What are some ideas for wedding photo locations in Melbourne?
What are some nice photo locations in Melbourne that are close to the city? We'd like a mix of architecture/buildings, gardens, iconic spots and maybe some lesser-known locations. Ideas appreciated!
Question Asked: 9/03/2021
Wedding Date: 9/08/2018
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(13) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
Answered by: 2 Experts
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City of melbourne in particular is not a big metropolitan city in a sense, but it's packed with so many interesting places, beautiful gardens, Unique and interesting laneways, Classic and Beautiful Buildings and many more stuff and on top of all, most of the iconic stuff can be reached within a walking distance or in a free tram zone.
And if you want to mix some of those, I could elaborate it into a few places :
- Southbank : We could start at Australian Center for Contemporary Art, Move to Victoria Barracks, Some shots at NGV Art Center, and final shoot at Kings Domain or Botanical Garden.
- City : Start at Flinders Station, gotrough the subway under the Flinders station, Degraves Street and Centerplace and take the tram to Parliament and Fitzroy Grden. Another route, we can also take photos at the Laneways, Hossier lane, Bourke Street Mall, and Hardware Lane, and there are a lot of laneways and unique cafes all around the city as well.
- North & North east of the city : University of Melbourne ( 1 of my favorite), Carlton Garden and Melbourne Museum.
And there are may more places in the inner suburb, such as Abbotsford Convent and so many mundane but interesting suburb all over melbourne.
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Melbourne is a dream for this because you can pack architecture, gardens and iconic spots into a tight loop without spending half your day in the car. If you want a mix, I'd think about it less as a list of pretty places and more as a route that flows: one for laneways and buildings in the CBD, then one green stop, then somewhere iconic for those big sunset frames. The free tram zone genuinely helps here, but honestly the best results come from walking a small area properly rather than ticking off ten spots and rushing every one.
For architecture and that classic Melbourne feel, the State Library forecourt and steps, the Royal Exhibition Building, and the old GPO and Block Arcade interiors are hard to beat. Laneways like Hardware Lane and the bluestone cobbles around the city give you texture and moody backgrounds, and they read beautifully in the soft, even light Melbourne is famous for. For gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens with the avenue of elms, and Carlton Gardens are all close to the city and give you completely different greens depending on the season. For iconic, Princes Bridge over the Yarra with the city skyline behind you, or down on Southbank looking back at Flinders Street Station, never gets old.
If you want lesser-known, I love the back of the Abbotsford Convent for that quiet, characterful feel, the brick warehouse pockets of Cremorne and Collingwood for something more editorial, and the South Melbourne and Port Melbourne streets for colour and old terraces away from the crowds. A rooftop or a high carpark deck at golden hour is another one most people walk straight past, and it gives you the whole city as a backdrop.
One practical tip from shooting these spots: Melbourne weather turns on you fast, so build in a covered or indoor option near every outdoor stop, and lean into overcast days rather than dreading them, because that flat light is gorgeous on faces. When you settle on a couple of must-have locations, tell your photographer early so the timing can be planned around the light at each one. Have a wonderful day, the city will give you plenty to work with.