{"id":61662,"date":"2021-08-27T00:40:55","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T14:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/sydney-wedding-planning\/"},"modified":"2023-04-19T09:48:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T23:48:23","slug":"sydney-wedding-planning","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/sydney-wedding-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Plan a Sydney Wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many boxes to tick in order to plan your dream wedding in Sydney. From venues to flowers, outfits to desserts, this once-in-a-lifetime event can take months of research and planning to execute perfectly. Here’s how you can get started planning your Sydney wedding.<\/h3>\n
\"Pier<\/a>
Stunning waterfront wedding at Pier One Sydney Harbour<\/a>, photo by Kevin Lue Photography<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll share the best tips and tricks to finding the right Sydney wedding venue<\/a> to suit your theme, vision, and guest list. We\u2019ll outline the best strategy for hiring suppliers<\/a>, and showcase some of our favourite Sydney real weddings<\/a> to get you hyped for planning your big day.<\/p>\n

\n

What\u2019s included in this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    When to start planning your Sydney wedding<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n

    How to find a Sydney wedding venue<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n

    Choosing a Sydney wedding date<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n

    Budgeting for your Sydney wedding<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n

    What suppliers to hire first<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  6. \n

    Gathering inspiration for your Sydney wedding<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    When to start planning your Sydney wedding<\/h3>\n

    Since the pandemic began, setting a plan in place for a wedding has been challenging at best for most couples. Many have had their plans in place just to have a last-minute lockdown or COVID safety protocols derail their wedding vision.<\/p>\n

    Now that vaccines are rolling out quickly and we’re starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel, venue and supplier bookings for 2022-23 are going wild. We’re seeing more couples than ever considering weekday weddings and off-peak dates just to get their day locked in.<\/p>\n

    All that to say, the sooner you can start planning, the better access you’ll have to the venues and suppliers you love. One of the fastest ways to find out who’s available for your date is to speak with our wedding packages team \u2014 they can sort out availability and suggest personalised options for your wedding style, budget, and date.<\/p>\nGet more info on wedding packages<\/span><\/a>\n

    How to find a Sydney wedding venue<\/h3>\n

    When choosing a wedding venue in Sydney, your first step is to decide what kind of wedding appeals to you and your partner. If you close your eyes, what does your dream wedding look like?<\/p>\n

    Is it a country romp in rural NSW<\/a> with rustic aesthetics, timber accents, and open fields overlooking the Hunter Valley or the Blue Mountains?<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    The Woodhouse Wollombi<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Is it a coastal affair in Bondi or Coogee Bay<\/a> with white walls, seaside views, and a beach photo opp?<\/p>\n

    \"Zest<\/a>
    Zest Waterfront Venues – The Beachouse at Point Piper<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Or something urban and sleek in Sydney\u2019s inner suburbs<\/a> with modern fixtures and CBD accessibility?<\/p>\n

    \"Luxurious<\/a>
    Luxurious modern wedding at Ivy Ballroom by Merivale<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Sydney is home to hundreds of stunning wedding venues<\/a> that offer the best of all these worlds. Our Sydney Venue Specialists<\/a> pound the streets looking for the city\u2019s best-hidden gems, be that\u00a0a quirky restaurant in the inner suburbs <\/a>or an award-winning winery<\/a> out amongst the rolling hills.<\/p>\n

    Perhaps you\u2019re after a luxury Sydney hotel venue<\/a> with boutique accommodation and a suite where you and your crew can get ready on the morning of the wedding? Maybe a renovated warehouse with an industrial vibe, hitting those cool inner-city Sydney aesthetics perfectly? Once you decide on the vibe, finding the place is a far easier process.<\/p>\n

    Our free Venue Finder service is designed to make this search easier. The in-house experts at Easy Weddings will conduct an in-depth assessment of your wedding style, budget, and must-haves to match you with a list of your most suited wedding venues.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re still on the hunt for your dream venue, take advantage of our free Venue Finder service<\/a>.<\/p>\nSpeak with a venue expert<\/span><\/a>\n

    Choosing a Sydney wedding date<\/h3>\n

    Ahh, the first question you will receive as soon as you announce your engagement to the world: when is the wedding?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re planning on basking in engaged bliss for an indefinite amount of time, feel free to shut those questions down with a smug smile and a, \u201cWe\u2019re just enjoying this chapter for a while\u201d. If you\u2019re keen to dive straight into the planning process, then the date is absolutely the first thing you should decide upon. And there\u2019s no reason to panic if that date is coming up soon.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s funny \u2014 a lot of couples assume that planning a wedding in a short time frame means they\u2019ll have to sacrifice quality,\u201d says Darcy. \u201cBut that really isn\u2019t the case. You can actually have a wedding that\u2019s just as gorgeous and unforgettable even if we plan it in just two months\u2019 time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \"Milestone<\/a>
    Milestone Events<\/a> | Photo by Jason Corrotto Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Often, choosing a wedding date<\/a> goes hand in hand with choosing a venue. For people who are set on a particular Sydney wedding venue, they may not be too concerned about the date itself; as long as they have the right location, they\u2019re happy to say \u201cI do\u201d on any day, any time, any season. If that\u2019s the case, then your task can be slightly easier \u2013 simply get in touch with your venue and find out what their calendar looks like over the next few months or years.<\/p>\n

    On the other hand, many couples lean into the romance of marrying the love of their life by choosing a date that\u2019s significant to them. That could be the anniversary of your first date, a special birthday or holiday (Valentine’s Day is corny enough to be cute, right?), or the date of an event that shaped you as a couple. If you\u2019ve got a dream date in mind, we say go for it!<\/p>\n

    Just keep in mind that it might require you to be flexible about your venue and suppliers as they could already be booked for that day. Weekends are always going to be in higher demand, but weekday weddings become more and more popular every year.<\/p>\nSearch Sydney venues<\/span><\/a>\n

    Budgeting for your Sydney wedding<\/h3>\n

    Of course, there\u2019s another major consideration to booking a venue: your budget. Data from our annual wedding survey<\/a> from 2020 shows that Australian couples spent an average of $27,228 on their wedding, and you can expect a significant portion of that to be dedicated to your venue.<\/p>\n

    Venue packages<\/a> will often include a catering and beverage selection, which is another consideration you\u2019ll have to factor in when choosing your Sydney wedding venue.<\/p>\n

    \"Picturesque<\/a>
    Picturesque waterfront wedding at Sergeants’ Mess Sydney<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    If the idea of a wedding budget has you feeling spooked, we\u2019ve got your back. Couples who have found their dream venue and suppliers through Easy Weddings have also taken advantage of our easy-to-use Budget Calculator<\/a>. This tool itemises all of your wedding expenses, including quotes from the venues you\u2019ve enquired about, actual costs, and the payments you\u2019ve made.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re struggling to stay on top of all your wedding planning tasks, including that pesky budget, the Easy Weddings mobile app<\/a> is filled with useful planning tools. This all-in-one wedding planning app allows you to keep track of all the different elements of your wedding and includes a wedding checklist, budget calculator, style quiz, supplier directory, and vision board creator.<\/p>\n

    \"The<\/a><\/p>\n\ndownload the app<\/span><\/a>\n

    What suppliers to hire first<\/h3>\n

    Common (and sometimes misinformed) advice about hiring suppliers is that you should book them all as soon as the ring settles on your finger. However, our in-house wedding experts<\/a> suggest a different approach that depends on the scale of your Sydney wedding, be it an intimate micro-wedding with a handful of friends and family or a large-scale event with hundreds of guests and a whole network of suppliers.<\/p>\n

    The primary factor will be the timeframe for your wedding<\/a>. Some couples are adamant about keeping their engagement as short as possible, happy to make all the necessary arrangements within a few short weeks or months. If that\u2019s your situation, you\u2019ll need to book your venue, celebrant, photographer\/videographer, and florist as soon as possible, as their calendar will likely be full or close to it.<\/p>\nChat to a wedding expert<\/span><\/a>\n

    \"How<\/a><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019ve got more time on your hands, we recommend locking in your key suppliers as soon as you\u2019ve chosen a date and a venue and then pacing out the others. Your key suppliers are the people\/services that your wedding simply can\u2019t go ahead without, so allowing yourself time to fit into their calendar is imperative.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf you want to have the most options available and you\u2019re stuck on a particular season or location for your wedding, eighteen months of planning is really the sweet spot,\u201d says Darcy Allen, one of our resident expert wedding planners. \u201cIf you\u2019re the type of person who wants to be able to plan every last detail exactly as you want it, I\u2019d probably recommend twelve to sixteen months.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Our recommended wedding supplier booking time frame looks like this:<\/p>\n

    \"Wedding<\/p>\n

    When it comes to choosing suppliers, buckle in for an extensive research period. There are thousands of wedding suppliers in Sydney<\/a>, each offering a range of services and experiences that will bring your dream wedding to life. Though they\u2019re individual suppliers with important jobs, the most crucial thing is that they\u2019re able to come together and work cohesively on the day.<\/p>\n

    Bringing Sydney wedding suppliers together is something we know a lot about as a wedding directory, which is why we launched our Easy Weddings Supplier Packages<\/a>. You\u2019ll receive high-end service from our experienced concierge team who will learn the vision for your dream wedding, then source the perfect suppliers on your behalf.<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ve chosen your venue; let our experts find your wedding day dream team with a photographer and videographer, musician, celebrant, transport, and hair and makeup artist. Best of all, our packages give you access to wholesale rates that will save you money (basically, your wedding budget will love us!)<\/p>\nSpeak to a wedding expert<\/span><\/a>\n

    Gathering inspiration for your Sydney wedding<\/h3>\n

    You\u2019re already on your way to planning your dream wedding in Sydney, and here are some of our favourite real weddings<\/a> to get you inspired!<\/p>\n

    Brenton and Clayton: Burnham Grove Estate<\/a><\/h4>\n

    Brenton and Clayton\u2019s secret garden wedding at Burnham Grove Estate in Camden NSW<\/a> was deceptively simple, but each element is rich in detail. The floral arrangements were DIY, and a wedding planner helped them bring every other element together.<\/p>\n

    \"Brenton<\/a>
    Brenton and Clayton’s dreamy wedding at Burnham Grove Estate<\/a>, photo by Fortunate Fellow<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSee more garden wedding venues<\/span><\/a>\n

    Silvia and Anthony: The Tea Room QVB Sydney<\/a><\/h4>\n

    Silvia and Anthony went bold for their high-energy wedding at The Tea Room QVB Sydney<\/a> and leaned into bright florals, neon signage, and hot pink bridesmaid gowns!<\/p>\n

    \"Silvia<\/a>
    Silvia and Anthony’s beautiful bold wedding at The Tea Room QVB<\/a>, photo by In A Maze Photography<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSee more luxury wedding venues<\/span><\/a>\n

    Georgie and Mitch: Zest Boathouse at the Spit<\/a><\/h4>\n

    High school sweethearts Georgie and Mitch exchanged vows overlooking Sydney Harbour at Zest Boathouse at the Spit<\/a>, a stunning coastal venue with relaxed rustic interiors.<\/p>\n

    \"Mitch<\/a>
    Mitch and Georgie’s waterfront wedding at Zest Boathouse at The Spit<\/a>, photo by Sam Venn Photography<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSee more waterfront venues<\/span><\/a>\n

    Want more inspiration for planning your dream wedding day? Check out our favourite real weddings from across Sydney and NSW<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Ready to take the easy road to wedding planning? Download the free Easy Weddings Planning Guide here, then book a free chat with one of our experts to get the ball rolling on your perfect day<\/a>.<\/h3>\n

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