The Best Wedding Venues in Gippsland
Lake light at dawn, the Great Dividing Range on the horizon, olive groves, old homesteads and a coastline that runs from Phillip Island to the Gippsland Lakes. Gippsland stretches east of Melbourne for hundreds of kilometres, and its wedding venues begin just 90 minutes from the city.
Our favourite Gippsland wedding venues are Macalister Rise on the shores of Lake Glenmaggie; the heritage homesteads of Mewburn Park, Nambrok Estate and Rivendell Farm Estate; The Shearing Shed on Phillip Island; The Grove Gippsland among its olive trees; Carrajung Estate among the vines; Toorongo Valley Estate in the mountain bushland; and RACV Inverloch Resort on the Bass Coast.
Gippsland at a glance
| Venue | Setting | Guests | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macalister Rise | Lakeside estate, Coongulla | Up to 150 | $3,000 |
| Mewburn Park | Heritage homestead and farm, Tinamba | 50 to 130 | $4,100 for a ceremony |
| Nambrok Estate | 1860s homestead and gardens, Nambrok | Up to 200 | $3,500 for a ceremony |
| The Shearing Shed | Restored 1950s shed, Phillip Island | 110 seated, 150 cocktail | $210pp, all-inclusive |
| The Grove Gippsland | Olive grove and trufferie, Krowera | 30 to 250 | $120pp |
| Toorongo Valley Estate | Riverside bushland, Noojee | 60 to 180 | $115pp |
| RACV Inverloch Resort | Coastal resort, Inverloch | 200 seated, 280 cocktail | Price on application |
| Carrajung Estate | Boutique vineyard, Willung South | Up to 120 | Price on application |
| Rivendell Farm Estate | Garden estate, Tambo Upper | Enquire | Price on application |
Why get married in Gippsland?
Gippsland is Victoria’s big-sky country. In the west, Phillip Island and the South Gippsland hills put coast and rolling green within 90 minutes of the city. Through the middle, farmland and vineyards spread out beneath the Great Dividing Range, the heart of Gippsland’s food and wine region. Further east lie the Gippsland Lakes, wide still water and the start of the Ninety Mile Beach.
One throughline of this region’s offering is space. Many Gippsland venues hand you the whole property, often with somewhere to sleep, and several let you bring your own caterer, drinks and marquee, so your budget allocation is kept flexible. This is a region made for wedding weekends.
What to know before booking a Gippsland wedding venue
Let the drive time guide you. Phillip Island, Noojee and the South Gippsland hills are about 90 minutes from Melbourne. Central Gippsland around Traralgon, Sale and Maffra is two to two and a half hours away, and East Gippsland near Bairnsdale is closer to four. Beyond the two-hour mark, plan a weekend rather than a day trip, and send accommodation details with your save-the-dates.
Getting your guests there. V/Line trains run along the Gippsland line to Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale, so guests can leave the car at home if you book a coach or shuttle from the station. The Shearing Shed includes a courtesy shuttle with its reception packages.
Where everyone stays. Many venues on this list sleep at least some of your party. Macalister Rise’s farmhouse sleeps 13, Carrajung Estate’s cottages take up to 32, Toorongo Valley Estate comes with the whole estate for two nights, and RACV Inverloch has rooms and villas. Otherwise, Sale, Maffra, Traralgon, Inverloch and Cowes all have hotels and holiday houses.
Blank canvas, real budget. Venues that let you bring your own caterer, marquee and drinks give you freedom and a lower starting price, and those suppliers become separate line items. Ask each venue for its preferred supplier list, build marquee, hire and catering into your budget from the start, and browse our directory for wedding professionals who know the region.
Choosing your season. Autumn and spring bring golden light and mild days. Inland evenings cool quickly even in summer, so plan for heaters or marquee walls, and winter suits venues with fireplaces and indoor spaces.
Our favourite wedding venues in Gippsland
From lakeside marquees to long tables among the olive trees, these are the Gippsland venues we can’t stop talking about.
Macalister Rise, Coongulla
Sixty acres of lakefront, all yours
- From: $3,000
- Guests: up to 150
- Ceremony: The Point at the lake’s edge, The Gums or The Lawn, all outdoors
- Stay: a four-bedroom farmhouse sleeping 13, included in your package
- From Melbourne: about 2 hours 40 minutes
Imagine standing at the water’s edge with Lake Glenmaggie stretched out before you and the mountains rising beyond, while everyone you love takes their seats on the grass. Macalister Rise is sixty acres of private lakefront countryside, and it hosts one wedding at a time, so from the moment you arrive, the whole place is yours.
Choose from three ceremony settings: The Point at the lake’s edge, The Gums beneath established trees, or The Lawn looking back across the grounds. Receptions unfold in a marquee on the dedicated marquee lawn, set up through your own supplier, and the menu and drinks are entirely your call. Bring your favourite caterer, a private chef or the food truck you’ve been quietly obsessed with, and pour your own wine and champagne.
With the farmhouse included, the morning after is a slow breakfast with the lake outside the window. Caravans and campers can stay on by arrangement, too.
Ivory Tribe insight: Ask your marquee supplier about clear walls, so the lake and the mountains stay in view all night.
Mewburn Park, Tinamba
A heritage homestead behind an oak-lined drive
- From: $4,100 for a ceremony, $7,700 for ceremony and reception
- Guests: 50 to 130, with extensions available
- Ceremony: the gardens beneath century-old trees, the historic brick stables, or the Farmers Shed if the weather turns
- Stay: the Lake House and Mountain View retreats, plus a bridal suite and Day Suite
- From Melbourne: 2 hours 30 minutes
Turn down the oak-lined drive at Mewburn Park, and the rest of the world falls away. This 400-acre working farm in the heart of Gippsland’s food and wine region dates back to the 1850s, with a homestead wrapped in a sweeping 1920s veranda, colonial servants’ quarters and historic brick stables full of texture you simply can’t fake.
Say your vows under the old trees or inside the stables, then move to a fully fitted marquee open to the sky, with festoon lights, an outdoor bar and decking already in place. Choose a caterer from the venue’s list of trusted Gippsland favourites, and add the beverage package to cover the day and night.
Ivory Tribe insight: Book the Lake House for your wedding night. A bath under the stars on the water’s edge is a pretty perfect full stop to the day.
Nambrok Estate, Nambrok
An 1860s homestead, newly open for weddings
- From: $3,500 for a ceremony, $6,500 for ceremony and reception, $8,000 for full-day access
- Guests: up to 200
- Ceremony: an indoor chapel for up to 30, an outdoor arbour, or several garden settings
- From Melbourne: about 2 hours 15 minutes
Nambrok Estate pairs an 1860s homestead with well over a century of garden grown up around it, and it has only just opened its gates to weddings. The estate was once home to Patrobas, winner of the 1915 Melbourne Cup, so you’ll be celebrating somewhere with a story or two already in its walls.
Say your vows in the estate’s little indoor chapel with up to 30 of your closest people, or beneath the outdoor arbour for something larger. Receptions happen outdoors, and every choice is yours: a marquee, long tables under strung lights, or food trucks under the stars, with your own caterer, stylist and suppliers through the gate. Book the ceremony on its own, or take the whole day and let the celebration unfold at its own pace.
The Shearing Shed, Phillip Island
A country escape on Phillip Island
- From: $210 per person for a cocktail reception, $225 per person for a feast (2027 pricing), all-inclusive
- Guests: 110 seated, 150 cocktail
- Ceremony: The Billabong in the gardens, or The Barn, a restored hay shed
- Getting home: a courtesy shuttle bus is included with reception packages
- From Melbourne: 1 hour 30 minutes
Built in 1953 and set across 20 acres of gardens and farmland, The Shearing Shed gives you the feel of a destination wedding just 90 minutes from Melbourne. Say your vows beside the billabong or inside The Barn, a light-filled hay shed with vaulted ceilings, then gather in the courtyard for cocktails and grazing before dinner in the shed itself.
The food is a huge part of the appeal: generous, seasonal, paddock-to-plate menus from the in-house kitchen, a five-hour beverage package, and a coordination team with more than 12 years of weddings behind them.
Ivory Tribe insight: The included shuttle means nobody draws the short straw as designated driver, and your friends will love you for it.
The Grove Gippsland, Krowera
A working olive grove in the South Gippsland hills
- From: $120 per person
- Guests: 30 to 250
- Ceremony: indoor and outdoor options across the estate
- From Melbourne: 1 hour 30 minutes
Set among 60 acres of olive trees and a working trufferie, The Grove brings the feel of a winery wedding to the rolling hills of South Gippsland, with sweeping views over the Bass hinterland. Ceremonies sit among the olives or between the grove and the eucalypt plantation, and two indoor reception spaces, including a glass conservatory with views towards Melbourne, mean the weather never gets the final say.
The events team shapes the day around you from the first tour, and couples rave about the food as much as the view.
Toorongo Valley Estate, Noojee
A riverside weekend in the mountain bushland
- From: $115 per person
- Guests: 60 to 180
- Ceremony: riverside, along fern-lined boardwalks, on open lawns or in forest clearings
- Stay: on-site accommodation, with the whole estate yours for two nights
- From Melbourne: about 1 hour 30 minutes
In the foothills of Mount Baw Baw, Toorongo Valley Estate spreads across 120 acres of river, towering gums and valley views. Marry beside the water, along a fern-lined boardwalk or in a forest clearing, then celebrate in a character-filled barn.
The estate is yours for two nights with accommodation on site, so nobody has to rush off at midnight. Toorongo Falls and Noojee’s historic trestle bridge are close by for a morning-after wander.
RACV Inverloch Resort, Inverloch
Ocean views on the Bass Coast
- From: price on application
- Guests: up to 200 seated, 280 cocktail
- Ceremony: in the bushland on site, or on one of the beaches nearby
- Stay: ocean-view rooms, villas and cabins on site
- From Melbourne: about 2 hours
Looking out over Anderson Inlet and across natural bushland to Bass Strait, RACV Inverloch Resort lets you say your vows among the trees, then move inside to a reception with sweeping ocean views. All three reception spaces look out to sea, and five packages, plus bespoke options, keep the planning simple.
With rooms, villas and cabins on site and a dedicated wedding coordinator, it’s an easy all-in-one choice for a coastal wedding weekend.
Carrajung Estate, Willung South
A boutique vineyard in the Strzelecki foothills
- From: price on application
- Guests: up to 120 in the restaurant, extending to the deck and lawn
- Ceremony: The Vines, built from local Maffra sandstone and polished timber, or in the gardens
- Stay: a lodge and cottages for up to 32 guests
- From Melbourne: about 2 hours 30 minutes
Carrajung Estate is a boutique vineyard on 100 acres at the edge of the Strzelecki Ranges, close to Tarra Bulga National Park. Say your vows at The Vines, a ceremony space of local Maffra sandstone and polished timber, then celebrate in the restaurant with the estate’s award-winning wines, spilling out onto the deck and lawn on warm evenings.
With a four-bedroom lodge and cottages for up to 32 guests, including one with its own heated outdoor spa, your nearest and dearest can stay on for the weekend.
Rivendell Farm Estate, Tambo Upper
A garden estate in East Gippsland
- From: price on application
- Guests: enquire with the venue
- Setting: an 1800s homestead, ancient trees and manicured gardens, with exclusive use of the estate
- Stay: farm-stay accommodation on site
- From Melbourne: about 3 hours 45 minutes (25 minutes from Bairnsdale)
Out in the Tambo Upper farmlands, Rivendell Farm Estate centres on an 1800s homestead surrounded by ancient trees, blooming flowers and manicured lawns, and the estate is yours alone for the day. Menus showcase East Gippsland produce, for anything from an intimate gathering to a long, lavish celebration.
Guests can stay in the farm-stay accommodation, spot the highland cattle in the paddocks, and say hello to Blueberry, the resident peacock.
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Make a weekend of it in Gippsland
Gippsland rewards guests who stay a little longer, so give them a few ideas on your wedding website.
- Coast: watch the Penguin Parade at dusk on Phillip Island, swim at Inverloch, or walk out to Squeaky Beach at Wilsons Promontory.
- Lakes and mountains: cruise the Gippsland Lakes from Lakes Entrance or Paynesville, take the walk to Toorongo Falls, or spend a day in the gold-rush town of Walhalla.
- Eat and drink: lunch at the Tinamba Hotel, a country pub much loved for its food, a tasting at Carrajung Estate, or a cider at Gurneys in Foster.
- Getting around: V/Line’s Gippsland line runs to Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale, so guests can skip the drive and meet a coach at the station.
Gippsland wedding FAQs
Gippsland wedding venues range from about 90 minutes from the Melbourne CBD on Phillip Island, in Noojee and in the South Gippsland hills, to around two and a half hours in central Gippsland near Maffra and Sale, and closer to four hours in East Gippsland near Bairnsdale.
Autumn (March to May) and spring (October to November) bring mild days and golden light. Summer gives you long evenings, though inland nights cool quickly, and winter suits venues with fireplaces and indoor spaces.
Gippsland has lakeside estates (Macalister Rise), heritage homesteads (Mewburn Park, Nambrok Estate, Rivendell Farm Estate), restored barns and sheds (The Shearing Shed, Toorongo Valley Estate), an olive grove (The Grove Gippsland), a vineyard (Carrajung Estate) and a coastal resort (RACV Inverloch Resort).
Yes. Macalister Rise includes a farmhouse sleeping 13, Mewburn Park has two retreats and a bridal suite, Carrajung Estate sleeps up to 32, Toorongo Valley Estate comes with on-site accommodation for two nights, RACV Inverloch Resort has rooms and villas, and Rivendell Farm Estate offers farm-stay accommodation.
At Macalister Rise you can bring your own caterer and drinks, and Nambrok Estate welcomes your own caterers, marquee and suppliers. Mewburn Park works with a list of recommended caterers, The Grove Gippsland offers both in-house and third-party catering, and The Shearing Shed, Toorongo Valley Estate and RACV Inverloch Resort cater in-house.
Venue packages start from $3,000 at Macalister Rise and $3,500 for a ceremony at Nambrok Estate, with Mewburn Park ceremonies from $4,100. Catered venues quote per person, from about $115 at Toorongo Valley Estate and $120 at The Grove Gippsland to $210 to $225 at The Shearing Shed, all-inclusive.
Planning further afield? See our guides to the Bellarine Peninsula, the Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley and Daylesford, Kyneton and the Macedon Ranges.
