodation on site
Summerfields Estate and Country House | up to 150 guests
Accommodation on site
Portsea Hotel | Sea Views | Reception guests Max 100 seated or 160 cocktail style
Accommodation on site
Barn and Co | Reception guests of 85 seated and max 150 for cocktail style
Peppers Moonah Links Portsea | Sea Views | 150 wedding guests
Accommodation on site
Montalto | Winery | 150 standing and 100 sitting
Stillwater at Crittenden | Winery | 130 guests seated and 150 capacity cocktails
Accommodation on site
Trofeo Estate | Winery | Reception guests Max 85 seated or 140 cocktail style
Port Phillip Estate | Winery with sea views | Max 100 for Cellar Door and max 130 for Dining Room
Accommodation on site
Merricks General Wine Store | Hinterland | Up to 120 people seated
Higginbotham of Dromana | Water views | Up to 120 people seated and more for cocktail style events
Ranelagh Club Mount Eliza | Sea views
Large guest list wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula
Looking for somewhere to house a large guest list for your Mornington Peninsula nuptials. Here’s a few wedding Mornington Peninsula wedding venues to consider touring as you plan your dream day.
The Baths Sorrento | Beachfront | Up to 150 seated and 180 cocktail style
Casa De Pleya | Township | Up to 300 guests
RACV Cape Schanck | Golf Course with Sea Views | Up to 350 guests
Accommodation on site
All Smiles Sorrento Back Beach | Beachfront | Up to 200 seated
Mercure Portsea | Golf Club with Sea Views | Up to 120 seated and up to 180 cocktail style
Epicurean Red Hill | Hinterland | Reception guests Max 220 seated or 300 cocktail style
Sorrento Golf Course | Golf Course | Up to 200 people
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron | Beachfront | Min 20 guests, Max 150 seated or 200 cocktail style
Red Gum BBQ | Hinterland
Blank space wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula
Want to pull together your wedding day look from scratch. Look no further than these venues on the Mornington Peninsula as your blank wedding day canvas.
Butterfly Red Hill | Hinterland | Up to 120 guests
Accommodation on site
Peacock Estate | Hinterland | Up to 100 guests
Baxter Barn | Hinterland
The Nook Mornington | Township
The Briars Mount Martha | Hinterland
Private Properties – it is becoming super popular to marry on stately private properties on the Mornington Peninsula. They can be tricky to find as many AirBnB venues do not accept bookings for large groups for weddings.
But should you have a family member or friend willing to offer their gorgeous homes to you for the weekend, jump at the chance. And call someone like Hey Lovers to come and help you pull it all together.
Which wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula should we tour?
Don’t be overwhelmed by the list of amazing venues above. You most certainly don’t have time to tour them all and it would actually be a waste of your time. Here are a few steps to build a shortlist of venues that are right for you:
Step 1. Work out your approximate guest count. Delete the venues above that won’t accommodate your guest numbers
Step 2. Decide whether you are after a winery or a beach front wedding. Strike out venues accordingly
Step 3. Ask yourselves if you want to stay on site. If the answer is yes, cross out the venues above that don’t offer accommodation
Step 4 . Take a look at some of the remaining venues. Which ones stand out most?
Step 5. Email the venues you love the look of and get a sense for their food and drink packages. Strike off those that exceed your budget
Step 6. If your wedding date is set in stone, ask the venue whether they have availability on your chosen date. Cross off those venues that are not available on your date
Step 7. You are ready to tour with venues left on your shortlist after the steps above
How many wedding venue tours should we do on any one day?
If you are heading to the Mornington Peninsula for the day it makes sense to see a few venues on the one day. Consider making two venue tours in the morning and two venues in the afternoon.
Find somewhere nice and relaxing to have lunch in between and don’t schedule the appointments super close to one another. You don’t want to be rushing from one venue to the next. This part of the process is supposed to be fun, not stressful.
How do I organise a wedding venue tour?
Email or call the venues you are most interested in. It can take people a couple of days to come back to you, so make sure you allow time between making your enquiries and the tours themselves. I would normally suggest emailing them 2-3 weeks ahead of when you want to visit.
When you email, be specific about when you would like to come and tour. For example, we’d love to come and have a look around on Saturday 29 May at 11am. Would that suit you? Could you tell me how long approximately the tour will take.
You will learn a couple of things about the venue when they reply. The first is how responsive they are to your query and the second is how organised or professional they sound in lining up your visit.
What should I take on the day that I tour venues on the Mornington Peninsula?
“Venue shopping” can be tiring. So take along a pen and paper or your phone if you prefer to record details digitally. Make sure you ask the same questions as each venue so you can compare apples with apples.
For example, if you want to party into the wee hours of the morning, ask what time loud music needs to be turned off or down. The answer to this question will help you to further cull your shortlist of venue choices. Noise curfews are a thing. And they can really put a downer on a wedding reception if you have a LONG night of partying in mind.
As another example, let’s say disabled access is really important to you because you have guests coming who you want to be super comfortable. Some venues might have a better set up than others to accommodate those guests.
Other helpful hints to create your Mornington Peninsula wedding venue shortlist
Another handy hint if you are really struggling to cull your guest list. Does the venue have a space for the two of you and your wedding crew to take a few minutes break during your celebrations.
If you are changing outfits part way through your celebration, having a separate comfortable space to do so is super useful. Cramming into a small toilet cubicle to change on your wedding day is not fun!
If you are going to tour a few Mornington Peninsula wedding venues on the one day, take some photos of each property so you can remember the details when you get home. Sometimes those details all blur into one.
Be flexible and see the potential in venues. Sometimes venues are not set up exactly as they will be on a wedding day. So take the time to imagine what things might look like and don’t overlook venues if they are not perfectly set up when you visit.
If you have trouble imagining the space, ask to see some photos of other weddings that have taken place at the venue. That will help you to see the possibilities.
Related Reading
What to consider when you are having a beach wedding